Front diff drain plug damage (1 Viewer)

[fueg0]

About 2 months ago, I started a knuckle job. I completed the driver's side, and was going to do a locker at the same time. I went ahead and pulled the inner axle shafts, and pulled the front third so I could install the locker.

I went to drain the diff, and found that I could not get a socket on the drain plug. Apparently one of the previous owners hit the (please forgive my ignorance for not knowing the term) 'ring outside the drainplug' and damaged that ring beyond repair - or to the point where I can't get a socket on it.

My question is, what can be done so I can use the drain plug? I did search, but only found results that indicated that I needed to be able to get the fill plug out (no problem there), and nothing resembling my question here.

I'm going to have to pull the front 3rd again, because the new OEM gasket did not seal properly, and leaks like a colander. While it's out, I'd like to fix the 'ring' if at all possible. Is this something that can be repaired? Would pictures help ?

thanks,
--jeff

 

[Poser]

Got a chisel?

Re-work the area around the drain plug so that you can get a socket on it.



Got a welder?


Weld a nut to it.

 

[vk7ybi]

I had a badly mangled protector, so what I did was cut the damaged section off flush with the housing, remove the drain plug as normal.. Then fashioned a piece of copper to fit inside the protector, where it wouldve been originally, built/welded up a new protector using the copper as a substrate to weld on to form the ring, then removed the copper and tidied up with a die grinder.. If you didnt know it wasnt original, you wouldnt..

 

[AirCruiser]

I used a dremel to remove the folded metal then ran a couple beads with a MIG to build it back up

 

[Japan4X4]

Buy a drain plug that uses a hex key.

http://www.trail-gear.com/images/drainplug-600.jpg

 

[TLC76]

I just did this a couple days ago, used a chisel on the bolt head to knock it loose. Hammer straight into it to create a little groove, then angle the chisel and smack it to unscrew it.

 

[nuclearlemon]

usually the area that's damaged (scraped back into the hole) will easily chisel off until you have enough room to tap a socket onto the plug