Rear Diff Fill Plug REFUSES To Budge

Anyone got tips? Looking to check my fluid level as I recently sealed my axle leak. Using an impact wrench w 700+lbs of torque, 24 mm socket, and PB Blaster. No luck, just rounding the thing.

 

Heat it. Then replace it. Shouldn’t do anything to the oil.

 

Friction drops might help, use them at work in aviation industry. Might be to gone for that though.

 

Hitting it inwards will cause the crush washer to.....crush more, relieving some pressure on the threads and allow you to spin it off.

 

any hopes of smacking a smaller socket on there?

 

buy a replacement plug, weld a socket on this one and go to town.

 

Do you have access to a wire feed welder? I have welded a nut on top of stripped bolts and removed them. Also, the heat from welding can help loosen the bolt.

 

Had to use the air hammer and chisel for mine.

 

Same thing happened to the drain and fill plugs on a Borg Warner t-case for an old Ford Bronco. It took a week of spraying penetrating lubricant every day until I emptied the can. Two weeks later I was able to remove both plugs.

 

Have you tried grabbing onto it with big vice grip. If you could get it to grab you’re gonna have to put some stink on it and heat.

 

The welding bold/nut sounds like a good idea. Or try getting a slightly smaller socket and beat it on there for grip, and then try taking off with a breaker bar turning real slowly.

 

Welding a nut on top is best and sure way, if you can get it done. That nut must been bad shape even before you used that impact.

 

Pipe wrench. Works like a charm.

 

Maybe try a butane torch to see if it helps loosen it up?

 

I suppose if you can’t weld a nut in, you could drill a hole and hammer in a torx drive socket.

 

Pipe wrench or Hammer and Chisel. Been there done that.

 

I like @Hoff idea of pipe wrench

 

Yup. Heat it, beat it (like @FrenchToasty said) and pipe wrench.

 

Worth a shot. The bolt itself is pretty rounded as is so we’ll see.

I do not, probably the most common solution I’ve found with these sort of things. If all else fails might need to invest in one.

Yeah I used a medium size vice and gripped it pretty tight, beat it w a hammer and that did some of the rounding

 

maybe you could take a file and flatten the sides a bit to give the socket something to bight on.

ultimately though, if the proper size socket and an impact didn't do the trick, i dont think this will be sucessful. I'd call a couple shops, have them weld a bolt on there and pull it.

 

Like some others have

This is worth a shot. Pipe wrench may be worth a shot too, better than vise grips.

 

Pipe wrench,made too small and hammered onto the plug??

 

Pipe wrench is worth a try but will be really awkward to use. It's a shallow bolt to put the wrench on and the center part of the diff bulges out, not a lot of room between the bulge and the bolt.

If that proves to be too fiddly then get a big strong nut welded on and put a long extension on your wrench. If you aim your wrench handle at 3 o'clock you could put the stock jack under your breaker bar and use that to provide leverage.

 

Go ahead and order a new fill plug while you're waiting. Might want to order a drain plug while you're at it. It could have been tightened by the same gorilla that did your fill plug.

 

Pipe wrench (one big enough) is near impossible. Just tried. Space between housing and bolt end is tight. Nvm the fact it’s already partially rounded.

As always spot on Darkness.. see above..

I’m most likely gonna end up bringing it to a buddies shop, weld a new one on and rip the sucker off.

Gorilla would be an understatement. Ounces of PB Blaster + 700+lb impact not enough, that has to = Godzilla.

 

I think the bolt didn't come out because you were accidentally tightening it. I have a similar Dewalt and the reverse button is flush when engaged.

 

Nice catch. My Kobalt is the same way. I’m constantly checking it to make sure it’s going the right direction

 

I have the same DeWalt gun. That ^^ is a true statement.

OUCH!!!!

 

Yup. If you zoom in you can see the arrow on the reverse button.