pulled pan to change filter and fluid, found a part that looks like a miniature toilet plunger (plumbers friend) . It has an O-ring around the fat part. It's white plastic. Truck has 105K miles. 4.6 v8 2WD automatic.

Truck has been running OK. Several months ago, on the highway going up a hill, when the RPM got down low (1500-2000) it would start to shudder. I could kick it a little gas, RPM would kick back up and it'd stop. Hasn't done that it months.

What is this part? where did it come from? This is the first time the pan has been off to my knowledge. If it's important, why is the truck running, OK?

 

It is a plug that gets pushed in on the assembly line when the dipstick is inserted. Good indicator that the pan was never off.

Welcome to the forums!

Adrianspeeder

 

Is this the first time that you have changed the fluid or have removed the pan?

If it is, this is an excerpt from my Haynes manual;

'Upon initial service most transmissions will have a plastic plug lying in the bottom of the pan. This plug was used to keep contamination out of the transmission while on the assembly line. Discard the factory installed dust plug.'


Hope that helps

 

If I had a nickel for every time someone asked about these, I'd have a whole lot of nickels
Alan

 

THANKS !!!!!

 

THANKS ! to timberwolf, Adrian Speeder, and DirtyDog for your quick replies. I've got to take the fam 3K miles and i was panicking big time!. it'd be nice if ford would emboss this thing with DISCARD on it !

 

OH NO! Did you throw it away? That was the pisshotty-hig-a-ma-jig reverse osmosis fluid plug!
I wish I could see the expression on peoples face when they see that plug in the pan!