Tranny drain plug?

[dtl379]

Can anyone out there tell me where the drainplug in my 97 Grand Am GT manual trasmission is? I cannot find it and cannot find a picture anywhere. This is the first manual transmission I have ever serviced so when I looked under the car I was kinda shocked to see there was no actual tranny pan like with automatics. All the manuals say to pull the plug and then drain the fluid.

I have to do this asap because autozone told my sis it took dexron/mercon so that is what my she put in it. I bought the car and checked with pep boys and they told me the same thing. Then I found the correct fluid, and have been using that-but I need to drain out the mix and get all synchromesh in there. I think all this crap messed up the sychroniser for 3rd and possibly 2nd gears.

Any help much appreciated!

[skibum1111]

It's an allen head bolt, looks like a big plug, should be towards the bottom of the transmission, on my 95 I believe its on the driver's side of the transmission.

[dtl379]

Thank You, I will look for it this weekend. How much damage will having the wrong fluid in the tranny do? I know its not good for it but I am able to still drive it, I just don't want to for too long.

When you say allens head bolt, is it a male bolt like the engine oil drain plug, or is it a female bolt like a brake cliper bolt? I have lots of male bolts all over the tranny.

[xeroinfinity]

its an iny like the caliper bolt, not an outy like the oil drain.

[skibum1111]

I'm sure running that mess in the transmission wasn't good for it, but it all depends on how long it was in there and what kind of driving was done with it. If it's only been a few hundred miles of easy driving, it should come right back. If its been a couple thousand miles, there might not be any hope for it. I had a blown output shaft seal, lost all the oil, changed the seal and the car is fine, but it was only run about 100 miles or so. Good luck.