Here's my tranny. Wanna help me put it back together?

[phenom_1819]

I swear, this cap isn't working correctly.  I'm wondering if the allen-wrench part is supposed to twist?  Mine doesn't, it's locked solid to the 3" round disk part.  Re-Pete, is this what you were saying should twist, locking the cover in place?

Sorry to drive you all crazy with this, but I cannot make the damned thing go back on.  

[phenom_1819]

The paint is starting to peel off from trying to get this damned thing back on...which I'm not happy about.  

[toyotafreak]

Someone with a d-drive, PLEASE STAND UP and help Cal.

[mvermeer]

Cal

I wish I could help you out, but like I said before, I decided to wait until Spring to change the transmision fluid and the oil.  Otherwise I would provide my input to help answer your questions.  SORRY!!  

[cyclone]

Cal, you are psyching yourself out. The cap is press on, and you turn the whole thing with an allen wrench so that the tab goes into the notch to secure the cap. Just stick it on there and turn it 1/4 turn.

[re-pete]

Cal-

It's like Pete said for the sump cover.  What I was referring to in my other post was the dipstick on the port side of the tranny.  I must admit, the first time I was trying to get that cover off, I was trying to figure out how that whole assembly worked, but as Pete said, it  is pretty straightforward.   Good luck.

[phenom_1819]

Still won't work.

I've decided this thing won't go together because I have a bad o-ring.  It's too stretched out.  A mechanically-inclined friend and myself came to this conclusion this morning.  Now I see this cap is supposed to fit inside, rather than on top of the tranny body.  And on my tranny, there is no notch for the tab to fit into.

Maybe an auto parts store will have a new o-ring.

Should I be worried about leaving the cap off and the inside of the tranny exposed?  I don't know engines...or trannys.   But I did have a nightmare last night.  I'm seriously worried about having taken on this project, and being 150 miles away from anybody who knows Toyotas.
Sorry if my posts on this topic have annoyed anybody.  I'm just not sure what to do.

[toyotafreak]

Cal, your only concern should be debris getting in. Cover the hole with tape and forget about it until you get your o-ring figured out. So what you're saying is that friction between the o-ring and the walls is the only force that keeps the cover on?

If you could, take more pics for me. Close ups inside the hole, the back of the plug, etc.

[phenom_1819]

UPDATE:

An automotively-inclinded friend was able to figure this out, and my tranny cap is back on.  Apparently there are two different versions of the Epic DD tranny's, because mine is different than Pete's (even though the caps on the two look almost the same).

Turns out the little allen wrench fitting on the top isn't just there for leverage, it actually does serve a purpose. The problem was that since the cap had never been removed, the seal in teh paint had never been broken (and believe me, breaking the seal was not easy...and the cap no longer looks pretty).

Anyway, it's as simple as twisting the little tiny allen wrench fitting and the seal-seat expands, allowing the cap to fit right into place. Tighten it down and the seal takes care of the rest.

I knew it was so freaking simple I would end up looking like an idiot...
 

There's one thing you can always rely on me for!!!  

[toyotafreak]

Cal, whatever you do, don't let this experience let you think you're not 'equipped' to do your own maintenance. You're a smart guy; just ran into a speed bump. The funy thing about this one is that your patience made the problem bigger - an oaf would've just cranked the thing down, and after stripping two allen wrenches, it would've gone right on. In THIS case, the oaf would've come out ahead.

You did the right things - asking us for help and then getting your friend over there. Can't imagine there's many more issues like that to be found (until we start installing that intercooled supercharger on your X22).

[cyclone]

Enquiring minds, etc. That is true. I never peeled all the paint off my trans cap but I'll bet it works the same way. I just jammed mine back on. Thanks, Cal. You're not as dumb as you look!:)

[cyclone]

Of course you know I'm just playin', you must be smart because you bought a Toyota!

[phenom_1819]

Aaaah, thanks guys.  Na, I  just get really dramatic and like to make fun of myself from time to time.  I've got the quirks all worked out this time around and can't wait to nail the winterization next year....

Oh wait, I forgot about summer. That''s what I'm really looking forward to.  In the meantime, I'm outta here.  Off to the first ski weekend of the year at Crystal Mountain!

[toyotafreak]

Hey dude, how can you afford lift tickets when you're saving for your flight down here over the holiday?

Mucho glass to be had, and today in LA it was in the 80's and clear.

Triple-dog dare you. You can teach us how to play pickleball, too.

[re-pete]

Interesting, Cal.  Like Pete, i just used the allen screw to twist the cap back on!  So it turns out, that cap works essentially the same way the tranny dipstick does(you loosen the t-handle and the rubber plug contracts, and when you replace the dipstick, you tighten the t-handle and it expands the rubber plug to hold it in place).   Thanks for figuring that out for us.