Changed Tranny Fluid in 1995 1.23:1

I changed the Trans fluid in my 95 Ski Nautique with the 1.23:1 trans.
On my Engine cover the decal listed the Tranny fluid as Dextron 3. The fluid in the tranny was red so I agree with the decal and used Castrol Dextron/Mercon, This Castrol meets the latest specs for all makes Domestic and import tranny fluid.
Draining the tranny is a chore. After reading many posts here about sucking it out I went at it. After dinking around for an hour and only getting 1/2 quart out using a good drill powered suction tube I gave up.
My tool can drain the engine oil in about 5 minutes but I could not find a route to get the tube in the proper place to drain this tranny.
I even raised and lowered the front of the boat trying to put the fluid in a sweet spot where I could drain it but no luck.
I decided to pull the drain plug in the bottom of the tranny. I cut down a gallon Dryers round ice cream container to about 2 1/2 inch height and it worked great to catch the oil drain, a cut down milk jug may have been enough. Only spilled a couple drops and it drained in about 10 minutes till it stopped dripping.
The trick to removing the drain plug, it is an allen head plug, is to heat it first. Even with a 12 inch extension mine would not budge while cold. I decided the factory had used a sealer that was now old and hardened and locking the plug. I used my small Propane powered torch and warmed the area around the plug. Once it was hot to the touch, not enough to burn me but a little uncomfortable to touch I put the Allen wrench back on it, I did use an extension to get more leverage and it spun right out. I used maybe 50% of the force I had previously used when it was cold and it came right out while hot.
Never moved cold, I think I would have stripped the plug or broke the allen wrench if I tried any harder to pull the plug cold. When I put it back in I used an engine thread sealer. Same stuff I would use on head bolts or water pump bolts that go into coolant. The stuff works as a sealer and as a low grade thread lock. Put 2 quarts new fluid in and was done in no time. ( before I put the plug back in and after the tranny had drained I put a half quart of new tranny fluid in and drained it into the bucket, I did this to let the new clean fluid flush out a little more of old sludge that may have been sitting on the tranny bottom.
If I had known to warm the plug first and skipped the suction technique completely this could have been done in less than one hour. I ran it two and a half hours Monday evening, ( nice to have daylight savings time back )after this job and not even a drop spilled.
Make sure you use a thread sealer on the plug install. I removed the Engine cover( two pins and the struts) rear seat, and rear Center floor section for the room I needed to access the drain plug and install and remove the bucket I made.
The rear seat and floor are only held by the two large hand screws so removal is fast. The drain is on the drivers side of center on the bottom of the tranny close to the bell housing. One Boo Boo, I failed to check the fluid level while floating on the lake. I will have to do that next time out. I know best case it to repeat this procedure to include the tranny cooler and tubes but that will wait for season end this year. I think If I do this each year or at 100 hours that is good enough for me. I hope this helps someone do this job a little quicker than me.

Mark do yourself a favor and retire that drill pump and get something like a mity vac vacuum pump. Then like Mark says put a copper extension on. You won't believe how many different uses you will find for these pumps

Just trying to help out thru experience. If old technology like drill pumps, horse and buggies and rotary phones work for you then by all means use what your used to

I hear you on the Chinese stuff but sometimes you have no choice. As Volvo owners the Mrs always wanted another until the Chinese bought it from Ford. They aren't even on the list anymore.

Im sure you can use whatever type of tubing you want, as long as it is rigid enought to not bend easily and fits down the little hole. Only reason I went with copper is from reading other posts on the process.

levinmark, Now that I finally have activated my profile picture I can say how much I like the colors on your boat, great color combo in my biased opinion.
I really wish I had put my pen light into the fill hole to see what I was fighting, the copper tube trick could have saved a lot of time.