Tranny Drain Plug

[Outback Porsche]

Some wanker over tightened the drain plug on my tranny! I've stripped the bugger of a thing trying to get it out. Fill plug was tight but it came out okay. Anyone had any success removing it with a big easy out?

Cheers

[MrTibbs]

Hi,

Something you could try would be to suck the oil out with one of those oil change pumps. I bought one a few months ago quite cheaply (about the same cost as the oil I was putting in). You give it a few pumps and it sucks the oil out - comes with a very thin tube for getting oil out through the dipstick tube.

I love it - certainly makes changing oil easier than scrabbling under the car and getting oil up your sleeve (if doing the engine you can always crack open the sump plug to let the last bits drain out anyway.

Mike

[Outback Porsche]

Thanx,

I have one of those pumps - purchased it to make the filling process easier. As I'm dropping the tranny to repair the fuel tank, I wanted to empty the tranny to lighten it. It also appears that it's leaking slightly (from the top somewhere), so the plan was to hit it with a gasket/seal kit (from our sponsor) while it was out. That'll mean cracking it open to some degree. I'd rather do that with it empty.

Cheers,

[944 Ecology]

Well, removing the fluid is not going to lighten the transaxle by more than a tiny fraction of the overall weight. Once you get it out, weld a 17 mm bolt into the plug and you will then be able to get enough purchase on the plug to remove it.

[Outback Porsche]

HI George,

The plug appears to be made of Aluminum, I didn't think you could weld a steel to Aluminum. Is this possible?

Cheers,

[944 Ecology]

The factory plug is steel. You can check yours with a magnet.

[968 GUY]

Just heating it up will probably do it. You could use a heat gun. Once you get the transmission removed, might be able to get a grip with a pipe wrench.

[Rasta Monsta]

[Guest765]

Originally Posted by Rasta Monsta

why don't you just do what is pictured in this photo? drill and tap a hole for a smaller plug in the middle of the now stripped plug. it's big enough to do so, and if it's stuck that bad it's not going anywhere. just a thought.

[Rasta Monsta]

Um, what? Remove the plug with easy out and replace.

[Guest765]

Originally Posted by Rasta Monsta

Um, what? Remove the plug with easy out and replace.

ever break an easy out off in something? ever try to drill through that carbide steel to easy out the easy out? good luck.

[porsche4life]

Ever toast a tranny from the shards that were left from the hole you drilled?

Drill and carefully easy out...

My memory is fuzzy, is there a magnet in the plug?

[chrenan]

Just turn the car upside down and drain the transmission out of the fill hole. Flip it back onto its wheels to fill.

[nynor]

how bad is it stripped? perhaps a picture?

[HondaDustR]

Originally Posted by Outback Porsche

As I'm dropping the tranny to repair the fuel tank, I wanted to empty the tranny to lighten it.

I just LOL'd...on the floor...uncontrollably....but it's an excellent idea for the fuel tank!


On a more serious note, heat works miracles. Get a mapp gas torch and get it good and hot, especially if you are going to use an easyout. Welding something to it would be the easiest, since then you won't have to clean out all of the shavings from drilling (you can kiss your final drive goodby if any bits of metal are left behind). The magnet is on the inspection plate, and the factory plugs are steel. If you do use an easyout, go big. I understand it's no fun dealing with a broken easyout in the way of progress. You'll probably be stuck with diamond dremel bits then.

[Outback Porsche]

Originally Posted by Outback Porsche

empty the tranny to lighten it.

Yeah, alright, probably not the smartest thing I've ever wrote. I realise there's not much oil in there in the first place, but a kilogram is a kilogram I don't have to lift.

I'm not going to get back to it until the weekend now. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Laptop_geek]

Originally Posted by fwayfarer

ever break an easy out off in something? ever try to drill through that carbide steel to easy out the easy out? good luck.

Yes, and it sucks.

[HondaDustR]

Originally Posted by Outback Porsche

Yeah, alright, probably not the smartest thing I've ever wrote. I realise there's not much oil in there in the first place, but a kilogram is a kilogram I don't have to lift.

I'm not going to get back to it until the weekend now. I'll let you know how it goes.

All in good fun, mate! I only laugh so hard because it's not the first time that's been said here. The tranny is just light enough to carry around if you have a very good back, but it's heavy as hell. 2 liters of oil isn't much in comparison. The reactions were even more fun plopping the shipping carton on the desk at the Fedex depot when I shipped one off a couple years ago.

[Outback Porsche]

Originally Posted by HondaDustR

All in good fun

All cool. I can laugh at myself (and give others a laugh at my expense) - happens often actually. Realised what I said was a little daft after George pointed it out. For some reason it made sense at the time.

Really appreciate the help you all have given me with this car. Will have to get over your way some day and meet up for a beer or three.

Cheers,