The torque spec on those ATF pan bolts from Mazda is 71~97 in-lbs (5.9~8.1 ft-lbs). So 25~28 lb/ft putting out by your worn-out Milwaukee ratchet is too strong on torque for the ATF pan bolts.
Like I said earlier the torque value on pan bolts should be different with a pan gasket. If someone has decided to use an ATF pan gasket and still uses 8 ft-lbs torque on pan bolts as listed on the spec, that could be problematic. And we really don’t know what the proper spec on the torque value is if one uses a pan gasket instead of the RTV.
90-120 in-lbs is the FSM torque spec for all of the motor/trans oil pans that I've done over the years, and those specs are what I've always used, with no leaks or other issues. IMO it's the large number of bolts (usually 14-18) which provides the holding power - strength in numbers. And I also use an inch torque wrench for these jobs, because most tool makers caution against using the very upper and lower torque settings of their wrench (which 8-10 would be on ft-lb wrenches).
The torque spec for the drain plug on the ATF pan is 23—30 ft·lbf. But it’s a much bigger bolt than the pan bolt, and it’s screwing into a steel nut. Using 28~32 ft·lbf torque is safe. But I’d think screwing into the aluminum case with much smaller bolt is more dangerous of stripping with 4X stronger torque.
Do you think we should use the same torque value (71~88 in·lbf) on pan bolts when we use an aftermarket pan gasket instead of applying the RTV?
Most of the pans I've done were with solid gaskets, and I've always used the spec torque from the FSM. But I suspect that the actual answer to your question is that it doesn't matter all that much if the torque is somewhat higher, or even perhaps even lower. I've always felt that it's more important to torque in some type of criss-cross pattern using multiple passes, to avoid one area of the gasket getting pinched and skewing the rest of it. JMO on that, and I also believe most pros do these gasket jobs on feel using a ratchet, with probably just an ad-hoc bolt pattern.
Not exactly apples to apples, but the factory service manual for my Volkswagen Atlas SUV calls for only 7Nm (~62 in/lbs) of torque on the transmission pan. And it uses a rubber gasket that is required to be replaced every 80k miles.
When I first researched this a couple of years ago, there were very few Mazda Skyactiv PIDs supported for the Torque Pro Android phone app. Strangely enough however, there was a free plug-in APK available for Android Torque Pro running under Windows on a PC (but not for phone Android at that time). That setup is extremely kludgy and slow, but it does support what I'd describe as a modest number of newer Mazda PIDs, and TFT (Transmission Fluid Temp) is included in that collection.
Had you driven prior to performing the drain and fill, or did you drain it cold?
Did you just put the same amount back in, or did you use the dip stick?
I used the exact same method with a dipstick-less Kia a number of years ago. No ill effects whatsoever from that to this day, and IMO your vehicle is A-ok as well.
Hope this question isn't too stupid.
I actually plugged in the top half of the box and used zip ties to hold the filter in place. Proceed with extreme caution because the fan can activate at anytime.
