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Stuck manifold plug, HELP

Old Sep 6, 2011 | 10:35 PM
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Default Stuck manifold plug, HELP

Anyone have a good solution to remove a stuck brass plug in my intake manifold?

I have drilled through it and now have an easy out on it backed by a milwaukee hammer drill. I hit the trigger the lights dim and it still won't budge.

I have applied some heat and PB Blaster. Afraid to heat to much as I am inches from the gas line and carb.

Ready for a grenade at this point!!
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Old Sep 7, 2011 | 01:08 AM
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Kinda confused why a Milwaukee hammer drills involved. Since you've already punched a hole, a slide hammer with a hook's probably your best best. A little torch heat heat's probably good idea too. Set up an air mover when using a torch. You can get mineral packed heat shield sheets you can stick between parts. Mines a Pace Machinery Group Flame Gard. You can put a flaming torch tip right to it.
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Old Sep 7, 2011 | 11:17 AM
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Originally Posted by Vette5.5
Kinda confused why a Milwaukee hammer drills involved. Since you've already punched a hole, a slide hammer with a hook's probably your best best. A little torch heat heat's probably good idea too. Set up an air mover when using a torch. You can get mineral packed heat shield sheets you can stick between parts. Mines a Pace Machinery Group Flame Gard. You can put a flaming torch tip right to it.
I'm kinda confused as to how you're going to unscrew a plug with a slide hammer.

Anyway, forget the torch if you're any where near gas. A buddy once burned down his garage along with multiple cars trying this.

Can you just put a wrench on the ez-out? How big is the ez-out?
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Old Sep 7, 2011 | 12:01 PM
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Yup, my mistake, as somehow mistook the original question as a freeze plug. Also agree on the fire safety thing too, as know guys who've burned up projects as well. Sometimes a torch is the only option though, and should be fine with air circulating and proper insulating proceedures.
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Old Sep 7, 2011 | 01:16 PM
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well if you have already drilled through it i guess shavings arent much of a concern at this point. i guess you could just keep drilling it bigger and then use a drift and collapse it in on itself. and then vacuum everything out you can.
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Old Sep 7, 2011 | 01:23 PM
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On stuck brass plug, I used a breaker bar & applied force slowly to try not to break the al. intake & it worked.
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Old Sep 7, 2011 | 02:11 PM
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Originally Posted by bobs77vet
well if you have already drilled through it i guess shavings arent much of a concern at this point. i guess you could just keep drilling it bigger and then use a drift and collapse it in on itself. and then vacuum everything out you can.


My thoughts as well.

But I'll also say a hammer drill really isn't going to have the torque to twist out a corrosion-frozen plug. If you can still get a socket on it, try an impact wrench. The vibration and torque of a good impact can break stuff like that loose.

That failing, get out the drill bits.
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Old Sep 7, 2011 | 02:25 PM
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Yea, suppose you could just keep drilling it larger until there's nothing left. As for the metal shavings, some grease on the drill bit, and a shop vac right on it will certainly help.
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Old Sep 7, 2011 | 04:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Vette5.5
Yea, suppose you could just keep drilling it larger until there's nothing left. As for the metal shavings, some grease on the drill bit, and a shop vac right on it will certainly help.
Meh, it's the cooling circuit not oil. Certainly clean & vacuum out what you can, but a few brass drill shavings won't really hurt anything.
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Old Sep 9, 2011 | 08:29 PM
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Default Success!!

5 days and here is the end result:

It's out!!

In the end, I put a wrench on the easy-out and a pipe wrench on the raised portion of the plug. Took a little elbow grease but it came out.

Used a rag to pull out the shavings.

Thanks for the feedback fellas!!
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