If I have to weld it........
- Thread starter flintknapper
- Start date
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Do one of two things.
1) Get a shear bolt removing bit (it has teeth in the reverse direction that dig into the bolt and the harder it is spun, the deeper the teeth sink into the bolt) and remove the bolt. I have removed tons of sheared, stripped and rounded bolt with these bits.
2) Or do what was previously mentioned and cut a strip through the center of the bolt and use that as leverage for twisting it out. It will come out, you just need to put enough force on it. Use a T bar with a flathead welded to it.....that should give you enough leverage.
1) Get a shear bolt removing bit (it has teeth in the reverse direction that dig into the bolt and the harder it is spun, the deeper the teeth sink into the bolt) and remove the bolt. I have removed tons of sheared, stripped and rounded bolt with these bits.
2) Or do what was previously mentioned and cut a strip through the center of the bolt and use that as leverage for twisting it out. It will come out, you just need to put enough force on it. Use a T bar with a flathead welded to it.....that should give you enough leverage.
Flint,
Here's what I did to get an impossibly screwed up fill plug out on my brother in law's front 80 diff (before I began handling its needs). Got a socket I had to hammer on to the nut. Yours may take a 15/16, 6 point, 12 point - whatever's tightest. Then, I used enormous pressure from a dowel to keep the socket pressed on laying under the bumper and wedging against the other end. This keeps the socket from popping off, obviously. Then I used a breaker bar whose handle end rested on a floor jack with a rag on it to help it stay in place. Keep pressure on the socket, and the other hand can leisurely crank the floor jack up until the plug pops loose. You end up being able to place enormous rotating pressure on the plug, while focusing your strength merely on keeping the socket from popping off. Some added safety in that if the socket does slip on a couple tries, the breaker bar just falls on the ground rather than having you bash 4 knuckles open. No drama. I would estimate I put over 200lbs of lifting force on that 18" breaker bar before it came loose with a bang worthy of a small pistol.
Had this not worked, I was going to use the 80s jack to place serious pressure on keeping the socket pinned against the diffy. Dunno what lines up at the rear diffy but it may give you some good ideas and you will put a LOT of force on that plug without screwing with cutting or welding the plug.
DougM
Here's what I did to get an impossibly screwed up fill plug out on my brother in law's front 80 diff (before I began handling its needs). Got a socket I had to hammer on to the nut. Yours may take a 15/16, 6 point, 12 point - whatever's tightest. Then, I used enormous pressure from a dowel to keep the socket pressed on laying under the bumper and wedging against the other end. This keeps the socket from popping off, obviously. Then I used a breaker bar whose handle end rested on a floor jack with a rag on it to help it stay in place. Keep pressure on the socket, and the other hand can leisurely crank the floor jack up until the plug pops loose. You end up being able to place enormous rotating pressure on the plug, while focusing your strength merely on keeping the socket from popping off. Some added safety in that if the socket does slip on a couple tries, the breaker bar just falls on the ground rather than having you bash 4 knuckles open. No drama. I would estimate I put over 200lbs of lifting force on that 18" breaker bar before it came loose with a bang worthy of a small pistol.
Had this not worked, I was going to use the 80s jack to place serious pressure on keeping the socket pinned against the diffy. Dunno what lines up at the rear diffy but it may give you some good ideas and you will put a LOT of force on that plug without screwing with cutting or welding the plug.
DougM
considering the original post was nearly 4 years ago.....and you still havn't fixed this 
I would consider using a dremel to add a slot on the outside edge of the plug. The slot would offer purchase to a chisel, not a screw driver. hit the chisel in a direction perpendicular to a ray eminating from the center of teh plug (ie in a tangent to the plug. And remember. righty tighty, lefty loosey.....
I would consider using a dremel to add a slot on the outside edge of the plug. The slot would offer purchase to a chisel, not a screw driver. hit the chisel in a direction perpendicular to a ray eminating from the center of teh plug (ie in a tangent to the plug. And remember. righty tighty, lefty loosey.....
- Thread starter
- #25
considering the original post was nearly 4 years ago.....and you still havn't fixed this
I would consider using a dremel to add a slot on the outside edge of the plug. The slot would offer purchase to a chisel, not a screw driver. hit the chisel in a direction perpendicular to a ray eminating from the center of teh plug (ie in a tangent to the plug. And remember. righty tighty, lefty loosey.....
Yeah, I don't know who revived this thread (or why).
Yes, I figured it out (4 years ago), and many more things since then.
sandcruiser
....back in the saddle again....
still relevant for folks who are fighting diff plugs now (like me) 
scottm
SILVER Star
If you slot a plug like this, you will probably need a drag-link socket, which looks like a stubby screwdriver you put on your ratchet wrench or breaker bar. Sears has them. I don't see them often, but I borrowed my dads for a project, and I've worn out a couple since then. Another option is to try to turn the thing with a prick punch. The impact tends to help. I've loosened a lot of stuck/broken fasteners with a prick punch.
Step 1 find a suitable lugnut
Step 2 weld it on the plug-let cool
Step 3 use impact to remove plug
Step 4 find person who used impact to put it on and shove said fill plug into their repsective anus
Step 5 replace fill plug, use some type of antiseize when installing
Step 6 tighten fill plug with hand wrench, but not too tight (or too loose like I did mine, and had a nice little puddle on my driveway to show it).
Step 2 weld it on the plug-let cool
Step 3 use impact to remove plug
Step 4 find person who used impact to put it on and shove said fill plug into their repsective anus
Step 5 replace fill plug, use some type of antiseize when installing
Step 6 tighten fill plug with hand wrench, but not too tight (or too loose like I did mine, and had a nice little puddle on my driveway to show it).
Grench
SILVER Star
Not to put a lot into a 4 year dead thread...
Cruiserdan has some great recessed 10mm plugs for these. Magnetic and non. 2 diffs and the transfer = 3 magnetic and 3 non. Be sure to get 6 crush gaskets with them too. He also has the 'normal' ones of course.
Who uses an impact to put on a fill plug? Is that the world's laziest mechanic or what?
Cruiserdan has some great recessed 10mm plugs for these. Magnetic and non. 2 diffs and the transfer = 3 magnetic and 3 non. Be sure to get 6 crush gaskets with them too. He also has the 'normal' ones of course.
Who uses an impact to put on a fill plug? Is that the world's laziest mechanic or what?
I got hex recessed ones from Marlin. I'm glad to see that someone figured out this thread was 4 years old.
sandcruiser
....back in the saddle again....
is there any downside to using a magnetic plug on the fill side?
I imagine that there is little benefit, but is there any reason to avoid doing that?
I imagine that there is little benefit, but is there any reason to avoid doing that?
Cos metal bits fall to the bottom of the diff.
.)
Larger trucks use both. Or neither. Seems to differ by MFR and year.
One of our Sterlings has no drainplug. You just pull the lowest 3rd member bolt. It uses 4 1"x1.5" magnets on a bar welded to the fill plug to catch chips.
I guess what I'm trying to say is it doesn't matter that much.
sandcruiser
....back in the saddle again....
to clarify my question:
Is there any downside to using the magnet on the fill AND the drain.
Which, it seems to me, is no problem.
I just have several of them sitting around to go in "next time I change the oil on that component"
of course, I usually forget the darn thing prior to changing fluid.
But today I realized another HUGE benefit to going with the hex head plugs. The monkey under the truck who is too dumb/lazy to put a washer on and also too dumb/lazy to hand-torque the bolt probably doesn't have a socket attachment for a 10mm hex. so he is left with only the key there to hand-torque the bolt.
Which is much better than the guy who didn't use a washer/gasket and DID use the heck out of an impact wrench when he put my fill plug in.
I took the whole diff cover off, and mounted it to my workbench. Have used heat, 15/16 socket w/ breaker bar (till it stripped), pipe wrench (till the it tore the head apart), then a chisel and sledge (till I cut the corners off) then I dremeled a notch and chiseled some more.... that thing is ON there.
Next step, I'm off with the cover to get a nut welded on so I can try the breaker with a smaller size socket and with more "sidewall" to grab.
Boy I'd like to rewind a little and just remind the fella "use a washer, hand torque it". Would have saved me a lot of time today
Is there any downside to using the magnet on the fill AND the drain.
Which, it seems to me, is no problem.
I just have several of them sitting around to go in "next time I change the oil on that component"
of course, I usually forget the darn thing prior to changing fluid.
But today I realized another HUGE benefit to going with the hex head plugs. The monkey under the truck who is too dumb/lazy to put a washer on and also too dumb/lazy to hand-torque the bolt probably doesn't have a socket attachment for a 10mm hex. so he is left with only the key there to hand-torque the bolt.
Which is much better than the guy who didn't use a washer/gasket and DID use the heck out of an impact wrench when he put my fill plug in.
I took the whole diff cover off, and mounted it to my workbench. Have used heat, 15/16 socket w/ breaker bar (till it stripped), pipe wrench (till the it tore the head apart), then a chisel and sledge (till I cut the corners off) then I dremeled a notch and chiseled some more.... that thing is ON there.
Next step, I'm off with the cover to get a nut welded on so I can try the breaker with a smaller size socket and with more "sidewall" to grab.
Boy I'd like to rewind a little and just remind the fella "use a washer, hand torque it". Would have saved me a lot of time today
