Overdrive Solenoid Replacement - 46RH

Items Needed:
Overdrive / Lockup Solenoid - 46rh uses one unit
Transmission Filter
Transmission Oil Pan Gasket
Transmission Fluid
Large Drain Pan

Tools Needed:
*Note* I will post wrench/socket sizes used later today.

Process:

 Begin by draining the transmission. There will be 14 bolts around the pan. If your pan does not have a drain plug (as was the case with mine) it is best to remove the bolts on one side and then slowly loosen the bolts working your way towards the back. This will allow the pan to droop and drain.
A word of advice – have a really large drain pan on hand because this WILL be messy. I bought a 4'x2' metal pan from Autozone for $10.

Once the pan is drained, remove the remaining bolts and drop the pan off completely. This is what you will see – transmission filter in plain sight.



Remove the transmission filter (3 bolts – torx bit)

Next you will need to drop the valve body to access the upper half of the solenoid pack. To do so begin by removing the three long bolts (location shown below):

Next remove the 7 shorter bolts (locations shown below):

The valve body is also held up by the shift linkage and the electric plug for the solenoid.
The upper linkage is removed by a (14mm) wrench. The lower linkage can be removed with a (7/16 socket). It might take some wiggling to get these to pop off the shaft. Spraying these down with degreaser before you begin will probably make the job easier.

Once you unhook the electric plug and remove the shift linkage, you will have to wiggle the valve body carefully so you don’t break the plug off inside the transmission. It will take some force, but pushing down on the top of the electric plug will pop it loose causing the valve body to drop down. In this picture you see the plug/upper half to the solenoid pack. The two blue o-rings are what make this removal a bit tough.
Remove the plug (which has a set nub on the bottom for orientation during installation) using a torx bit

Remove the lower solenoid pack from the valve body (3 torx bit screws).

At this point you are ready to install the new solenoid and put everything back together. Do not forget to put this (pictured below) back in before bolting up the valve body. Mine fell out when it dropped down.


Before reinstalling the pan I decided to install a drain plug for easier draining in the future. Shown here is the location I drilled my ½” hole for the plug. You must make sure it is in a location that will not interfere with transmission operation. Be sure and clean gasket surfaces really well before installing the pan. I used a little RTV around the edges to hold the gasket in place while I mounted it to the transmission.


Not bad for a $2 plug! Now just fill it up and test it out. Good luck!