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drain plug stripped out

JCKnife

Well-known member
1,367
46
48
Location
Kentucky
I've got a similar situation with a fill plug on my rear differential. I'm not ready to tackle it yet, but my plan was to try two things:

1. Wrap some thin aluminum around my 1/2" drive extension and see if that'll snug it up enough to turn, or...

2. Find a star-drive bit that I can hammer into the hole and turn it out with that.

But...I'm curious to see what others will suggest.
 

Blacksmoke

New member
47
0
0
Location
Carthage, Mo
I am also unable to get my winch drain plug loose but it's not stripped. I may try to concentrate some heat just on the plug first, but one could take a cheap 3/8" extension, make sure it's seated as deeply as possible, then weld it to the plug.
 

jwaller

Active member
3,724
19
38
Location
Columbia, SC
I am also unable to get my winch drain plug loose but it's not stripped. I may try to concentrate some heat just on the plug first, but one could take a cheap 3/8" extension, make sure it's seated as deeply as possible, then weld it to the plug.
heat it around the hole to expand the case. it will expand more and quicker than the plug. try also hitting it with a hammer to shock it loose.
 

Katahdin

Active member
1,303
23
38
Location
Scarborough, ME
LOL! I fixed your drain plug. Its funny what you can find with the search tool. (Mik sold me this winch)

I tried welding on a smaller bolt and the head snapped off with a breaker bar. Same thing happened with two nuts I welded on after that. It was the bolt that broke each time, not my juvenile welding job.

I ended up drilling a hole through the plug and relieving as much metal as I could with a die grinder. About 1/4 of the threads were showing inside the worm gear housing so it had been drivin in pretty good. I was able to grind down on the inside through the worm bearing ports. It took the full power of a 1/2 inch impact wrench and an old 15/16" head bumper bolt after that to spin it off. I also had to use heat and the impact on two other non-stripped plugs. I estimate the gun puts out 200ft lbs of torque in reverse.

It was a complete PITA and it took a good chunk of an afternoon but its out! :beer:
 

Attachments

Seth_O

Member
625
7
18
Location
Sac CA
Welding on a bolt or a nut has always worked for me. I've had limited success with heat or penetrating oil.
 

73m819

Rock = older than dirt , GA. MAFIA , Dirty
Steel Soldiers Supporter
In Memorial
12,196
314
0
Location
gainesville, ga.
Try a 9/16 square stock, a lot of the plug holes are a bit bigger then 1/2 so when a 1/2 drive is used it strips out the hole on tight plugs,, also try metric square stock, this will get you sizes between standard sizes, what ever size is used, on a tight plug the square stock NEEDS to be a tight fit even to the point of being driven in. This applies to HEX holes as well as square
 
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