915 drain and fill plugs

[1980 911 sc]

OK I have the 17mm tool. These are steel in the Al tranny case and they don't wanna budge. They soaking in WD 40 now. I am afraid I am gonna ruin the case if I use a breaker bar.

Is there ANOTHER WAY to drain and fill the fluid? like maybe taking of the small plate on the bottom held in with 4 studs? if so how do I fill afterwards?

any thought are viewed as helpful here =)

[tonythetarga]

WD 40 will not help as it really isn't a penetrating oil. The short answer is brute force and a breaker bar. Throw some heat on the case but not on the plug. Keep trying. You need to get the fill plug out first before you drain so you know you can refill with new stuff.

[PSJoyce]

Thanks for the tip, that's my project for the day, too. I don't think the plugs in my car have ever been out, and so far they've resisted brute force.

Paul

[tonythetarga]

read this, might help. Also use the search button in the upper right for other threads on this topic.

Dam 915 tranny drain plug!

[Early_S_Man]

Are you saying that someone installed a steel VW drain plug in place of the factory aluminum one? If so, consider your self lucky!

Get a 1/2" drive breaker bar, and put a three-foot-long pipe over it. Make sure the recess of the plug is clean and that the 17 mm drive bit fits tightly!

[Gunter]

Use penetrating oil (Not WD-40) first and let it soak.
If the plug is really tight, a regular Allen wrench will not work.
You'll need to cut a short piece (3") off the long Allan-handle.
Then put that piece into a socket with a short extension and a breaker bar.
Important: The hex is very shallow, so, when you cut that short piece, leave the edges very sharp so they can bite into the hex.
Do the fill plug first, then the drain plug.

[jason2guy]

i had a nightmare with mine as well, had to weld a nut to it cause i screwed
up the plug.
try this, first tighten it then loosen it.
sometimes that works

[rfuerst911sc]

Use PB Blaster instead of WD40. Tap the plug a few times with a hammer and apply more PB, by tapping you are helping the penetrant get into the threads. Then put as much pipe as you have room for over the allen wrench for leverage. It will come out.

[scottb]

+1 for PB Blaster. That stuff is amazing...

[PSJoyce]

Well, I’ll come back to this next week. Had soaked the fill and drain plugs with PB Blaster about a month ago. No luck with an 18” ratchet with the good, ½” 17mm Allen bit. With the back of the car up on jack stands, tried using a small floor jack to press the ratchet arm up. No luck – it simply lifted the back of the car. Soaked them again with PB, and will try again next week, with the addition of tapping with a hammer and a little heat on the case.

Paul

[randywebb]

you are doing the right thing

that may never be enough tho... be prepared for a torch

[Gunter]

Paul:
Grind the tip of the Allen flat so that the sharp edges can bite into the shallow hex.

[GrantG]

My 915 plugs have the male hex head, so you can use a regular socket on them. Are these hard to find? I highly recommend them over the Allen head (female) type.

Good luck with the removal!

[livi]

I have been there as well. Really taxes ones sanity, not to mention ones skin on the knuckles.

The only thing that eventually did it was leverage. A home manufactured looong pipe to go on the key. A real bugger.

[RickM]

I helped a friend along who was having the same problem....fought with it for days.

After I position myself underneath the car and take ratchet in hand I realize one small technicality is keeping him in a world of hurt.

He was tightening the plug.

[cashflyer]

Originally posted by GrantG
My 915 plugs have the male hex head, so you can use a regular socket on them. Are these hard to find?

Mine, too. I would like to find more for the next p-car I get.

[PSJoyce]

Originally posted by RickM
He was tightening the plug.

I did check for this problem...

[TerryH]

Originally posted by PSJoyce
I did check for this problem...

LOL! It is easy to get turned around in odd positions and end up tightening something.

Here is the method I used to remove mine. As was said, be sure the plug is cleaned out well. If you round the plug and/or the wrench, a trans removal may be in your future.

[Gunter]

It's amazing how people over-tighten these plugs almost to the point of cracking the case.
The thread is tapered (like NPT) and requires just a reasonable torque.
It can always be tightened a little more should it leake.

[vash]

2 weeks ago, i rummaged thru the trannies (as in transmissions, not trans-genders ) at partsheaven. i found several of the "outties". purchased them cheaper than buying that big ol honking 17 allen. good luck with the stubborn plug.