Broken Dipstick Cover/Plug

[reklaw]

2008 King Ranch. Actually late 2007 so it has the 6R75 transmission in it. I'm wondering if anyone has ever had to deal with the metal cap that covers the plastic dipstick break on them? Last time I was tightening mine down it never got tight. I then basically didn't drive it for 2 months and forgot about it. Then I drove it to warm the fluid to temp and was going to check the fluid level to make sure it was full and low and behold the cap won't come off. Just spins and spins loose. I was thinking (hoping) the threads on the cap stripped and I would just have to replace it. About a week later I'm under it while cold so I can work without burning myself and it's still just spinning loose. I tried using my impact with a swivel and extension through the wheel well hoping that something would catch and it would come out. No luck. Finally got a small screwdriver between the mating surfaces so I could pry while turning and that only just made it spin more freely.

I took it to a garage. The garage I haven't been to in over 20 years but my parents love. The guy at the garage tells me he thinks the threads on the transmission case side have stripped. Meanwhile I have seen one random video where the top of the cap broke off from the threads and the person in the video then had to get the threaded part to spin out of the transmission.

So what do you guys think? Has anyone seen this happen? Correct me if I'm wrong, You can easily get to the dipstick hole from the bottom with the pan off right?

 

[AWAR]

Looks like a clear view with the pan off.

 

[reklaw]

Looks like a clear view with the pan off.

View attachment 87415

Thanks for the reply. I didn't even think about looking at a diagram. I was pretty sure it was accessible from when I changed the bulkhead connector seal 2 years ago but couldn't remember.