Mazda transfer case fill plug blocked by bracket.

[pbm]

I went to change the transfer case oil on my daughter's 2021 CX-30 and this article shows the problem I encountered...the bracket blocks the plug from being removed. Do any BITOGers have any ideas for a workaround this? TIA.

https://www.cx30talk.com/threads/transfer-case-fill-plug-blocked-by-bracket.3342/

 

[Trav]

Can you take a picture that shows more of that area? You may be able to just move that bracket out of the way.

 

[Hall]

Sorry, can't help (though I did see someone say that dealers suck the oil out and avoid that blocked drain), but some of the posts are laughable (granted, it's the same person that said all of these)....

"I'm talking with the dealership. But it's been a month."
"This should be a recall in my opinion"
"If I'm not getting anywhere in another month or so. I'm thinking of finding a lawyer."

 

[Wrenchturner44]

Can the transfer case be held temporarily with a jack or stand so that the bracket can be removed to get to the drain plug? It is hard to see in the picture what the bracket is supporting besides the case itself.

 

[D60]

I have suggestions but none are ideal.

I'm intrigued. I wish I had one on the lift so I could put eyes on it. As noted, the photo doesn't give us "the whole picture."

Is there actually a dipstick as mentioned or is it the traditional fill 'til it spills from a fill hole?

Please follow up if more is learned!

 

[AZjeff]

A Bondhus ball end hex wrench? Some engineer somewhere is proud of his efficient packaging.

 

[Pew]

In the Evo, (despite it being easy to fill from the fill hole), some folks took a barbed hose fitting with the appropriate thread pitch and attached a hose to the barbed fitting, with a hand pump on the other end of the hose to fill the transfer case from the drain port. They'd have to pump in a little bit extra to account for any fluid that spilled out when removing the barbed fitting. It was very messy. So the easy contraption was hand pump -> hose -> barbed hose fitting with proper thread pitch.

If there's an actual dipstick on the transfer case, you can try filling it through there like the transmission.

 

[pbm]

I have suggestions but none are ideal.

I'm intrigued. I wish I had one on the lift so I could put eyes on it. As noted, the photo doesn't give us "the whole picture."

Is there actually a dipstick as mentioned or is it the traditional fill 'til it spills from a fill hole?

Please follow up if more is learned!

It's a 'fill till it spills' set-up.

 

[pbm]

Can you take a picture that shows more of that area? You may be able to just move that bracket out of the way.

I can't take a picture because I don't have access to the car all the time. The next time I have the car I plan on checking if I can use a jack to hold up whatever the bracket is supporting (probably the T-case itself) and moving it out of the way to refill the T-case.

 

[Astro14]

Same is true on my Tundra - three bolts remove the bracket/skid plate.

 

[zzyzzx]

I'm adding this story to my long list of reasons to never buy a 4DW vehicle.

I would be checking YouTube for a "How To" video on this. That and search in a Mazda specific forum.

 

[ripcord]

What's the problem? It's fill for life!

 

[tcp71]

If it's the fill plug, loosening it as far as you can with the bracket in place won't cause any grief. You can then assess how long the plug actually is and if it can clear the bracket. They may have spec'd a very short plug that can be slid out sideways once completely unscrewed. A ball-head hex wrench should work in there at an angle. If it doesn't clear in any way, just tighten it back up. I think you'd want it loose enough the drip even if you are going to refill it from the drain plug using a barbed hose fitting as described above so you don't overfill.

 

[pbm]

I'm adding this story to my long list of reasons to never buy a 4DW vehicle.

I would be checking YouTube for a "How To" video on this. That and search in a Mazda specific forum.

YT only shows how to on a CX-5 which doesn't have a bracket blocking the fill plug. The Mazda CX-30 forum is where I got the the thread that I posted in the OP. I'm guessing that eventually someone will figure out how to
work around this....maybe me.

 

[PWMDMD]

A significant part of my TikTok is mechanics yelling at engineers for these kind of decisions. I know it’s all about putting the car together as cheaply as possible but is there no thought to paying additional time for warranty costs?

 

[RooflessVW]

Take the bracket off and grind the ear.

Should take a minute or two. Inconvenient but you only have to do it once.

 

[Astro14]

So, if they fixed it in the next model year, what was the fix? Can you buy the updated part/bracket that is part of the “fix”?

 

[DuckRyder]

I guess i'm confused - the answer seems self evident...

The fill plug is blocked by a bracket - what to do. Remove the bracket..

 

[D60]

Take the bracket off and grind the ear.

Should take a minute or two. Inconvenient but you only have to do it once.

And while not relishing being the thread pedant, 'tis better to sand it than grind it unless one is using a grinding wheel specifically rated for Al/non-ferrous. You risk a standard wheel loading up and exploding, although for as little as it would take the odds are minimal.

We all have our safety hang-ups and while I don't even run guards on my grinders I hate seeing any Al packed into a wheel and will dispose of it immediately.

Also if it's a magnesium alloy it won't light up like some people say. I took direct flame to a BW1356 years ago but nothing exciting happened......

 

[atikovi]

Take the bracket off and grind the ear.

Take a hex key and grind down the short end enough just to fit the drain plug. Crack it loose and remove the key, then loosen and remove plug with your fingers. I'm guessing it's less than a half inch thick and will slip out just fine.