Stripped Transmission Pan Drain Bolt

[azswede1960]

When I "tried" to loosen the drain bolt on my 2003 Silverado to change transmission fluid, the bolt was in there SO tight, that I ended up stripping it real bad. After trying everything I could think of, I just took pan off and did the filter & fluid change.

 

The stipped bolt is still in there AND bugs the hell out of me. I have new drain bolt, but wondering if there are any tricks I have not yet attempted with pan still in place, before taking pan back off to maybe hold the inside of bolt with a bench vice and turning the pan to loosen it.

[ewiski]

are the threads stripped or just where you put the socket on?The first time mine would not come out for nothing.so the next time i changed the oil we tried again and it just turned like it wasnt even tight.You will need to take off the pan to really mess with the bolt anyway.

[dreman]

I gave up on mine and put in an aftermarket bolt-in plug. I went the extra step and replaced the cheap plastic washer with a metal washer bonded to an inner o-ring, so I can tighten the crap out of the bolt and it will still seal. The bolt is hollow and stays there permanently, and a plug screws into it. If I ever strip that one, I can replace it.

[azswede1960]

The threads on bolt are not stripped (as far as I know), it has NEVER been out of pan

 

I guess I will have to make another mess and drop the pan ......

[ewiski]

oh yea I did that trying to get mine out with a impact gun.rounds that sucker off real good.

[dreman]

Mine has never been out of the pan either. I had to drill a half-inch hole for the new plug assembly.

[Dontech]

This is very common. MY buddy has a 2001 and the exact same thing happen. When we went to get a new pan the dealer told us that they don't even bother with the drain plugs. BTW the new pans that you get don't even have a drain plug on them.

[chess24]

if you have your pan off weld a bigger nut on it. then try and loosen it.

[sonjaab]

For some reason those plugs DON'T come out !!!!!!!!!!

 

Don't know why they are there.............................

[azswede1960]

The stock bolt/plug is long enough, that it sticks up into the pan ..... when I get to it and take the pan off, I think that I can clamp the bench vise onto the bottom of bolt and hold tight and turn the pan to loosen it .......

 

BTW - what is the "correct" way to get the star driver in there to loosen the shift cable bracket ... that seemed like the most time consuming and hardest to get to ......

[silverad03]

The stock bolt/plug is long enough, that it sticks up into the pan ..... when I get to it and take the pan off, I think that I can clamp the bench vise onto the bottom of bolt and hold tight and turn the pan to loosen it .......

 

BTW - what is the "correct" way to get the star driver in there to loosen the shift cable bracket ... that seemed like the most time consuming and hardest to get to ......

I disconnected my front driveshaft from the front diff and let it hang down. That gave me enough room to squeeze up in there and get to the torx bolts much easier. Pretty easy with the driveshaft down.

[J45p3r]

This happens to a lot of people. One trick that works for some people (worked for me) is to use a good 6 point socket on a breaker bar with a jack under it (to keep upward pressure on the socket). I did that and it came right out.

[Impalacat]

I stripped the head of the bolt in my tranny pan also(2000 truck) with a 12 point wrench, coudn't get it with vice grips either, so I went to the dealer and bought a new pan plug, dropped the pan and cleand it heated up the bolt and pan with a torch, and put some vice grips on it then unscrewed it, it was like they lock tighted it in, and the heat melted it, as far as the torqes head bolts(2) that hold the shift linkage bracket the one to the rear was hard to get to with my ratchet and after a couple of times I stripped the teeth in the bolt head so a couple of months ago when I went to change the tranny fluid, I couldn't get that bolt out had to get in there with a chisel and hammer man what should have taken about and hour ended up at about 3, I did get it off (hard to swing the hammer in there) and went to NAPA and bought two hex head metric bolts and replaced them both, it was a lot easeir puting back with a socket, and I now it will be faster the next time. sorry for the book.

[silverad03]

I stripped the head of the bolt in my tranny pan also(2000 truck) with a 12 point wrench, coudn't get it with vice grips either, so I went to the dealer and bought a new pan plug, dropped the pan and cleand it heated up the bolt and pan with a torch, and put some vice grips on it then unscrewed it, it was like they lock tighted it in, and the heat melted it, as far as the torqes head bolts(2) that hold the shift linkage bracket the one to the rear was hard to get to with my ratchet and after a couple of times I stripped the teeth in the bolt head so a couple of months ago when I went to change the tranny fluid, I couldn't get that bolt out had to get in there with a chisel and hammer man what should have taken about and hour ended up at about 3, I did get it off (hard to swing the hammer in there) and went to NAPA and bought two hex head metric bolts and replaced them both, it was a lot easeir puting back with a socket, and I now it will be faster the next time. sorry for the book.

It's SOO worth the $30+ for a halfway decent Torx bit set to keep from going through that hassle. Impalacat, I don't know about you but I would've been throwing some R-rated language around for quite a while if I stripped the head like that!! Major PIA!

[fireman32_14]

i did the same thing to mine, had it off to do one change, then overfilled it and when i went to take the plug off the second time it rounded right off, i think it was beacause it was hotter the second time, at least i know its on there tight, i just had my transmission flushed and refilled with transynd instead.