i just went outside and did a drain of the tranny pam, did not remove the pan, only the plug. everything went smooth, went to tighten her back up and i can get it finger tight, as soon as i put the socket to it, it loosens back up a bit, like drops down a thread...if that makes since.

it keeps doing it...i am going to have to buy a new drain plug i think but before i leave the house, anything else it could be?

 

More likely the threads on the pan I'm sorry to say, but try the plug first. Do the plug threads look bad?

 

If it's not the drain plug you probably have to buy a new pan, or at least take it off, drill out the plug hole, and heli-coil it.

 

explain heli-coil!!!

heres what i am going to do...go to dealer, $5 for ne plug and gasket....and try that. if no go, i have to order the pan!! $134

my question is, if i can get it hand tight, like a bit tighter than an oil filter hand tight, then it breaks loose when i put the socket on it...hopefully all it need is a new gasket to give it that extra umphh. i didnt replace it with a new one so i am going to go and recheck to make sure i put the gasket back in there. i am sure i did though...

 

Why dont you just retap the threads? heck any mechanic could do it for you for under 20 bucks..

 

i pulled the plug back out, the threads are pretty shot, guess the person who had the runner before me took it to jiffy lube! anyhow, im gonna get the plug and i guess restrip it as its my DD and i have no other means to work and fix the issue this weekend.
man the things that happen when you try to save some money and do it yourself!!

 

Yep, that sounds like a jiffy spooge induced problem. You can probably pull the pan and match up another larger drain plug (use fine thread, not coarse) and retap the pan to the proper size to fit the new plug. I mean if you're going to have to take the pan off anyway, then to retap will probably only cost like $2-3 for a new larger plug/gasket and $5 for the tap. Very easy to do, just make sure you tap it as straight as possible. I would not advise to try and retap while it is still on the truck since you may get filings in the pan and more importantly you might damage something in the tranny by bottoming out while tapping.

 

If it's just the plug you're good, but try a google search for heli-coiling. Basically you drill out a threaded hole, re-tap it bigger than it was, then screw in the heli-coil to match the original bolt size. Basically you are re-threading a hole.

If you clean up the drain hole with a tap try packing the tap sides with grease to catch any pieces of metal so they don't sit inside your pan.

 

well its the pan. i put the new plug in and instantly met slight resistance. fooled with it until my shoulders burned from holding them up, took a break and tried again but i had to put the plug in and strip it. gotta do what you gotta do. tomorrow ill price some places to have them retap the hole, probably a bit bigger now. i deffinately want to get it fixed but i drove it for so long jacked up i dont think it will hurt to wait a few days.
when i got the new plug, took a magnet to it and it stuck! i knew then the pan was jacked up! i was just hoping it was a brass/aluminum plug.

REASON NUMBER 6,372,939 to avoid the quick lube places UNLESS you can watch them. i wouldnt doubt that they took an air tool to the 14mm bolt!!!!

THANKS FOR THE RESPONSES. i thought i was gonna have a heart attack!

 

maybe you can get a pan at a junkyard for cheap

 

if i had a jeep cherokee, wrangler i would have no problem....damn toyota to hell for making an EXTREMELY reliable truck!

there has only been one 3rd gen in the junk yard here and it was totaled. jeep's galore though, just dead motors!

 

by the way, did i say how much i hate the dang dip stick on the 3.4!! also, hanes manual says 2.1 quarts of fluid, i put in 4!

 

4 quarts into your transmission?!?!? I think thats a bit much, unless you have an auto, I don't know anything about auto's.

 

Yup, its an auto. 4 quarts is about right, I have heard other people say that the Hayne's manual is way off on ATF amounts...

 

All the manuals are way off, even the Toyota ones, which is probably where Haynes and Chiltons got their bad info. About 4 quarts seems to be standard.

 

i even called the local dealers and they said the same thing! 4 quarts is what it is!!

 

So how are you keeping the ATF in the pan?

 

well i bought the new plug nd put it in stripped. funny you asked because after my last post, i went to check things out there is ever so slightly a bit a fluid built up arourond the plug. so hopefully tomorrow i will be able to take it to the auto shop where i work, put it on a lift and drain the puppy down

question to you guys, i dont want to pull the entire pan off, i am thinking i might have to but i wonder if i dont, and tap it while its in place, can i just buy an extra couple of quarts of tranny fluid and dump it in to remove any shavings that may have made it in there. i think if im careful, it shouldnt be a problem.

if i do drop the pan, there isnt a gasket for the auto if i am not mistaken, just an silicone sealant? how long does that take to dry before i can fill it ack up and drive? i would say no waiting but it never hurts to ask!

 

^^^^^^

 

there's a crush gasket that supposed to be used with the tranny drain/fill plugs too. i hope you have new ones in there. without that, you'd be about 1 thread off, and might cause you to strip the pan again.