I changed the fluid on my E4OD tranny that has a torque converter drain plug. I reinstalled the plug and snugged it up fairly good, but not too much as I would hate to strip it. Seemed OK, but took first long drive to get things really hot and there was drippage from the bell housing. Pulled access plug out and it is definitely dripping. Do I just snug the plug a tad more at a time until it stops (is there a torque spec on this plug?)? Or should I back it out a bit (can't remove or 1-2 gallons of fluid will come spilling out) and try to put a little Permatex gasket goop around it and then tighten it back up? Or will it stop of its own accord after a while (doubtful)?

 

I would remove the plug. Use a very clean drain pan and becareful of dropping any dirt in it. When your close things up, you can filter the fluid back thur a coffee filter or very clean rag(this is slow so be patient), or just put in new fluid, it's cheap unless you use syn like I do.

Once the plug is out try to clean it as well as possible and then use either that teflon tape thread sealer, not sure how well this will work, tranny fluid finds leaks. Or use some sealing compound that remains soft, Permatex makes a soft sealer.

Oh, and if you have a torque wrench, torque to spec, sorry don't have the spec on me.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

Thanks Jim. Found some torque specs on a website for three Ford tranny torque converter plugs ("automatic overdrive," FMX, and C6). The first was 8-28 ft lb. The FMX and C6 were 15-28 and 14-29 (NSD). Since the E4OD is a C6 with an overdrive added (though the TQ may be different), I feel fairly confident to go up to 28. Well, what is the accuracy of the cheap torque wrench anyway, +-5 ft lbs?

I noticed that it doesn't leak when cold so I should be able to back the plug out a couple turns or so, dry it off good and apply Permatex, then crank down to 28 ft lb. Next time will do it right. Funny the Chilton maual only says to reinstall the plug, so maybe torque would do it.

One last thing. Any way to turn the converter without continually hitting the starter until the plug shows up?

 

on my 97 4.6 there is a approximately 18 MM nut that you can turn and slowly turn the engine until the torque converter nut comes into view. i've always used this method. nut is on driver side, front bottom of the engine. You might want to use a small cheater bar to make it easier to turn the nut.

 

Interesting 03f150man. I'll have to take a look. Now whether I can use it with the tight spaces in this van with the engine wedged in as it is. Happens I hit the starter twice and the third time the engine fired up. Killed it and the plug was right there in the inspection hole.

Anyway, I backed the plug out a couple turns and wiped it down. It was dry (Ahhhhh! I hope a major seal isn't going. But I figure it all dripped down into the bottom of the bellhousingn, after all the converter was hot from a 95-mile run when I parked it. The plug was actually not very tight (guess I was running scared of stripping it). I put Permatex all over the threads (and my fingers) and waited about half an hour. Then I torqued it down. Got to 20 ft lbs and it turned a whole turn or so with little or no increase in torque. Getting close to bottoming the plug, but I don't think it was bottomed before. Anyway, torque reading climbed to about 22 - 23 and I quit thinking "it ought not leak now. No sense overrdoing it." I'll take it on a 15-20 mile run this weekend and see what happens. I believe if it is going to leak it will only be with the engine running (not so much to have hot ATF, though that helps, but because when running I think you get a couple hundred psi of ATF pressure in the torque converter. I think it will hold.

Thanks again.