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Torque Converter Access Dust Plug

Craigerz

Elite Explorer
Joined
December 4, 2016
Messages
320
Reaction score
64
City, State
Fort Worth, TX
Year, Model & Trim Level
1997 5.0 4x4
Replaced my transmission fluid and left this out for a few days to make sure the TC wasn't leaking. Long story short I now have a clean garage and no rubber plug. Found a few post about people asking about this but no part number. After searching for a bit I found it.

Ford E9TZ-7N171-A - PLUG

10 bucks.

E9TZ-7N171-A - Genuine Ford Base No. #7N171 PLUG

Guess I could have found it for a few bucks cheaper
 



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Replaced my transmission fluid and left this out for a few days to make sure the TC wasn't leaking. Long story short I now have a clean garage and no rubber plug. Found a few post about people asking about this but no part number. After searching for a bit I found it.

Ford E9TZ-7N171-A - PLUG

10 bucks.

E9TZ-7N171-A - Genuine Ford Base No. #7N171 PLUG

Guess I could have found it for a few bucks cheaper

Cheapest eBay price I see would have saved you $1.01

Genuine OEM Ford Plug E9TZ7N171A | eBay
 






Yeah I had 6 hours of CEs for my EMT to renew... I spent WAYYY too much time online googling junk today.
 






Did you rotate the TC and R&R the drain plug too.

I'll send you a spare access plug if you still need it.
 






Now that you've bought a new one you'll probably find your old one. That's the way my luck goes.
 






I was just in my garage looking for in because I know I’ll find it now :confused: lucky for me I did the same thing on my 150 about 9 years ago so it will be put to use!!

No I already splurged on the 7 dollar one that has a locator built in.
 






Cool.

I was looking at pans earlier, those are not getting cheaper. I used to see them for $150 or so, now they all seem higher. I think I'll send Jon one to powder coat, I don't like the choices out there.

Did you like buying new ATF, that has gone up a lot too? It used to take maybe $30 or so to fill a trans. Now if you drain one completely, it's approaching $100.
 






Yeah and I’m about to do my 4406 swap so with less than 5k miles on it I’m going to be holding a cup under it.
 






Yeah, get a really big plastic pan from Walmart. I use one that's the same as my mail trays, it's about 25"x16". That and a flat drain/splash pan catches 99% of the fluid.
 






Yeah, get a really big plastic pan from Walmart. I use one that's the same as my mail trays, it's about 25"x16". That and a flat drain/splash pan catches 99% of the fluid.

Any time I do a trans service I add a drain plug to the pan, just so if/when I have to drop the pan again I don't end up with a huge mess. Last trans pan I dropped was on my '01 ST and despite my best efforts to contain the mess, fluid goes everywhere. It's the things you don't plan on that get ya. Like the oil running down a part of the frame and then leaking out 2 feet away. I managed to keep the my driveway clean, but I used 2 rolls of paper towels, a large catch tray, several drain pans and a empty cottage cheese container. Transmission fluid is just insidious stuff. It always finds a way to go everywhere.
 






LOL, it's nasty for sure. Do a few R&R's on the valve bodies, and you'll think a pan drop is easy. When you loosen VB bolts, soon the ATF drains from every bolt, and everybody knows there are about 25 bolts in a VB. That's a shower on your hands and arm, while you try to dodge the lines of ATF. I used to put drain plugs in my pans, until I got a leak around the plug insert. Over the years I got used to lowering the trans pan gently from one side, leaving two corner bolts etc.

The big pan I use is larger than the pan edges, so as long as the fluid is flowing just from the pan, it gets it all. There's always a little wiping to do around where the ATF reaches the cross member etc, I go slow and keep an eye on those sneaky escaping fluids.
 






I did mine last fall, and bought the plug kit to put in a drain plug but really didn't like the idea of drilling a hole in my pan and getting a leak so I scrapped that idea this time around.
 






I did mine last fall, and bought the plug kit to put in a drain plug but really didn't like the idea of drilling a hole in my pan and getting a leak so I scrapped that idea this time around.

I used B&M universal drain plug kits (torqued to their recommended spec). They haven't leaked a drop in 2 years. I was very careful in determining where to drill the hole in the pan and de-burred the hole on both sides before installing the drain plug. The drain plug is a multi-piece affair, with a nylon seal. The main part stays in the pan and you use 2 wrenches to remove the drain plug w/out disturbing the part in the pan. I think I paid around $12 for two drain plug kits. Just put the truck up on ramps, stick a pail under it, pull the drain plug and let it drain overnight. Makes the job go much neater.

s-l1600.jpg
 






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