sep1234

I would like to know any specifics of how you 2005 C6 owners removed the drain plug on the differential of your 2005 C6. I have tried two times after reading http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...s-for-faq.html, the thread to which people refer. My drain plug seems to be hidden above the leaf spring just a little more than indicated in the pictures of this thread.

I have a 10 mm Allen wrench, 10 mm Allen socket, and other tools. I cannot get the Allen wrench to fit between the leaf spring and rear end, because the shorter end of the Allen wrench is too long while the leaf spring interferes. It also appears that if I were to cut the shorter end of the Allen wrench to be the same length as the distance between drain plug and leaf spring, then there would not be enough clearance between longer end of Allen wrench (the handle) and the heat sinks on the rear end.

I checked the 2005 Helms manuals. The procedure states simply to remove the drain plug. I was hoping to find a special tool J-#### in the manual.

I am prepared to remove the leaf spring, but I just wanted to check a third time on this forum before proceeding.


Thanks,
Jamie

mike72

I used an allen socket and 3\8 ratchet with no problems. Make sure you can remove the fill plug before removing the drain plug. Nothing worse than draining it and not being able to refill it.

08z51vert

I cut down an old allen wrench and that didnt work either. I removed the transverse spring. I did it on a lift. I'm wondering if maybe the weight of the vehicle on the tires makes a diff. I tried a ratchet and socket, even a 1/4" set-up, with no luck.

Richor

I had no issue removing the drain plug. Only thing was getting the right angle to be able to turn it. Hit it with some wd40 and try using a ratchet with a swivel head type thing to give you the right angle

weathermaker

It is a total bi#ch to get out and reinstall. I cut a short length of all wrench, put it into the plug. Then used a box wrench with a pipe over it for leverage. It's not that tight, but the wrench was only about 4" long. It can be done!

sep1234

Thanks! I will remove the leaf spring.

sep1234

I actually did design a new tool. I cutoff a one-inch piece of the 10 mm Allen wrench. I put the one-inch 10-mm stub into the drain plug. Then I used a 10 mm crows foot, a 3/8" six-inch extension, and a 3/8" ratchet. I was careful to provide proper counter-torque and such. The drain plug was in there so tight. The crows foot was damaged. It was a cheap crows foot from Autozone. If I were to have a stronger crows foot, I think this idea would work. Maybe I will spray some penetrating spray at the plug, then wait, then use a stronger material for a crows foot. The cheap one from Autozone was not deep enough either, so it grabbed on just half of the 10-mm Allen wrench stub.

Richor

was the car jacked up when you tried? Im assuming yes unless you weigh 120 lbs

weathermaker

I found that once the plug broke loose, the opened end of the wrench worked. The plug did not go in as tight as before. It's only a drain plug. Thank god I will only have to do this every 4-5 years. lol

chsmith112

I just took mine to a dealer to do. I tried and couldn't reach mine. They changed the position of the 06 plug for a good reason lol.

C8-Vette

LS WON

Same here shop did mine but he still had some difficulty. He used some type of modified wrench.

c6 batmobile

Get the weight off the leaf spring. It makes it a bit easier.

sep1234

The car was jacked and supported by the frame. So, the wheels were hanging. Perhaps suspending the wheels bows upward the middle section of the leaf-spring.

I don't think that I will fit under the car without jacking it. I could try. Perhaps lowering the leaf spring by an inch would help. I am considering buying a better quality crows foot to use with the one-inch-long 10 mm Allen stub. If that does not work, I will remove the leaf-spring.

calemasters

I made this tool. It works well for the job. The bend in the handle allows for the handle to clear the leaf spring and the suspension support and it is long enough for sufficient leverage. The hex tool is short enought to fit above the rear leaf spring and fit into the drain plug. I made the tool from a modified Sears Craftsman box end wrench with a thin handle so I could heat it and then bend to shape. I used a pipe from Home Depot to increase the length of the handle and then coated the handle with plastic dip. I would have been a zillionaire by now, but the tool is only needed for the 2005 MY C6.

78PC

That's exactly what I did.

sep1234

Excellent! Finally, the post for which I was searching.

Did you use a 10 mm boxed wrench -- a thin one that can be bent? Or, did you use stock metal (bent into shape) to weld to a 10 mm boxed wrench (by cutting off the boxed end section of the boxed wrench) then weld to the 10 mm Allen stub?

Either way, that gives me ideas. The crows foot would have worked, but it was too cheap and soft and therefore it just broke. A boxed wrench will support more torque.

calemasters

See my "edited" post above.

vette6500

I ended up using a medium length "BALL-hex socket" from Craftsman. Ball-hex (rounded hex) allows you to be at an angle (up to 15? 20? degrees).
The medium or long length shaft is needed to make sure that the fat/socket part ends up below the leaf spring, allowing the shaft to be close to the leaf spring, minimizing the angle of attack.

Not sure if they sell the 10mm ball-hex socket alone at Sears, I waited until the ball-hex socket set (8 piece?) went on sale for $25?

Of course, then my simple fill bolt was being an *** and got somewhat rounded while using my regular straight hex socket. Eventually got it to come off by using a different straight hex socket that had tighter tolerance.

LS WON

I could see that even that my car was on the rack up in the air it was still a difficult job to do with that bar going across. It can only be worse if you have to do it on your back instead of standing up.