Patent ID: 7444729

Claim:
A method of selecting a transmission oil pan for use on a vehicle having a transmission case, the method comprising: maintaining an inventory of oil pans matable with the transmission case to at least partially define a transmission interior space, the inventory including a first oil pan and a second oil pan, wherein each of the first and second oil pans includes a plurality of sidewalls, and wherein each of the first and second oil pans includes a floor extending between said plurality of sidewalls; wherein an accessing component for accessing an interior component located inside of the transmission interior space from outside of the transmission interior space is mounted to each of the oil pans; wherein a first accessing component is mounted on the first oil pan at a first location; wherein a second accessing component is mounted on the second oil pan at a second location different than the first location; and wherein each of the first location and the second location are selected from the group consisting of the floor and each of the sidewalls; and selecting one of the first oil pan and the second oil pan based upon the first location and the second location.