Hey guys, I'm going to be dropping my transmission pan and plan on installing a drain plug at the same time.


My question: rather than draining the pan by loosening the bolts, can I drill a small hole with the pan still installed to drain the fluid? I don't have a large catch pan and don't want to make a huge mess, so a small hole to control the fluid would be great. I just want to make sure there isn't anything that can be damaged by tapping a small hole in the pan.


Once the pan is dropped I plan on drilling a larger hole in the same spot to install the plug.


Is this a bad idea? Should I just man up and drop the pan prior to drilling?

 

Yes, you can do that. I wish I had done it when I did mine, made a huge mess. If I ever do another one, I will drill first.

Just be very careful to not drill too deep and drill in the right spot (the back part of the pan that is angled down).

 

Its gonna be messy either way. Its hard to drill and keep the fluid from coming out all over you drill once you punch thur.