I stripped my rear diff fill plug, how can I get it out?

[Empty V]

So I was attempting to change my rear diff oil and the first thing I did was strip the hell out of my fill plug. I've got a new one on the way but need to know how to remove the f'd up one. I've never torched anything before but I'm figuring this is an option. Can someone please advise?

Billy

[W O T]

Is it a bolt you use a allen key on or a regular socket?

If you stripped out an allen key hole youve got no choice but to drill it out

f its a regular style bolt head just rounded over, Id start soaking it in liquid wrench, but you can get (or do yourself) another piece welded onto it for $10 bucks and use that fresh welded piece to break it out (bolt becomes garbage obviously)

Or if the head of the socket is big enough, you can drill through it SIDE to SIDE, in one side of the hex, out the other side if you get what I mean, with as big of a drill bit as can fit, and then stick a metal round dowel through the hole and use that to try and spin it

Have to know what the bolt looks like though

[JonathanPrem]

When i did mine. Guys heated the plug until it warmed up then cranked her open.

[Pwnin O'Brien]

Probably your only option is to heat it up and try to back it out. If you try to drill through it or anything of the sort then you risk getting metal shavings in your differential.

I suggest coating the threads of the new plug with some oil before putting it in. That or anti-seize, if you can prevent it from getting into the differential.

[Empty V]

Is it a bolt you use a allen key on or a regular socket?

If you stripped out an allen key hole youve got no choice but to drill it out

f its a regular style bolt head just rounded over, Id start soaking it in liquid wrench, but you can get (or do yourself) another piece welded onto it for $10 bucks and use that fresh welded piece to break it out (bolt becomes garbage obviously)

Or if the head of the socket is big enough, you can drill through it SIDE to SIDE, in one side of the hex, out the other side if you get what I mean, with as big of a drill bit as can fit, and then stick a metal round dowel through the hole and use that to try and spin it

Have to know what the bolt looks like though

I drenched it in PB Blaster before hand and it didn't help. It's not like any of those, here's a pic of it before I f'd it up. A 1/2 socket male end is just a little too small. I think fueler put electrical tape over his breaker bar and did it that way. I tried grip tape and that didn't work at all.

[Empty V]

Probably your only option is to heat it up and try to back it out. If you try to drill through it or anything of the sort then you risk getting metal shavings in your differential.

I suggest coating the threads of the new plug with some oil before putting it in. That or anti-seize, if you can prevent it from getting into the differential.

Yeah I definitely don't want to drill it out, the welding idea is pretty sharp. There might be enough on it to grab it with vice grips but if it's heated I'm afraid it'll warp it.

Billy
Modified by Empty V at 11:27 AM 10/6/2009

[W O T]

Oh I see, allen bolt, if its stripped completely, your probly gonna have to drill it out and retap, no big deal, just need the right sizes.

I dont know if that aluminum or not, but getting something welded onto it is cheap, and with heat itll come out

Do you have access to a propane torch or even an oxy acetylene torch? Heating crusty old a** bolts works a dream if you can still get a grip on that hole

If your breaker bar doesnt fit in the hole properly, cut a thin strip of sheet metal and put it in the hole first to take up the gaps

[Pwnin O'Brien]

Can you take a pic of the stripped plug?

[Empty V]

Oh I see, allen bolt, if its stripped completely, your probly gonna have to drill it out and retap, no big deal, just need the right sizes.

I dont know if that aluminum or not, but getting something welded onto it is cheap, and with heat itll come out

Do you have access to a propane torch or even an oxy acetylene torch? Heating crusty old a** bolts works a dream if you can still get a grip on that hole

If your breaker bar doesnt fit in the hole properly, cut a thin strip of sheet metal and put it in the hole first to take up the gaps

Well it's not actually an allen fitting, it's square. I can get access to a torch easy, just got get one at home depot, they're cheap. Maybe when I go to finish my exhaust on Friday I can get the dude to weld something onto it for me.

Billy

[Empty V]

Can you take a pic of the stripped plug?

Yeah I'll get down there in a few and snap some. I'll try to get some good macro shots.

Billy

EDIT: I just forgot I left my camera at home, I guess the pics will come tomorrow.
Modified by Empty V at 11:28 AM 10/6/2009

[sicwitit]

do it the easy way, just have a square fitting welded to it. I've had to do this a number of times on other problems just like yours. its the easiest and quickest way.

[Empty V]

do it the easy way, just have a square fitting welded to it. I've had to do this a number of times on other problems just like yours. its the easiest and quickest way.

what do you mean by a square fitting? Like the male end of a socket wrench? Should I have him weld into the drain plug as well? I haven't tried to crack that one yet.

Billy

[W O T]

If you can find it, its just a square plug that fits into the hole, and is like 1.5-2" long, weld it in and the other end is sticking out, you then crank that with a huge adjustable and some heat...

[fueler]

dude that sucks.

i nearly stripped my drain plug aswell. The 1/2" breaker is slightly small for the task, combined with the force neeed to break the thing loose - i wrapped tape around the 1/2" and it fit snug enough to get the thing out.

Of course i put my nearly stripped drain plug right back in when the job was done

[sicwitit]

you can try a 3" extension. I'd try and find a cheap one, 1/2'' of coarse, it doesnt have to be completely snug, thats what the welder is for. should do the trick nicely. maybe just take it to an exhaust shop, tell then the problem, and give them the cheap extension (autozone comes to mind), if they are nice enough, they should help you out.

[Empty V]

you can try a 3" extension. I'd try and find a cheap one, 1/2'' of coarse, it doesnt have to be completely snug, thats what the welder is for. should do the trick nicely. maybe just take it to an exhaust shop, tell then the problem, and give them the cheap extension (autozone comes to mind), if they are nice enough, they should help you out.

Great ideas guys. What about for the drain plug? you can't really eld anything onto that once because it will lower ground clearance. Each is only about $4 and I just called the dealer to have them add a new drain plug to the order. What the hell do mechanics use to get these mofos out?

Billy

[sicwitit]

are you having problems with it too, or have you not touched it yet?

[Empty V]

are you having problems with it too, or have you not touched it yet?

Haven't touched it, I'm just afraid it's going to be just as big of a PITA.

Fueler did you apply any pb blaster to the drain plug?

Billy

[sicwitit]

I'm thinking if you had that much trouble with the fill plug, you might need to just to be safe.

and make absolutly sure you have the right size tool for the job. get your self a good sized metal pipe for a torque multiplier (I like using the handle from a 3 ton floor jack) if at any time it start so slip, back off and apply more PB

[Densetsu]

What the hell do mechanics use to get these mofos out?

When I changed my fluids, all these plugs came out easily with a short extension on a 1/2" breaker bar. Fit in snugly and I didn't give a second thought to stripping it, though I did have a propane torch in case things got ugly. Guess maybe I was one of the lucky guys.

[Andrew224]

Mine was in there good... The cheater bar on the end of the breaker bar was just deforming the hole as it wouldn't budge. I think I just used the 1/2 drive without any attachments. Either way, it was in there good. Used a torch on it, and it came out real easy. I highly suggest the torch method on that filler plug before you round it out too.

How bad is the drain plug? Can you get any grip on it at all? Once you heat it, it comes out pretty easy, but you do need some grip.

Andrew

[Empty V]

Mine was in there good... The cheater bar on the end of the breaker bar was just deforming the hole as it wouldn't budge. I think I just used the 1/2 drive without any attachments. Either way, it was in there good. Used a torch on it, and it came out real easy. I highly suggest the torch method on that filler plug before you round it out too.

How bad is the drain plug? Can you get any grip on it at all? Once you heat it, it comes out pretty easy, but you do need some grip.

Andrew

Right now the drain plug is untouched, it's the fill plug that's jacked up. It looks like there might be enough meat to grab it with some vice grips and twist it out after applying the torch. Here's a few pics.





Billy

[Empty V]

Here's a pic of my cheater bar. I wrapped it in gaff tape for 3 reasons. 1. it helps with grip 2. I keep all of my tools at our manufacturing shop and hopefully some retard will see it and NOT throw it away and 3. It's been a while since I've gripped a hockey stick. 3/4"x 36" galvanized pipe and the tape on it is probably worth more then the pipe.



Billy

[Andrew224]

Sorry about that... Good call on trying the fill plug first.

I don't think the vice grips will have enough grip to turn it out, even after heating it. Looks like there is still enough there to get the rachet head on there to turn it.

I'd try it out. Can't hurt anything now. Heat it evenly around the edges with a small torch until the plug starts to get small glow spots (shouldn't take more than a few seconds). Throw the rachet (after heating it, I used a regular 1/2 drive rachet, no breaker bar, no cheater bar) on there and try to turn it out. It'll just turn smoothly, it won't break loose like using brute force. But be careful, the plug and the rachet (after you put it on the plug) will be hot.

If you can't get a grip with the rachet, then try the welding technique

Good luck,

Andrew

[Andrew224]

Also, you might want to try putting some valve grinding compound in the plug hole to help get a grip. Just a little trick I learned from an old mechanic.

Andrew

[02pathy]

just a lil tip will not apply to your case but for future reference, wire brush is your friend use it along with some penetraing oil, if you could of fit an impact gun in there it might help but i would put penetrading oil and let it sit for atleast a day, i have a 3/4' x 4ft galvanized pipe that i use with a 1/2'' ratchet for that stuff, the torch should work well too maybe for like 30 -45 seconds should be good enough, i am talking the lil propane torch

[Empty V]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I went to have my Exhaust finished and had him weld in the 1/2" extension. I'll be trying to pull it out this Sunday. I plan on torching it and slowly back it out with the breaker bar. Hopefully this time it'll go a little smoother. Here's what it looks like now:





Billy

[sicwitit]

that should do the trick!! keep us posted, I'm sure you will have no problems now.

[fueler]

oh wow i really hope it works now... cause if it dont... DAMN

[Empty V]

Well I got it out! I torched it and tried the breaker bar and it still wouldn't budge. So I torched it again and hooked up the impact gun. I had to put it up to full torque to get it to start backing out. It would have been nearly impossible for the exhaust guy to have welded it in perfectly straight so I couldn't go full force with the impact wrench regardless. I gotta say it was great seeing this sh!tty little fill plug twisting out. Somewhat of a moment of victory. The drain plug was easy with the torch and breaker bar. I used Fueler's idea with the electrical tape over the end and it fit great. Here's some more pics of the old plugs and new ones. The blue stuff is locktite.