Thanks for the response, JB - in that case, I'd rather not risk running the tranny dry and just brace myself for the mess. So just that I have it straight:
1. Remove pan cover, drain the xfer case area.
2. Swap filters.
3. Clean mating surfaces on both, cover and case, ATV/gasket & tighten.
4. Fill with 4 or 5qts of ATF+4, check dipstick with vehicle off.
5. Start engine, cycle through the gears, re-check ATF level, top off.
6. Pull the cooler output line and drain/fill til its red.
Last question, should I have to cycle through gears to get a proper measurement, and can the vehicle just be in Neutral, or do I
need to cycle the gears while pumping/draining old ATF?
I appreciate your patience; just crossing my i's and dotting my t's.