I dropped my transmission pan a few weeks back to change the governor pressure solenoid and transducer... and like everybody else I spilled 7 quarts of ATF on, well... everything.

Rather than installing one of those screw-in drain plugs I chose to reduce the chance of a leak down the road and weld a bung into the pan. So, one $5 drain plug (w/magnet), a crush washer, 5 minutes on the lathe and a few more on the welding table later and I have a sensible way to get the ATF out of the tranny pan.

I just can't figure out why the heck Dodge didn't do this in the first place!

Here's a few pic's.
Cheers
-Mark

 

Nice work!!!!

 

Great job - can I schedule an appointment and get mine done?

I can't believe they don't come with a drain plug in the first place.......

 

I installed on of the crappy screw in ones and never had a problem.
Nice weld job, was a TIG used for that?
Oh ya that's a Drill press not a lathe.

 

You haven't had a problem...Yet.
How far away from home will you be when your tranny spews it contents onto the highway?

What other kind of welding is there?

If I rotated the photo 90º would it be a lathe then? Ok you caught me. Yup, I used a drill press to make the hole in the pan.
The lathe (not shown) was used to make the weld-in bung.

 

I am a big fan of the Fumoto drain valve. At the first oil change, I'll be adding this to the oil pan. Next time Iservice the transmission, I'll do the same thing you did, but install one of these valves.

http://www.quickoildrainvalve.com/

 

Well 4+ years and counting. So far so good.

 

I just can't figure out why the heck Dodge didn't do this in the first place!

$$$ they don't want people changing their own fluids. I do trans services all day long for the pass 25 years never spilled a drop. Yeah right

 

almost no one puts a drain on the tranny pan anymore... I guess they figure we're gonna go 100k miles on these things before we worry about it... some of us though, like to change it more frequently..

My 2002 Land Rover has drains all over the place.. completely user servicable.

 

Nice job but I have a quick question. I placed mine in the front of the pan but placed it in the center of the pan. Should I have put it in the corner like you did or does it not really matter?

I did the screw in kind as well and when I adjusted it to 25 ft/Ibs torque as it called for, I noticed the plastic washer was starting to crush so I removed it and placed a metal washer over top of the plastic washer so it would always remain sealed.

 

I did the same thing with my '73 Jeep Wagoneer. Had a bum transmission that kept stopping up filters. I was changing filters every 2 months or so. So, I brazed a nut onto the pan and used a short peice of copper tubing for a crush washer. Just used a bolt for the plug. Worked fine
and didn't cost anything.