Birfield fill plug removal. Doing something wrong?? (1 Viewer)

[NovaFZJ80]

well tried to lube the LC over the weekend...did lube the front and rear driveshafts and found all 6 zerk fittings...that was a piece of cake.

On to the birfields fill plug. Tried every tool i had (6 pt, 12 pt socket, crescent wrench, open ended wrench) and couldn't get the square plug/bolt to loosen...started to strip and stopped. Customer at Sears overhead by conversation and said to try and find a 16 mm 8pt socket.. of course which Sears don't carry anymore....

What else could i use until i find the 16 mm 8 pt socket?? Vise Grips..

 

[turbocruiser]

This might sound too simple but how about putting some penetrating oil on the plug's threads and waiting a while? If the plug really is stripped you might want to get the correct size "Bolt Out" from Sears and get them out with that but then go directly to the dealer and get replacement plugs. HTH

 

[Radd Cruisers]

I hate to even suggest using a adjustable cresent wrench, might work.

First take a hammer and bang the top of the plug fairly hard, this loosens or stretches the threads slightly so it will back off.

Rob
www.raddcruisres.ca

 

[NovaFZJ80]

i used wd-40 and later tried penetrating oil..using the different tools, as i applied torque, the tool would slowly move, not getting a good grip on the bolt, thus beginning to slide/strip. Stopped immediately..

Maybe i'll try to hammer/bang the top and try again..this time with some vise grips. or just wait in 2 wks when i take my auto class at the local college.

Still learning about the LC, since its my first 4wd/truck/solid axle vehicle....have an easier time working on my civic!!!!!!!!!

 

[instigator]

if you have to, use a pipe wrench on it. it will probably scar it up a little but it will remove it or break it off tring

 

[landtank]

you might try those robo-grips that sears sells. Once they bite on they stay.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Nova-that says your plugs have never been off! The threads on those plugs are tapered like a pipe thread so can be difficult. Try the other suggestions, if they fail, heating with a propane torch or Mapp gas torch usually does the trick. Then unscrew with a vise grip. If the plugs are boogered up, get some nice new Toyota ones from CDan, lube the threads with grease, and screw them in using only a combination wrench and finger pressure.

 

[Wrench]

Ok heat it up with a propane torch or Mapp gas torch. Get it nice and hot. Then take an old candle and melt it around the treads. Wait a minute for threads to get coated then try to turn it out. Should work.

 

[Pitbull]

Are you sure you are trying to remove the correct bolts? Take it to the Toyota dealer and tell them you want a grease job and to make sure they give the knuckles 6 squirts of grease. Then ask to watch the work.

 

[NovaFZJ80]

I went home for lunch and sprayed some more PB Blaster onto the bolts. Let sit for a day and try again..will try again tomorrow with the helpful tips.
Can't get it to loosen, will just take it to Toyo for lube.

I'm pretty sure i have the right bolts that i'm looking at. The square plug on the steering knuckle.The bolt sitting at an angle on the knuckle. Based on a post i saw on here, and printed out a pic of it. At first thought it was the one sitting on the top (2 bolts) but realized they weren't it.

 

[shocker]

Here's a pic; the fill plug is on the top right. In this picture, the ABS sensor is being loosened.

 

[Rookie2]

FWIW, my understanding, wd-40 is not a penetrating oil, so it prolly wouldn't have helped much. PB blaster should get you on the right track if its not stripped (6 pt on square bolt???).

Let us know how it turns out.
R2

 

[donalddasher]

get a impact wrench onto it then bash the wrench with a hammer or use air tools.

 

[nakman]

If you're dying to squirt grease in there so bad, why not just squirt it in through the ABS sensor hole? One little bolt and that thing should wiggle on up with no problem.. they both go to the same place after all. Just a thought..

 

[NovaFZJ80]

Finally got them dang things loose....went to Sears for the nth time and picked up a pair of Vise Grips...small and large one....At lunch, soaked the bolts with PB Blaster again....Got home at 5pm and used the large Vise Grip and it loosened. Used the smaller one (more mobility) to loosen all the way til i could do by hand.

Grease inside looked good and still fresh looking... 6 squirts each side and done..

 

[turbocruiser]

Great, now remember to replace those plugs with new ones from the dealer so that this problem is permanently solved. Good Job! When you wrote that the grease inside looked intact, I was really surprised; I just cant imagine how those plugs got so stuck unless they were rarely removed but since the grease is intact, they must have been removed and regreased regularly...another reason why I think you should get new, non rounded off plugs right away. JMHO, HTH.

 

[NovaFZJ80]

I bought it from the dealership back in Dec. and saw an Exxon oil change reminder stickie that was done a few weeks earlier. Figured they must have lubed the chassis, since the grease was still fresh looking....Cleaned the bolts thoroughly and tightened them back by hand and a few 1/4 turns with the vise grips.

Figure every other oil change i'll lube them and the rest of the chassis ???

 

[alia176]

Just curious, has anyone ever tried to convert the taper bolt to a NPT fitting, and then to a grease nipple arrangement?

 

[ppc]

Why not just drill and tap the plug! The main reason from the factory that is not done because its not designed to pump "full" of grease until it quirts out the seals. Put a zerk on it and someone will do it no matter the number of warnings not to.

 

[Beowulf]

Alia,

This thread has a post by photoman where he describes something similar.

-B-