Damn....Just trashed Diff fill plug
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Damn....Just trashed Diff fill plug
I just spent all day trying to get the plug out to refill the diff. I totally F'ed the plug...Had a 18" breaking bar on it, and I was hanging on the end of that...plug wont budge. Eventually I rounded off the square plug, and then nothing would grab. Tried welding a nut on but the cast just shattered after a slight pull. Tried to use the air chisel, but that just broke chunks off the plug. As all the fluid drained out while changing the pinion seal it looks like I'm going to have to pull the diff out to fix this.....any other ideas I might try???
#2
Tech Contributor
I see you have a 77 so that has a cast iron diff with 3/4 npt threaded fill hole.If there is now a hole in the plug, try some heat around the OD of the plug, then use a 3/4 npt "easy out" if you have one. If not grind up a tapered wedge to fit in the hole and try to back it out.
#3
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Thanks Gary, That was my next approach, but since the diff is covered in oil I'd like to clean it up before approaching with an open flame. The plug dosn't have a hole in it yet....but I'll soon fix that
#5
#6
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Ya....I got the righty/lefty thing figured out....nothing left to grab with the pipe wrench (tried that)....so I spent all day pulling the diff out, got the cover off and Its in the vice awaiting the torch
Found some more problems whil I was in the diff.....end play on the yolks .080" left, and .120" right. The right one is almost worn to the clip. I think new yolks are in order, and I'm going to have to cut the shock mounts to get my totally wornout strut rods off. The good news is if ever I have to remove this stuff again, it'll be a snap
Found some more problems whil I was in the diff.....end play on the yolks .080" left, and .120" right. The right one is almost worn to the clip. I think new yolks are in order, and I'm going to have to cut the shock mounts to get my totally wornout strut rods off. The good news is if ever I have to remove this stuff again, it'll be a snap
#8
Le Mans Master
In the future, the best way to remove a plug like this is to take a torch and heat the plug only until it's red hot. Let it cool and it'll come right out.
What happens is the plug expands much more than whatever it's screwed into and breaks the threads loose.
What happens is the plug expands much more than whatever it's screwed into and breaks the threads loose.
#9
Tech Contributor
Ya....I got the righty/lefty thing figured out....nothing left to grab with the pipe wrench (tried that)....so I spent all day pulling the diff out, got the cover off and Its in the vice awaiting the torch
Found some more problems whil I was in the diff.....end play on the yolks .080" left, and .120" right. The right one is almost worn to the clip. I think new yolks are in order, and I'm going to have to cut the shock mounts to get my totally wornout strut rods off. The good news is if ever I have to remove this stuff again, it'll be a snap
Found some more problems whil I was in the diff.....end play on the yolks .080" left, and .120" right. The right one is almost worn to the clip. I think new yolks are in order, and I'm going to have to cut the shock mounts to get my totally wornout strut rods off. The good news is if ever I have to remove this stuff again, it'll be a snap
#11
Le Mans Master
I trashed mine with a friggin pipe wrench trying to get the posi tag off for a member having his 68 judged. A torch would destroy the plastic tag. Anybody got any ideas?
Sorry for the hijack.
Sorry for the hijack.
#12
Melting Slicks
#13
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
well I finally got the damn plug out. I tried heating around the plug, and heating the plug only with no luck. I decided to drill out as much as I could and get in there with an assortment of chisels and beat the living daylights out of what was left of the plug. Once I got a small chunk of the plug removed the rest came out really easy.....I just can't figure what was holding in in so tight....I thought it may have been rusted in but it wasn't. Now all I have to do is get a 3/4" npt tap to fix up a few of the threads I damaged
#15
It doesn't take much corrosion to bind up those NPT fittings. Some advise against it, but I put a light smear of wheel grease on the plug threads.
#17