Transmission fluid @ 175k never done

That's good to at least keep up on the FF. I'm sure you'll be just fine then if you keep at it then.

 

I'd wire brush the loose stuff off those bolts then soak the piss out of em in PB Blaster and let it set for 24 hours. You could also try a little heat from a butane torch on the ones that seem to be fused in.

 

Had a drain and fill done at the dealer but it may have been the first ever at 102k mi. Can I do another at home without bringing the pan to temp etc? That seems a bit outside of my capabilities

 

Assuming you put in exactly what came out there isn't alot that can go wrong. I want to believe the dealer did the proper level procedure but I would be surprised if they did.

 

What's the risk if you're off by say 1/4 of a quart?

 

I'm sure it will probably be fine, will probably shorten the life of the transmission. I'd rather be over by a 1/4 of a quart.

 

It wont shift as crisp, i added a little more, back to normal

 

This, or hold a air duster can upside down and freeze the bolt.

The nice thing is, while the outside of the bolt has been very dusty, the inside has been backed with fluid so there is a chance that the threads are not rusted together.

 

Low fluid will lead to soft shifts. Common dealer trick when selling used vehicles with slipping transmissions is to over fill them.

 

So the consensus is that I should put the truck through a few more drain and fills, and that simply one of them isn’t quite enough to help much?