915 Tranny - Drain Plug Stuck and Boogered Up!! HELP Please

[ruby911]

I ordered some Swepco from our host a couple of weeks back and decided to change out the fluid yesterday. I have only had the car a few months, so this was to be the first fluid change for the tranny since I owned it. I crawled under it yesterday to start the pricess and quickly determined the drain plug had been boogered up and my 17mm hex socket was a little too loose. proceeded to try to remove it and continued to basically destroy the drain plug - it never budged. (Fortunately, Automobile Atlanta is about 15 minutes away and they are open on Saturdays, so I was able to pick up a new plug in no time.) But, I was never bale to get the plug out.

Can anyone recommend a technique to get that damn thing out??

[Oh Haha]

Have you been soaking it with penetrating oil at all? Kroil or Blaster PB are great for this.

Is the "hex' part buggered up or is it the threads? Could you get a pic of it so we can see the damage?

[SpeedracerIndy]

When it's that bad, I have heard of people welding a bolt onto it. Make sure the plug is cleaned out really well, and you have a good quality allen tool, and it is seated all the way into the plug.

Mine was boogered up as well, but with A LOT of patients and a good quality tool, I was able to finally get it out. After that 2 hour intimate experience with my car on my back on a cold concrete floor, I bought 2 new plugs and treat them very well now.

[burgermeister]

Welding a bolt on would surely work.

If you don't have a welder, you could also try:
1) wedging small bits of steel feeler gages in to get the allen to fit better
2) Get a bigger-than-17mm bolt, weld a nut to it, carefully grind the bolthead to almost fit, carefully pound it in to the boogered up drainplug, and use a wrench on the nut.

A wee bit of valve grinding compound can be of help also - gives the edges better bite. I occasionally use it on stuck phillips screws before resorting to an impact driver.

[Peter Zimmermann]

JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE LOOSENED THE FILL PLUG BEFORE YOU REMOVE THE DRAIN PLUG!!! If the fill plug is as bad, engine & trans removal will probably be necessary.

When I've come across plugs like yours the first thing that I do is use an assortment of punches to cut two grooves 180 degrees apart into the protruding end of the plug. Then I use a really beefy flat-ended punch, place its tip into either groove (on an angle which will encourage the plug to move counter-clockwise) and whack the punch with a heavy hammer. Once. Then I reposition everything, and do the same in the other groove. Once. Back and forth, back and forth. The plug will usually start to turn after about 20-30 hits.

I know people who weld a bolt to the plug, but for me the fire danger for that method is too high.

If the punches don't work, you can find the center of the plug, drill a small pilot hole into it, then find your biggest, most expensive, easy-out in your tool box and drill a hole that it will grab. This method is really messy because trans oil will run out through your drilled hole - better let it drain for about an hour - WITH THE FILL PLUG REMOVED! Getting as close to plug center is critical because you want (1) easy-out forces to be equal, or (2) if you have to drill enough of the old plug out you want to be as close to the diff housing threads as you can get but not damage them.

However you do it your goal is to not damage the diff housing. I don't envy you, good luck with it. Make sure that your car is well supported so that it can't fall while you're under it working.

[ruby911]

Thanks guys. I checked the fill plug - it was in good shape and I was able to remove it. It looks like it had been repalced already. I have been surpised at how soft the drain plug was.

I dont have a welder (and am concerned about fire as well), so I believe this will be heading off to the local Porsche shop.

Thanks again

[GBG1000]

I had the same problem with both plugs. I messed them both up really badly with the hex key before getting primative.

I tried mucho PB blaster, tried heat with portable bernzomatic MAPP torch, then I tried hitting them on a tangent with a punch and hammer. That ended up cutting pieces loose.

I almost conceded that I would have to take it in to someone, but figured if the final option was to weld to the plug - then it wouldn't matter how badly I messed it up.

So I was able to get a big pair of stout vice rips on the end of the threaded plug and used all the clamping strength I could possible muster. (It was really hurting my hands and arms). Then I took careful aim with 3lb hammer and nailed it hard. Of course it came off and or slipped. But after repeating the process 4-5 times it began to move ever so slightly.

New plugs in- top and bottom - jsut more than snug- with antisieze, and a thick layer of teflon tape on the outermost portion of the threads.

- What we owners go through just to have SWEPCO in the box. - It's amazing.

Question for any that have read this far. Is there any problem/clearance issue with using the magnetic plug in the fill port?? I haven't heard any bad noises, but have read about other people having clearance issues. ('84, 3.2 w/ 915)

[David E. Clark]

If you don't have a welder, a short 11/16 extractor (slightly larger than 17mm) like this one and lots of heat and penetrating fluid ought to do the trick. Since you say the hex is already "boggered up" you won't do any more damage with this method.

Here are a couple of good short articles on bolt extraction: VW Broken Stud & Bolt Removal and The Art of Extraction . Hope they help.

[3.2 CAB]

Has anyone ever just drilled the center out of the stuck plug, then thread it and use a drain plug bolt and gasket or crush washer for the "new" mod drain plug? The opening would not be as large, but it would probably work alright. ??? Tony.

[David E. Clark]

Originally Posted by 3.2 CAB

Has anyone ever just drilled the center out of the stuck plug, then thread it and use a drain plug bolt and gasket or crush washer for the "new" mod drain plug? The opening would not be as large, but it would probably work alright. ??? Tony.

A new drain plug costs $11.75 with free shipping from our host. I can't imagine it's worth taking a chance of getting metal shavings from the drilling into the transmission case or leaks from the reengineered plug for that price!

[DonMo]

Be carefull punching the center out of the drain plug, there is a magnet on the inside and you really don't want to try to fish it out of your tranny. Ask me how I know.

I ended up drilling the hole, punching the magnet, used a dremel to take out the plug by cutting the side and caving it in on itself. A boroscope and a lot of flushing of the leftovers gave me a magnet/grinding clean tranny.