cal_alum98

I was draining my ATF fluid today and proceeded to re-insert the drain plug with my torque wrench set at 15 lb/ft. I kept turning since I didn't hear the clicking noise indicating it had reached 15 lb/ft; it suddenly went from tight to loose. CRAP!

Does anyone know what my options are? Do I need a new plug or a new pan?

HarrierAWD

Inspect the threads on both the plug and the pan to see where the actual damage is. Hopefully it's just the plug. (They usually use softer metal to make the plug.) In the meantime, you can try duck tape to tape it shut. There's no pressure in the ATF fluid so it should hold.

Did you drop the torque wrench on the ground? It may be damaged and needs re-calibration if so.

icemans

I agree with checking the threads. Worst case is to replace the pan. It’s really easy to remove the pan on a gs300.

cal_alum98

Thanks for the responses. Looks like the worst case scenario came through and now I have a replacement pan on order from Carson Toyota.

Apparently my torque wrench is messed up. I put on the TRD front lower brace and when I went back to put the ATF plug back in, the torque wrench must not have re-adjusted to the lower setting. Thank God it didn't happen while putting in spark plugs.

PERRYinLA

It's a little late now, but you could have just removed the pan, drilled out the stripped hole to a larger size, tapped it , and installed a larger threaded plug.

HarrierAWD

Only certain shops can re-calibrate torque wrenches. In his case, I guess he forgot to change the settings.

Maybe so with larger hole, but unless he's got the right drill and stuff, he's better off with a new pan and plug.

PERRYinLA

His wallet sure won't be!

cal_alum98

Please note that I said that the torque wrench was set at 15 lb/ft. when i was putting the ATF plug back in. I'm not that absent-minded.

HarrierAWD

Sorry, my fault for not reading thoroughly. Perhaps it needs to be re-calibrated.

pkchin

Even if you drill and and re-tap, I would still drop the pan anyways since there might be stuff left in the pan from drilling. So it seems the pan replacements the way to go anyways.

PS... When you replace the gasket, do you have to put some adhesive on or does the gasket seal itself without adhesives from the proper torqueing of the bolts? (I guess I should look in the shop manual)

cal_alum98

I asked about the gasket when ordering the parts from Carson Toyota. Apparently the GS uses a sealant in lieu of a rubber gasket. When the mechanic dropped the pan, you could see stuff that looked like caulk lining the rim of the pan.

PERRYinLA

I said in my post to drop the pan before drilling.
And again, of course buying a new one solves the problem. That solves almost any problem- all it takes is money. Speaking of which, how much is that pan going to cost?

It's too late for cal_alum, but my point in mentioning all this is that the pan is repairable, in case someone else with the same problem comes across this thread in the future.

cal_alum98

The pan was a little less than $90. The shop I took it to was going to weld on a new bolt and fit a new plug into the bolt for $50. Labor is pretty much the same for either route.

yoji6365

For those who run into this problem later, try to find a drain plug thats just a bit larger in diameter.

Its very possible that you wont create metal shavings inside the pan. I've stripped enough bolts and scews during my construction projects. Most of the time, the shavings will come out towards you.

Another way to fix it if you want to salvage the pan is using a crush washer on the inside of the pan along with a nut. You might have to get a longer bolt to get the nut on. Of course you would have to drop the pan for this one.

I've also seen universal rubber plugs that were used in the oil pan. Will probably work for the ATF.

The last resort I can think of, used only in dire emergencies, is to get a piece of metal to cover the drain and RTV it shut. For a quick emergency fix you can put the plug back in snugly and put sealant all around the head of the bolt, it should cure in a few hours.

hyperopt

Will this solution be a one way ticket requiring the repeat of the procedure if the bolt is removed?