My car is a 245 from 1990 and the transmission has been dropping back down to 3rd gear after driving for a while at highway speeds. I've checked the following:

1)Indicator arrow on dash can be reliably turned on and off by the shifter button while the tranny stays in 3rd the whole time.

2) I am able to hear the solenoid click under the car each time I depress the shifter button.

3)Local independant brick shop says probly needs to be rebuilt ($1400).

I figured it might be worth it to change the fluid in one last-ditch, grasping-at-straws effort to avoid the rebuild (in which case I'd probably decide to sell her). I'm going to follow the directions on the FAQ and the IPD instructions as best as possible but I've never done this before so I had a few quick newbie questions:

1) Should I look at the filter at all or just leave it in place?

2) If I do remove the pan should I just replace the filter or should the old one be cleaned and replaced? And when I replace the gasket should I use some sort of sealant at the same time?

3) Are there any other seals or O-rings that should be replaced?

4) When the transmission fluid is changed is it best to have a cold tranny or hot one?

Thanks for your words of wisdom here. And if anyone has any other hot transmission tips I'd love to hear them. Especially if they save my tranny!
-Chris