Transmission drain plug install
Where is the best location to install a drain plug on an automatic transmission pan?
I was thinking to install it on forward facing edge of the pan because it would be easy to get to when draining the oil and replacing the filter?
Thought about on the bottom too, but don't want to do that on a truck.
I'm scared I might scrape the ground one day and rip it off.
Thinking to install one this weekend and want to go in with a plan.
"Tutto nello Stato, niente al di fuori dello Stato, nulla contro lo Stato " -Mussolini
All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.
I'd put it on the rear-facing edge, with the axis horizontal, and the bore tangent to the pan's bottom surface. That way, it would drain nicely when the front is jacked up, and be slightly resistant to tear-off in a grounding. Don't put it in the center; put it near a corner, so you can jack up one side a little more and get nearly complete drainage.
You'll still leave a third or more of the fluid in the converter. In days of yore, converters had drain plugs; now, they mostly don't.
I think it'll depend on the tranny! (And the access underneath the car.)Originally Posted by dom
In the GM vehicles I have owned, equipped with TH350, TH400 and TH2004R trannys, the driver's side of the pan has seemed to work well. It won't drain all the fluid in the pan, of course, but it will let most of it drain - and then you can easily remove the pan to get the rest out without spilling stuff everywhere. Pan removal is part of the drill anyhow - because to o this job properly, you need to clean out the bottom of the pan (filings and sludge) and you can't access the filter without pulling the pan...
I don't like the bottom of the pan because of the possibility of it being sheared off. I know that's not likely, but still.
This will be happening on a 2002 4Runner. When changing the oil I never jack it up because the ground clearance is already good. When I install the plug on the Chevy though I will be doing it on the rear facing edge, or back side. I'm doing a filter on the 4Runner this weekend, so the pan has to come off. I don't plan on removing the pan again for another 100k, so I will be just flushing the fluid every couple years from here on out. Thanks for the input guys. I am going to snap some photos as I do it and will post them here.
"Tutto nello Stato, niente al di fuori dello Stato, nulla contro lo Stato " -Mussolini
All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.
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