- If 4wd, remove 4 bolts attaching the front drive shaft to the front differential. These should take a 15mm socket or wrench. The driveshaft will swing out of the way enough to complete the job, you can remove it entirely if you wish but that’s not typically necessary.

- Remove bolts attaching park release cable to trans case. Pry cable end off of lever. These bolts should be a T40 Torx. You can now swing the bracket out of the way without disconnecting anything else.

- Remove the snap ring circled in red. This faces forward on the driver's side of the transmission. 90º snap ring pliers such as Knipex 44 21 J21 work best. If you feel it is necessary, a new snap ring can be found HERE

- Carefully pull the plastic plug (also circled in red) out of the thermal unit. Sometimes this plug comes right out, sometimes it takes some finesse. Push in, wiggle, pull etc and it’ll come out. Transmission fluid will come out, but only a shot glass worth or so. Messy, but nothing to worry about. If you have also purchased the new aluminum cap, you can drive a screw into this cap to remove it if needed. It will be replaced.

This is the cap removed and all of the contents you’ll remove from that housing.

This is what you’ll put back in. Black cap and pin that came out are reused, the thermostat and springs are replaced with the new bypass valve with its spring as it arrived.

Reverse the disassembly, be sure that the snap ring is seated!

Aluminum cap supplement:

If you have also purchased an aluminum replacement cap, the following is in reference to that. This new cap is only to be used with the bypass valve, it is not to be used with the original thermostat in place.

Pictured once again is the original contents being removed:

I recommend you place a light dab of grease or vaseline on each end of the pin where inserted into the cap and bypass valve. This will help keep things together during assembly.

Pictured now is the bypass valve and aluminum cap going back in.

The assembly should slip into the housing smoothly and compress the spring on your new valve. If greater resistance is felt, do not force it, ensure the assembly has not slipped off center. Reinstall the snap ring and reassemble.

Should you need to replace the oring on your new cap, it is available HERE. The oring from the original plastic cap is not interchangeable.