install Transmission Pan drain plug?

[Charger72SE]

I had a deep transmission pan put on 3 years ago & it doesn't have a drain plug

the guy told me not to bother adding a drain plug because "they always leak"

I don't have a lift or shop to work in, so a drain plug makes things easier to change the fluid

is it true addon drain plugs "always leak"??

thanks much!

[chargergirl]

Have a deep pan on the race car and came with the drain plug and it's never leaked but not sure about putting one in that won't leak. My question would be how bad would it leak?

[TylerCharger69]

Actually....in my honest opinion....a drain plug is a waste of time on the tranny.  When you change your oil, you change the filter along with it...when you change tranny fluid....same thing....you change the filter!!!  So...pan needs to come down anyway!!   Just my   

[mikesbbody]

Actually....in my honest opinion....a drain plug is a waste of time on the tranny.  When you change your oil, you change the filter along with it...when you change tranny fluid....same thing....you change the filter!!!  So...pan needs to come down anyway!!   Just my   

I agree, when you drop the pan you can see if there's any nasty stuff in the bottom on the pan (metal particles) just like when you drop your oil pan. 

[mikesbbody]

having said that, I have a deep Trans Pan to go on at some stage with a drain plug. draining the fluid first would mean less of a mess once you pull the pan.

[Charger72SE]

yep, that's kinda the reason for my question - draining the trans fluid through a drain plug would make less of a mess than dropping the whole pan at once

but I don't want to add a drain plug to the pan if it's gonna leak

has anyone added a drain plug to a pan that didn't have one?  and did it leak?

thanks!!

[John_Kunkel]

A properly installed drain plug won't leak.

[kid73049]

A source for a very inexpensive, low profile transmission, gas tank drain plug:

Ace Hardware, electrical, lamp parts:
In the assorted parts for lamps, they have a shallow shouldered, 3/8 NPT with 1/8 NPT center, there is also retaining nuts that will thread onto the 3/8 NPT bushing. In the nut/bolt selection, they sell replacement oil drain plug gaskets, just find the right one that just fits over the 3/8 bushing. In plumbing supply, you'll find a 1/8 NPT brass plug. All for about $ 6.50.
If installed in a trans pan, after drilling and filing the hole to size, you could use a propane torch, acid flux and solder and solder it into place while the pan is off for the oil change, saving on the use of the nut and gasket.

This endeavor came about this spring when I got a Honda
Fl250 Odyssey. The gas tank was ½ full of old gas and is a real pain to remove and even running the bike on reserve until it quits, theres still about 2 ½ inches in the tank. While I had the tank off, I decided to install a drain plug to make my life easier and this is what I found and came up with. I went this route because it is extremely low profile and everything is brass.