Gr8ful

At this point I am nearly as interested in determining what caused my problem as I am in solving it. The darn plug won't budge. Of course I drained the oil before I knew I couldn't get access to the fill hole! I'd rather be creative trying to figure out how to get the plug out rather than trying to fill the differential from the drain plug, but I will do anything at this point to safely solve my problem.

Any comments or suggestions?

HAILERS

MISTAKE(on my first answer). Are you using a cheater bar or what? I just bought a 21?22?23?mm box end wrench and put a cheater on it. I forget the size sitting here.

Gr8ful

23mm with a breaker bar. Then a wrench using a hammer for impact. Then a vise-grip using a jack to put more pressure on the bolt. Coated with PB several times. I am concerned what damage I could do with a torch. Also concerned about continuing to use force, afraid of ruining the thread, whatever.

I am thinking of finding a way to fill the differential from the drain hole using a pump and a hose that fits the hole tightly! I would have driven the car to a shop by now, but no oil in the differential! Having the car towed on a flat bed to a shop/mechanic will be my last resort. That's not a very attractive option!

HOZZMANRX7

iTrader: (43)

I had this happen on the Tranny fill plug once. I simply tightened it more than needed. I'll bet you did the same thing.

Got this idea from a Tranny shop. Buy a small pipe wrench, then fit a pipe on the handle for leverage. So long as your turning counter clockwise, it will break as the more pull you put on the pipe wrench, the tighter the jaws grab the nut.

I seriously doubt you will do any damage to the threads beyond what you might have done by over tightening in the first place. So, if they are going to get damaged, they already are.

You really don't have to tighten it very much upon re-install as it is just a non-bearing nut that really is just a glorified cork stopper.

Good luck.

Gr8ful

HOZZMANRX7

Thanks! Can't wait to try the pipe wrench trick! The jaws thing and the pipe (already in tool box) for leverage that couldn't be used with the vise-grips sound promising. Will try tomorrow as my 7 is in friend's garage cross- town.

I rounded the bolt only after numerous attempts to loosen with numerous tools, including a 6 point, 23mm socket and breaker bar. I also used a vise-grip with a floor jack to try to use more pressure with no luck. I was starting to think previous owner had stripped the threads and welded the sucker back on!

Although I hadn't touched the fill bolt prior to trying to take it off, I will take your advice once I get it off and not tighten too much when putting it back on. Should I routinely use anti-seize on something like this?

Thanks a lot!

mprime

I got a 4 foot long pipe from the hardware store that just fits over my wrench handles for these occasions and it always works like a dream.

HOZZMANRX7

iTrader: (43)

Nah,

Torque putting it back on shouldn't be more than 15 lbs tops.

BUT, I would replace the bolt with one scavanged from any wrecking yard 3rd member. Just be sure and transfer over the LSD metal tag.

Good luck!

Rxmfn7

iTrader: (4)

if your having trouble getting it off (as I did), do this, worked for me :

-Put the breaker bar and socket on the nut, so that it is pointing horizontally toward the passenger side of the car.
-Put a jack under the end of the bar handle, and start jacking up, itll break it loose cuz the whole weight of the car is pushing down, easy as that

Im a pretty strong guy I guess, and I laid under there pushing up in the bar kind of like benchpressing it, and I could not break it loose, so I tried the above, and it broke loose 1st try

Gr8ful

Rxmfn7 -

Thanks for the post! I was starting to question my intelligence and strength. It appears my persistence is suspect. Tried the jack thing but with a vise-grip as I have managed to strip the bolt head. It slipped off once and I quit. Will try again with pipe wrench and a block of wood to get to the wrench.

This was going to be a 15 minute project!

Gr8ful

HOZZMANRX7 -

Went to salvage yard today and found a fill bolt, thanks for getting me to think I would actually get the old one off!

Wouldn't you know, it came off with no effort! For my 7, I took the LSD tag off.

Silkworm

Betcha you won't ever do this in the wrong sequence again

Gr8ful

amen

Gr8ful

A friend who rebuilds salvage vehicles finally got the bolt off using an air chisel to break it loose and turn it. Don't know that I would try that myself for fear of damaging the differential.

This was after I was able to get a quart of oil in the differential through the drain plug using a pump with a hose that fit the hole snuggly. At least 4 ounces ended up on rag (my shirts moments earlier!).

The process taught me a lot. Thanks for all the help!

Other options given and not already mentioned on this thread: weld socket to bolt; weld bar to bolt for leverage; use dry ice on the bolt itself to shrink it (that or wait for the morning after a sub-zero night). The last option, dry ice, was given as a last resort option. I was driving around looking for an ice cream truck to bum some dry ice when I ran into my friend!

No one had a strong opinion for or against the torch. Anybody? Hopefully I won't strip a bolt head as severely again, but I would like to be ready if I do!

rxspeed87

ok just to make sure I have this right
23mm for the fill plug right?
what size for the drain plug since it seems to be a little larger?