Plan on doing a transmission drain and fill do I have to replace the pan with filter or can I just replace the filter? I want to reuse the pan and gasket and only replace the filter or do I have to replace entire pan with filter I can't find just the filter for sale anywhere Amazon, Rockauto selling both pan and filter together

Dorman 265-853 Transmission Oil Pan for Select Models (OE FIX)

 

The filter is integrated into the pan, that's why you can't find the filter by itself.
I would not use a Dorman pan/filter, Dorman stuff is reputedly 99% cheap Chinesium junk, plenty of genuine OEM available on Fleabay etc and well worth the extra cost over Dorman.

 

Totally agree with OZ.

There are plenty of kits out there that have the correct pan, AND the correct oil.

You need the correct kit for the 6, or 8 speed. The pans and oil are different.

wombat

 

Here is a listing for the ZF 8HP unit used by BMW:

https://www.thectsc.com/catalog/8-speed-bmw-108.html

You can contact the seller to determine if they can put together a 'kit' for the ZF 8HP unit used by JLR.

 

I didn't bother changing the pan. Just drained and refilled at 100,000 KMs. From what I read the filter hardly does anything beneficial. Always undo the fill plug first and use the appropriate ZF lifeguard rated trans fliud for the job. Now at 142kms and still going strong.

 

that is what I was thinking of doing at first but from experience I know the magnets and bottom of pan are full of sludge the hassle of dropping the pan and finding the right oem pan paying $300 or more I think I will just do a drain and fill or I could clean the original pan and reuse it if the filter does not do much

How much fluid drained out of the pan?

 

You need to remove and replace the filter/pan. You also need to clean the magnet in the pan and use that inspection to see how much wear is occurring inside the transmission. How did you refill the transmission as that is sorta hard to do?

Fluids and filters are the cheapest form of insurance you can buy! Don't skimp here.
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There are an reason why ZF (the manufacturer of the tranny) sell the complete service kit, indluding pan, screws and olis with reasonable price.
ZF 6HP and 8HP series automatic transmissions have several wet friction clucth packs and turbine locking. These clutch are mention to do slight slip in operation and natural wear of the clutch pads happens. Small particles of the clutch pads are taken away by oil and filtered from oil circulation by filter in oil pan. (oil pump suck oil thru this filter).
One reason why oils are changed are get rid of these particles. If the filter are not changed the particles eventually block the filter causing low oil pressure or forced oil flow finally pushes particles thru to the bearings and solenoid table causing trobles.
Needeles to say why there are many owners on internet that write that they never change the oils and been working fine, and when they finally did oil change (when problems started) the tranny failed. The truth are that once issues started by neclecting services, nothing could anymore save the tranny.
On wet friction clutch transmissions there will be particles on oil filter, and only way to prevent oil filter to get blocked are to change it.
(on some models/manufacturers only use an mesh as a filter, but these have much softer clutch material so actual filter are not needed. Not a case of 6HP or 8HP)

Your money, your vehicle.
I have always used an full ZF service kit, with pan and ZF oils. Currently 312tkm / 195t mil on the odometer and transmission works like a new.

 

the website does not ship to Canada

 

I just read this on another thread "there are 3 different sized rubber tubes that connect the to the lower tranny plate directly above the pan, they MUST be replaced"

 

You mean between mechatronics and main body sleeves on 6-speed version? There are four tubes, with three different lenghts. There are also one rectangle sleeve, but these are not in your case because you have 8-speed. Early 6-speed also suffer oil leaks from electric connector sleeve, but i havent hear much thes issue on x351, so propably ZF fixed the seal issue about 2009...2010 when x351 production have started.
Sleeves on 6-speed should be good for every 2nd oilchange, but off course if owner report issues pointing leaks on these sleeves they have to be changed. I changed them on my 2nd oilchange, even i did had any issues,
You can see 6-speed sleeves on this video from 11:45 onwards: On your 8HP (8-speed version) these mechatronics sleeves dosent exists at all. ZF chanced the desing for O-ring sealings, so you should not worry about these. However: The electric connector leaks have come somewhat back and the connector sleeve have to be changed if its leaking oil. For 8-speed service videos are plenty too in youtube, like this one:
Enjoy.