915 Fill plug won't budge....

[billh1963]

I've used a breaker bar and an impact wrench. Soaked with Kroil as well. No go. The plug isn't stripped..just won't budge!

I haven't heated up the transmission housing yet. That's my next step unless someone has a better idea?

[McLovin]

Some heat will help.

Impact also can help. Make sure your wrench is fully seated and give it a whack.

[billh1963]

I'll give heat a try. I've got an electric impact wrench that has loosened up everything I've thrown it at in the past. Not this time, though!

[rokemester]

Heat it up baby! It's the BEST way. You have some MAP gas?

[Matt Monson]

Did you go back and forth from lock to loosen with the impact? I've done that a couple times and had it crack loose the crud.

[david c.]

Agreed. Try to tighten it a bit. Counterintuitive but it can help.

[Peter Zimmermann]

This is why I've warned people for many years to always loosen the fill plug before draining the gearbox. With luck, Bill, you haven't drained the trans yet. If you have drained the trans try this; get a 4' long piece of pipe that will fit over your breaker bar. Have someone who can help you by pressing your socket into the plug, and holding it square to the plug. This, of course, has RISKS! You can knock your car off of jack stands, with luck your car is on a full rise lift. Also, additional risk is that your socket or breaker bar can break, which could hurt your assistant. Heat can be your friend, but be careful. I don't envy you, because if your plug is the in-hex type, you can damage it with the tighten/loosen procedure, or using an impact wrench.

If it gets really bad, and the socket won't grip the plug, you can always resort to the horrible hammer and chisel method. This is tough because you must be careful to not damage the trans housing, while you're cutting two recesses into the plug, about 180 degrees apart. Then, constantly change from one recess to another, one hammer strike at a time, until the plug starts to move.

Can you tell that I've been faced with this problem a couple of times?

DO NOT DO the breaker bar extension/helper method if the car is on jack stands!!! It's too dangerous.

[ninelevenick]

Is the plug an inside hexed 17mm? If so, those tend to strip easily. I would drive the car to a mechanic and have him weld a socket or nut to it.

[Bill Douglas]

A little bit of heat around the plug and mine came out without any effort.

[joefrantz]

Your garage entry show a 72 t. If this is the car in question, and the gearbox is original, then you've got a magnesium case. I'm not sure about using a torch on a mag case. Maybe Peter can offer some guidance.

This may sound silly, but I've had a lot of success breaking overtightened fasteners with just the heat from a heat gun and a penetrating fluid.

[billh1963]

This is on my newly acquired 86 cab. It has a 915 with the hex nut.

I have not drained the gearbox. I've read enough warnings not to do that.....lol

I did try tightening then loosening.....no luck. I think heat will be my step.

[Mike Andrew]

Where to buy nut style plug? Host does not appear to offer them.

[sugarwood]

Did you try driving the car first?
With the case warm, it might be easier to remove.

It is very hard to use a long breaker car while under a car. Just no real leverage for your hands.

Before you resort to a torch or hammer/chisel,
there is no shame in driving to the local garage and asking them to put it on a lift.
In the air, he can put all body weight and a much longer breaker bar hanging vertical.
Now that everything is ready, you can decide if you want him to drain/fill or if you want to take it home and do it yourself (to preserve the ego)

[yelcab1]

A friend with a lift is indeed a good friend.
A friend with a lift, and a welder is an excellent friend. Which one do you have?

[DanielDudley]

Some of the new cordless electric impacts put out more than double what my old DeWalt does.

How long did you let it hammer ? You can let it wail a while, if you have ear plugs.

[sugarwood]

What is the brand & model of your impact wrench?
Air or electric?

[billh1963]

I used heat and got the fill plug out. The electric impact wrench did just fine and I was a happy camper!

But, in my normal mode of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory,I then proceeded to remove the drain plug and guest what? The damn drain hex plug is stripped!

Some previous garage (I know the PO always had the car serviced by a garage) put a plug back in that was pretty much stripped. Now I'll have to address that.

I had planned to replace the fluid with Swepco 201. The good news is I checked out what was in there and it already has Swepco in it.

I then proceeded to changed out my taillight lenses and gaskets. The right side changed out easily. Went to change the left side and our host apparently sent me two right hand side gaskets! The part number on the bag was correct. However, the content was wrong.

Oh well.....tomorrow is another day

[Canada Kev]

Congrats on getting the fill plug out. Felt good to get that out, I bet.

And then the drain plug. And the lens gasket... Grrr

[HarryD]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

... snip ...
Before you resort to a torch or hammer/chisel,
there is no shame in driving to the local garage and asking them to put it on a lift.
In the air, he can put all body weight and a much longer breaker bar hanging vertical.
Now that everything is ready, you can decide if you want him to drain/fill or if you want to take it home and do it yourself (to preserve the ego)

Reminds me of a caller to Car Talk. Caller asked Tom and Ray how to open a dtck hood. They described numerous methods. Caller reported that these were tried. They joked around for s bit (as they often did) and then suggested the caller bring it to a garage for an oil change. They said the mechanic would need to open the hood and doors ve the problem for the cost of an oil change.

[Swoboda]

Originally Posted by billh1963

I used heat and got the fill plug out. The electric impact wrench did just fine and I was a happy camper

Congrats.

I'm doing the same thing and having the same issues.

How much heat? How long?

There's not much room in there next to the fill plug--how did you get an impact wrench in there??

I'm a newbie; trying to get the job done and not mess anything up.

The car is on jack stands....

Thanks.

LS