Missing tranny plate?
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 181
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From: Petaluma, Ca.
Missing tranny plate?
I have a '97 3.0 shorty.
I can look into the torque converter housing and see the torque converter and the flywheel. This is an opening in front at the bottom of the housing. It looks like it's missing a plate.
I went to Ford and they special ordered me a small plate that doesn't fit. Other than that they don't know nothin'. What gives? I guess I could make something out of sheet metal to cover the opening. Anybody have any ideas?
I think this plate has been missing since I bought the van. [three years ago, 15,000 mi. ago]. I haven't had any problems, but I think it should be fixed.
I discovered it when I changed the plugs three weeks ago.
Beaned
I can look into the torque converter housing and see the torque converter and the flywheel. This is an opening in front at the bottom of the housing. It looks like it's missing a plate.
I went to Ford and they special ordered me a small plate that doesn't fit. Other than that they don't know nothin'. What gives? I guess I could make something out of sheet metal to cover the opening. Anybody have any ideas?
I think this plate has been missing since I bought the van. [three years ago, 15,000 mi. ago]. I haven't had any problems, but I think it should be fixed.
I discovered it when I changed the plugs three weeks ago.
Beaned
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 201
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From: ALCONA ONTARIO
You could get one at a scrap yard for about 2 bucks. I had nine off last weekend when I changed my tranny, I believe the two bolts are size 5/16 and it's easiest if you use a 1/4 ratchet with a 6" extension. 5minutes tops, including jacking up the van.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 7,012
Likes: 204
From: SoCal
Originally Posted by Aerocook
You could get one at a scrap yard for about 2 bucks. I had nine off last weekend when I changed my tranny, I believe the two bolts are size 5/16 and it's easiest if you use a 1/4 ratchet with a 6" extension. 5minutes tops, including jacking up the van.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 7,012
Likes: 204
From: SoCal
Beaned,
I was referring to the A4LD on the 4 liter engine, and just saw that you have a 3 liter. In every installation of the A4LD I've seen (Aero, Ranger, Exp), that plate covers the entire openning of the transmission. You need to at least separate the transmission from the engine far enough to clear to locating dowels, which is just about 99% of the work of removing the transmission. Then the cover plate can be pushed off the locating dowels and slid down from behind the flexplate. I think even the manual transmissions use a full cover plate, so you will have to do the same to remove or install it.
Most of the scrap yards I've been to do not have a nice smooth floor on which you can roll a transmission jack, so separating a transmission there could be much more difficult than doing it in your garage or on your driveway. On the other hand, you may not care if the scrap transmission gets damaged, so the only thing you need to worry about is to not let it land on you when you remove it.
I was referring to the A4LD on the 4 liter engine, and just saw that you have a 3 liter. In every installation of the A4LD I've seen (Aero, Ranger, Exp), that plate covers the entire openning of the transmission. You need to at least separate the transmission from the engine far enough to clear to locating dowels, which is just about 99% of the work of removing the transmission. Then the cover plate can be pushed off the locating dowels and slid down from behind the flexplate. I think even the manual transmissions use a full cover plate, so you will have to do the same to remove or install it.
Most of the scrap yards I've been to do not have a nice smooth floor on which you can roll a transmission jack, so separating a transmission there could be much more difficult than doing it in your garage or on your driveway. On the other hand, you may not care if the scrap transmission gets damaged, so the only thing you need to worry about is to not let it land on you when you remove it.
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 201
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From: ALCONA ONTARIO
I believe the plate being refered to here is the access plate for the torque converter nuts. Assuming you can get under one at a scrap yard it would only take a few minutes to remove, the transmission does not have to be removed.
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Tranny plate