Stripped 4R70W pan bolts. Best fix?

M

maxmk8

Registered
I screwed up big time, I must have stripped 2 or 3 of the trans pan bolts :( on my crown vic which uses the exact same transmission/bolt size etc as a mark 8.

What is the correct size of the heli-coil kit?

Is it 8mmx1.25?

I have done probably 10, 4R70W transmission services and this is the first time this happened :(.
 
I'm not sure, but if it were me, I would just take a bolt to the parts store to get a heli-coil kit the right size.
 
Heli-coil is your best choice. It is what we did when I worked in a shop. You could always try retapping to the next size bolt, but there may not be enough material in the housing or enough space on the pan bold channel for a bold head to fit.
 
I paid a shop $65 to do the heli-coil on 3 bolts, I didn't want to deal with that mess.

Seems to be holding up just fine at the moment.

I'll know in 40k miles at the next transmission service at 280k miles :eek:
 
budpytko said:
You should have had them put in a drain plug while they were at it......
Click to expand...

Hmm yea it would make life a bit easier... I don't like laying on my back and lifting the trans pan away from my face and into the catch pan while its full of fluid.
 
Tip for draining---Loosen rear pan bolts a couple turns, then progress loosening up the side bolts until finally loosening the front just slightly. The object is to allow the rear of the pan to open up and tilt more to drain the fluid.

Another tip----Take and center punch the dimple on the pan, and then drill a 1/8" hole and let the fluid drain out. Afterward install a drain plug, which you can buy from Summit or Jegs.
 
Roadboss said:
Tip for draining---Loosen rear pan bolts a couple turns, then progress loosening up the side bolts until finally loosening the front just slightly. The object is to allow the rear of the pan to open up and tilt more to drain the fluid.

Another tip----Take and center punch the dimple on the pan, and then drill a 1/8" hole and let the fluid drain out. Afterward install a drain plug, which you can buy from Summit or Jegs.
Click to expand...

Drain plugs help, however they become a new low point on the vehicle. I used to have on one mine that was kind of long, extended about an inch out the bottom of the pan because of some weird collar thing it had. When part of an aluminum ladder fell off of a truck I was behind on the interstate, it ripped the drain plug clean off not one week after I installed it, but nothing else was damaged. Needless to say, ruined a would be good day at the beach.
So if you get one, try to get a shallow one.
 
Since we're talking about drain plugs, I was talking with a buddy about his "bagged" el camino and he said the term "I've spun the drain plug several times." I was confused but then it clicked....he's dropped it too low while driving and the drain plug on the oil pan was the lowest part of the car. It would hit the ground and just unscrew itself instantly and spew out his engine oil. Crazy...lol!

Don't bag your Vic Max, haha.
 
I want the Vic to hit 300k on original engine and transmission. From the looks of it unless someone rams it or steals it, I may be able to succeed!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top