[FC] Drain plug installation--64 FC manual transaxle

[Rad Davis]

The '61s had factory drain plugs in transmission and differential.  
They're installed facing each other on the projections at the bottom of 
the case.  See a '61 shop manual for pictures.  I believe the plugs were 
something like 3/4" pipe plugs.

That said, you don't have to do it the factory way.  I just drilled a 
small hole in the bottom of the differential case.  I have a '64 case 
with the (undrilled) transverse spring perch. The hole is about at the 
exact center of the perch at the lowest point in the case.  The iron is 
quite thin there.  I drilled it out and tapped it to the size of a small 
button-head hardware-store screw (I forget what size).  It is sealed 
with a washer of gasket material.

For the record, I drilled it with the diff in the vehicle after using a 
sucker gun to get most of the fluid out.  I stuck a hard drive magnet 
and a blob of grease on the drill and drilled cautiously to ensure that 
any chips that got in would be flushed out by the little bit of fluid 
left in the diff.  That was about 60,000 miles ago, so I think things 
went OK.

There's no reason that you couldn't do something similar to a 
transmission, particularly on the bottom of the stub where the drain 
plug was on the '61 models.  I haven't done it to the trans because I 
have more than a little paranoia about getting shavings or drill bits 
into the wrong place in a small iron box full of gears.  The diff case, 
by comparison, is mostly empty space with oil in it.

-Rad Davis


Tom Willcox wrote:
> Hello all--
>
> I need to change the lube in my 64 4 speed Greenbrier, and I am tired of dealing with the suction gun method.  Does anyone have a schematic that would tell me where to drill and tap for drain plugs on the diff and trans?
>
> I ask this because the tech guide only covers 66 and later, and the factory ones were only installed until 63.  
>
> Any help out there?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Tom Willcox
> Allentown, PA
> 64 140/4 Greenbrier
> 65 110/4 Monza 4 door
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