Hello, I have never drained my own transmission before and I am attempting to do so on my 2001 Ford F-550 with a 4r100 tranny.

I drained it already but ran out of daylight and I am wondering whether it will be fine without any ATF in it overnight. It's parked and isn't going anywhere. I made sure to seal it back up by putting the tranny pan oil drain plug back in and the torque converter drain plug back in as well. I am just wondering if it's bad for it to sit without any fluid in it at all?

Also, when I went to put the torque converter drain plug back in and I made sure to start it off with my fingers so as not to cross thread it but after getting it hand tight I began using the ratchet to tighten it down all the way, oddly the drain bolt only wants to go in about half way. This is scary as I am unsure whether I might have cross threaded the bolt. I backed it out and looked at the bolt closely and it does not appear to be cross threaded. Shouldn't the bolt be flush with the torque converter? When I loosened it I don't remember it being bolted in only half way. I'm scared to keep forcing it in because I don't want to crack the torque converter/housing. Can someone please advise me on what I am doing wrong? Or does the torque converter drain bolt only thread in half way? Any help would be enormously appreciated. Thanks

 

Yup, you'll be fine for overnight. Everything is aluminum for the most part, and will have a coating of fluid to prevent rusting anyway. The bolt should be slightly tapered to make a good seal, and therefore will not go in all the way flush. If it goes in a good couple of rotations by finger you will know it is not cross threaded.

 

As stated, letting it sit will be fine.

If you're trying to flush the ATF, here is the DIY procedure. Changing ATF Fluid in a E4OD and 4R100 transmission .: Articles

Works much better than just pulling the plugs and draining. You can even skip the plug on the torque converter next time.

 

Thank you for the reply TennesseeMustangPerf it's much appreciated.

 

Any time, my friend. Glad to help!

 

[QUOTE=Oppland;9987496]I am just wondering if it's bad for it to sit without any fluid in it at all? [quote]
Won't hurt it at all.

The thread is a tapered pipe thread. The further you go into the hole the smaller the diameter. So the plug can only go part way in. That's how a tapered thread works.

There is A LOT of steel in there! All of the gears are steel, all of the shafts, drums, shells, clutch separator plates, solenoids, etc. Leaving it overnight is fine.

 

[quote=Mark Kovalsky;9988466][quote=Oppland;9987496]I am just wondering if it's bad for it to sit without any fluid in it at all? Thanks Mark, I am not super mechanically inclined but I am trying my best learn. I will remember this about tapered bolts in the future. I've heard nightmare stories of people being ham-handed and "forcing" bolts only to end up with a broken bolt or worse. That's why I stopped tightening it, I didn't know that it was tapered, just that it had it's own ideas about how far it wanted to go in. Now I know that it was saying: "I'm a tapered bolt stupid!, I don't go in all the way."

 

[quote=Mark Kovalsky;9988466][quote=Oppland;9987496]I am just wondering if it's bad for it to sit without any fluid in it at all? Thanks Mark, I am not super mechanically inclined but I am trying my best learn. I will remember this about tapered bolts in the future. I've heard nightmare stories of people being ham-handed and "forcing" bolts only to end up with a broken bolt or worse. That's why I stopped tightening it, I didn't know that it was tapered, just that it had it's own ideas about how far it wanted to go in. Now I know that it was saying: "I'm a tapered bolt stupid!, I don't go in all the way."