Any tips to remove front diff drain plug? (1 Viewer)

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Heat is you friend. If all else fails the welding trick is a sure thing. Be sure to replace crush washer as it can prevent the tendency to over tighten to head off leakage.
 
Yeah I knew it wasn't PN -24016 for LX570, but thanks.

I was just on the phone with Local Lexus parts department and they (-24016) fit sedans like IS GS and such, but they'll not have in until thursday for me. Both Toyota & Lexus have their respective 200 series 10mm hex drain plug on hand. Which tells us it's a high called for parts. You'd think after 10 years of this plug Toyota/Lexus would have made correction and sub the PN.

But seems this not going to happen today if only Japanese Toyota had the nut type, my parts guy here at Toyota will not have in that event.
 
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Hmmm... I am waiting on a batch of Amsoil so I'll have enough gear lube on hand, then I'll be doing all of these (both axles & transfer). The closest Lexus dealer is over an hour away, but the IS is getting due for a free oil change, so I may pre-order the plugs and pick them up at the same time.

Don't forget to get new crush washers as well.

This is a nifty kit that has all the gaskets for the entire job: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017V4BAXI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
X2 on what @KLF said I'd try welding the socket or bolt to the drain plug. I like the Marlin plugs better anyway and he also sells the tap as FYI.
I only see low profile drain plugs at Marlincrawler. Did you see something else?
 
Anyone know of a source for a magnetic drain plug with nut head in the 18 to 22mm range?

This head looks smaller (reported as 14mm) on this alternate Lexus plug than I'd like. I'd really like something closer to 24mm like the rear diff & transfer.

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I'm a little concerned this 14mm nut head to could round off and be no better than the low profile we have. I suppose that fact neither Toyota nor Lexus parts departments have on hand, is a good indicator they're work better. Could that be they're application is in other than an aluminum case?

I'll certainly be adding some anti-seize.
 
This is wild. My rig spent the first few years in Indiana where they like to salt the roads. I've had many bolts rusted/seized. But when I changed all my diff and transfer case fluids last year, I don't recall having to resort to these methods to break free my drain or filler ports. I do have a "Big Bertha" 48-inch breaker that I use when extra persuasion is required - but I don't even think I used that!
I do tend to spray Kroil on everything that I touch on this LC - based on my prior experience.....so that may have been my saving grace.
 
Mine was already stripped. How they thought it was a good idea to reuse it is beyond me.
 
Another idea: I remember now that at one point I decided to change the oil in the rear diff of our Highlander, and it has the hex type plug. It's really hard to reach, you have to use a long extension, and I was feeling the thing start to strip with my 24" breaker bar. So I started smacking the end of the extension with a hammer, then putting my Makita impact screw gun on and letting it rat-a-tat for a long time, alternating back and forth, while soaking with Kroil. Eventually it popped loose.
 
My 3/4" breaker bar makes short work of the most difficulty bolt/nut. But, I'm going to keep my eye for a really good 10mm hex socket. My 10m socket is new and fit tight, but is from HF. A high end 10mm socket tool cut to a large/better tolerance with sharper corners would certainly have helped.

But really Toyota has and issue with this plug, or Dealership would not be stocking.
 
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Would you recommend a stubby/short or regular 10mm socket. Meaning length of 10mm portion
 
Stubby may be better as less likely to flex. I've an actually "L" shaped 10mm allen wrench with better bit (sharp corners) but it flexes. You lose bolt wins if tool(s) flexes.
 
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I've heard that if rounding occurs try a Torx 50 bit? Reinstall lower to 38# and upper to 32#
 
By the looks of mine The Lexus dealer hammered a torx 55 in the 10mm hex hole when they did the 30k change and then replaced the same plug back in... I got my new lower plug in today so planning on trying (and hopefully succeeding) to get the messed up one out Friday and changing the fluid.
 
That's kinda crappy from a dealer? I would've hoped they would have replaced it even if they charged for a replacement it would have been worth it. you are going to need a new one and better to have it in vs dealing with the old and still buying a new one. Just a heads up it's better to loosen the fill plug first.
 
By the looks of mine The Lexus dealer hammered a torx 55 in the 10mm hex hole when they did the 30k change and then replaced the same plug back in... I got my new lower plug in today so planning on trying (and hopefully succeeding) to get the messed up one out Friday and changing the fluid.

That's kinda crappy from a dealer? I would've hoped they would have replaced it even if they charged for a replacement it would have been worth it. you are going to need a new one and better to have it in vs dealing with the old and still buying a new one. Just a heads up it's better to loosen the fill plug first.
Probably a matter of whether they had a plug in stock or not at the time.

Lexus parts guy mentioned the guys in the shop are removing with chesil. I asked if they replacing with this 90341-24016 with 14mm nut. He said the more experienced techs are.

The substitute drain plug is a little weight than the beefier factory plug, except where in counts. The bore of the differential depth is 18mm which neither are long enough to reach. So i've no concern the substitute is a stubby 11.38mm vs 15.90mm of factory plug. The thinner 3.24mm washer gives us less material for the chesisel to bit into than the 4.2mm, but hopefully this will not be and issue on next service.

Thanks to @bjowett for posting up this sub PN# Front differential drain plug

$11 out the door with a Lattie and cookies.:coffee::cookie::cookie: SWEET!
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I find it interesting Toyota uses a steel gasket on fill plug and cooper on drain of this aluminum case.
What we see in the 100 and 200 series, except this one case is; Aluminum cases like the transfer case use aluminum gasket and steel gasket are used in the iron cases of differentials. :hmm:

Toyota's engineers have done a really nice job with Drain Plugs, making them a softer metal than the pan they go into. This is so a striped plugs can be replaced and pan threads just cleaned out. A great idea by the engineers, so we don't need to change pans in most cases of a striped plug. But here they dropped the ball, by not making this a harder steel IMHO and using aluminum gaskets.
 
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I would say for sure they didn’t have a plug in stock and the tech didn’t want to fess up to the fact he would make the dealer hold on to my truck for an extra 3-5 days. In AK my next closest Lexus/Toyota dealer is pretty much the same distance as driving Atlanta Southern California. Same goes for all the luxury brands Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, BMW, ... our Porsche/Audi dealer is the worst I’ve ever seen, sold my Porsche within a year of moving back to AK.

I had all service included up until 60k when I bought my LX now I’m at 60k and figuring out it probably wasn’t worth it. Aside from the front diff drain plug all my bolts that hold on the skid plates are rounded, I’m pretty sure my u bolts and drive shaft have never been re-greased, my AT fluid was NASTY so I’m guessing at 30k they just drained the pan so only ~33% fluid change, and the cabin air filter flap is busted... and that is just what I have found so far.
 
Ahh, the price you have to pay for living in God's country. i would not hesitate to lodge a complaint further up the brand foodchain. Without someone calling them on an obvious fau-pax who knows what shortcut or screwup they will do next. No defense of dealer but it is really hard anywhere to get and retain good employees.
 
The turnover is insane. It’s rare for me to go into the dealer and see someone that was there 6 months ago. In the 5 years I’ve had my LX only one salesman is still there and they have gone through at least 3 sales managers and service managers, probably similar in the back of the house.

However even with “Alaska problems” - (Amazon prime can take 2 weeks, free shipping to lower 48 only, if a barge goes down we run out of dairy, RV traffic all summer, limited local competition/choice,...) there is no way I would live anywhere else.
 
Amazing, Toyota has not given us and alternate part/PN #. The copper washer is a clue the engineers knew something different was needed. Now 10 years later, two Dealership (Lexus/Toyota) have told me, they've passed the concern up the food chain but nothing's been done.
 

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