2007 Tacoma V6 - Stripped Tranny Pan Drain (Maybe)

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Hey guys...

Well, I did the full transmission flush & fill as described on user Mountain Lion's post over on the Tacoma World forum, for the 2nd time yesterday (first was back in 2012 at 101,000 miles; I now have 198,000 on the truck).

Post with procedure:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/diy-full-flush-for-automatic-transmission.68462/

Just as before, it worked great and the transmission is shifting like butter.

But I've run into a small problem:

When I went to thread the drain bolt back into the pan (by hand, of course), it didn't want to thread in smoothly. Just seemed like it was off from going straight in by just a hair. Well, I gambled and went ahead and torqued it in, and I got that dreaded resistance where you know that threads are being "boogered up". There wasn't too much resistance, and when the bolt flange bottomed out against the pan, it seemed to make a decent seal. BUT it would not tighten to the specified torque (21 lb/ft). Yes, I used a torque wrench. No, I did not use a new crush washer. I partially blame the dealership for that; when I picked up the fluid for the job, I asked for new crush washers for the drain bolt and the fluid level check bolt, but they did not have them in stock. The counter man said he would order them for me. Well, I was off yesterday and decided to do the job, so I stopped by the dealer to see if the washers were in. And, of course, the counter man (same dude who said he'd order them for me) acted like he'd never heard of a transmission pan drain/check bolt crush washer. He even went back into the shop and asked a couple of mechanics and nobody had any. So, I said screw it, I'll re-use the old ones. Would it have made a difference? Who knows. Might have sealed it. BTW, no leaks from the check bolt.

The pan must be made of a thin metal. The drain bolt threads are semi-coarse, and the drain bolt is not very long. BTW I've done every oil change myself on this truck (probably changed the oil 20 times or more on it) and only just recently put a new crush washer in the oil drain bolt. Is it best practice? No, but I got away with it because the crankcase oil pan must be thicker...and its drain bolt is longer, and the threads finer pitch.

I have no idea how the hole got messed up. Like I said, I did the job once before, in 2012, and did not use a new crush washer (I don't think) at that time. I used the same torque wrench this time as I did last time, and set it to the same setting... And I always start screws/bolts by hand first to ensure they don't cross-thread.

Not sure if the pan is steel or aluminum.

ANYWAY... Now the tranny drain bolt is seeping. I looked under the truck to find a spot of fluid about 4" across after the truck had sat for 11 hours at work today. Probably leaked about 1-2 oz.

SO... The question is, should I just buy a new pan? I actually wouldn't be that mad about having to drop the pan, because it would give me the opportunity to inspect the inside of that area, and I'm assuming the new pan would come with a new strainer screen... The pan has never been off before.

I don't know how much a helicoil kit would cost. I also haven't looked into the cost of a new pan. I can re-use the fluid that is in the pan now, since it's brand-new, and I also have almost 2 quarts left over from my flush process in case I need some extra.

A quick search revealed somebody else on the Tacoma World forum who had the same problem about 5 years ago, and at that time, he had found a new pan for like $88. Not horrible.

SO what would y'all do? Anybody got a good source for Toyota parts at wholesale prices?

Good thing is, I have another car, so I can afford to park the truck until I can take care of this.

Thanks for any help...
 
Check the pan with a magnet. At least you'll know the material. If it's striped out, remove the pan and have the hole welded solid, then re drilled.
 
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Yeah those pans are super thin. I dropped the pan on a RAV4, and some of the bolts were rusty, and sheared off. I was so mad having to drill them out and replace with new bolts.

I would get a new pan, and replace any bolts that look rusty with new.

A torque wrench would be advised these things really don't need much torque at all (pan bolts).
 
Originally Posted By: JustinH
Yeah those pans are super thin. I dropped the pan on a RAV4, and some of the bolts were rusty, and sheared off. I was so mad having to drill them out and replace with new bolts.

I would get a new pan, and replace any bolts that look rusty with new.

A torque wrench would be advised these things really don't need much torque at all (pan bolts).



Yeah, like I'd mentioned, I used a torque wrench. I suspect that if I had used a new crush washer (it uses a copper crush washer), it would have locked down and sealed at the 21 lb/ft. that it calls for.

Now you're scaring me with the rusty pan bolt story! I'd be [censored]'d if any of those snapped off! I'll be spraying those with plenty of Kroil beforehand.
 
Originally Posted By: miden851
I would use a teflon tape temporarily


Yeah, I don't have a need to drive the truck again until I can properly repair it
 
Can't help but I have a Tacoma and I'm somewhat sure that my trans drain bolt hole is almost stripped out. I got lucky and didn't go that far but I can feel that the threads are a bit wonky.

It's such a thin pan that I don't think a helicoil will have enough to bite onto.
 
Did same on my car...not fun..im not that handy so just limped it to my dealer to fix.
 
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Take a dremel with a small cutting wheel and cut a couple of flutes in the pan bolt up to about 5 or 6 threads up, put a new washer on it and thread it in the same as it is now. This will clean up your buggered threads. The pan is thin but the inside flange nut has some meat on it.
Tighten it firmly but do not over torque, hand firm will be fine.
 
That sucks. I did something similar, on a different vehicle, and ended up using a Time Sert thread repair kit (like a Helicoil but supposedly a better grip). It worked pretty well - no leaks so far.

They are expensive (mine was close to $200 with overnight shipping) - it may be cheaper just to replace the pan. I would have just replaced the pan if the bolts were easier to get to.
 
If you end up buying a new pan... LINK to a new pan.

If you walk into a dealer parts department, do NOT call, get a price and if it's higher than an online dealer tell them. Most of the OEM parts online are just dealers in other states willing to sell at more reasonable prices. Point that out to the parts guy.
 
Transmission pan failure seems common on these trucks, so I'm surprised nobody makes an aftermarket pan for it
crazy2.gif
 
Thanks for the suggestions and links, guys. I’m just going to order a new pan tomorrow.

I should be able to clean the screen, right?

It will be interesting to look in there and see what it looks like after almost 200,000 Miles. See if there’s any sludge, etc.

Incidentally I drained and refilled the diff after work. Last drain/fill was at the same time I flushed the transmission before (around 100K). Used M1 last time, and again this time. Coming out, the fluid looked a lot better than the original FF from Toyota. Still caramel-colored even after almost 100K.

Magnetic drain plug didn’t have any chunks, though there was a “paste” adhered to it. Looked a lot like nickel anti-seize.
 
When I bought my old used 04 Pontiac Vibe (same as Toyota Matrix), the trans bolt was stripped and free spinning when I went to change the fluid. I went to a local pick a part salvage and pulled off a pan cover off a junker among other parts I needed. Just make sure the pan bolt is not stripped. I think it cost about $12 for the pan cover. U can get a new gasket for $5 . I hate leaks
 
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