Gearbox Fill Plug

iandecjak

iandecjak

Club Member
I was planning on doing a service this weekend and after doing the usual bits and pieces plus a diff oil change I thought I would drain the gearbox.
Didn't get very far as I was unable to remove the square headed fill plug, admittedly the car was on stands and I could have got it a little higher but a man knows when he is beaten.:smash:
Next logical step would be to admit defeat and go to the local garage but if there is a tool or other advice like do I need to warm up the plug and get 5ft stilsons then I might try one more time.
Years ago I did have a couple of square sockets but can't seem to find them or anything similar online.
Advice, laughter or anything as always greatly received.:thumbs:
 
morbias

morbias

Well-Known Forum User
Mine was so frozen that I used a box wrench with a piece of tube over the handle positioned so the end was on the floor, then slowly released the jack so the weight of the car did all the work. I was very careful when doing it! And obviously made sure the wrench was pointing in the correct direction :eek:
 
iandecjak

iandecjak

Club Member
I read that technique somewhere else, when you say box spanner do you mean a normal ring spanner or something different??
 
iandecjak

iandecjak

Club Member
17mm sounds about right, I will take another look and see if I can measure it accurately. I might be able to get a decent spanner on it and try to tease it loose with a lump hammer.
I am sure you used to be able to buy 1/2" drive square sockets for just this purpose but they may have been imperial rather than metric but will keep looking:rofl:.
 
toopy

toopy

Club Member
Have you got any rust remover (not converter) to hand?

My temp sender was well and truly stuck in the thermostat housing, it was starting to twist mishapen while trying to remove it.

I used a little rust remover around the thread and left it over night, the following day it came out with very little effort.

I had some POR15 metal ready which had been in the garage for ages, think its called something else now, but anything similar would do i guess :)
 
Rob Gaskin

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
As with any stuck nut etc just make sure the spanner is a good tight fit and don't lose your temper with it. Also don't put yourself in danger i.e. if the spanner slips where will your hand go?

Think my last tight fill plug came lose with a good spanner and lump hammer. On my diff I had to remove the metalwork around it to get good access.
 
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