Gearbox Plug

[Goolie]

I need to drain and replace the oil in the gear box of my patrol, I am guessing the previous owner of my patrol has tightened the gearbox drain hole with a rattle gun. If I pull on the plug to much I'm worried it will round the socket hole, i've wd40'd the thread but still no budge, the filler hole opened easy.

Are there any sugestions on how to free the plug?

[mudnut]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

If all the other suggestions fail, buy a new plug, take the vehicle to a workshop and get them to weld an old impact socket to the drain plug and use a good breaker bar with a jack under it, clamping it up to undo it.

Was the only way I could get mine out.

[the godfather]

Ah the old tight plug job. My experience is they all get tight. Hot metal and then col water, with dirt and crap. It will always be tight.
On my GU you cant really get a rattle gun onto it anyway.
I had to use a small amount of heat to get mine loose. Short of that you might be welding a bit of steel to it. Then tap it with a hammer.
Shock treatment is the go.

[dom14]

I need to drain and replace the oil in the gear box of my patrol, I am guessing the previous owner of my patrol has tightened the gearbox drain hole with a rattle gun. If I pull on the plug to much I'm worried it will round the socket hole, i've wd40'd the thread but still no budge, the filler hole opened easy.

Are there any sugestions on how to free the plug?

Gearbox bung plugs have square sockets. If you use the right square socket that fits snugly, it shouldn't end up getting round.
I had to make my own socket using some 14mm bolt from bunnings and cut it and angle grind it & file it to the correct square shape.
It was tight, but I got there eventually with the long socket arm. WD40 is not likely to help.
Apply heat and keep the socket straight while using a long socket arm or breaker bar.
You can get a small propane torch for around $20 or so from bunnings.

[billyj]

there a tapered plug hence why they become so friggin tight

remember if your going to do an oil change on the g'box, t'fer or diffs ALWAYS UNDO THE FILL PLUG FIRST. nothing worse that letting the oil out and not being able to refill

[dom14]

there a tapered plug hence why they become so friggin tight

remember if your going to do an oil change on the g'box, t'fer or diffs ALWAYS UNDO THE FILL PLUG FIRST. nothing worse that letting the oil out and not being able to refill

Yeah, I've made that mistake once. Luckily for me, the fill plug was more forgiving that the drain plug. :)

I didn't bother to notice the plugs were tapered. It's really good to know that. That exactly explains the reason
they end up getting so tight.

Cheers

[Hodge]

I know the pain. Most of plugs on my car were like that. Had to get a mate to weld on bits and pieces in order to get the bastards off.

[dom14]

I haven't had that much difficulty with mine, except the transfer case which I haven't touched yet.
For transfer case, obviously we need a spanner or similar tool.
I think mine was done by the previous bloke not that long ago, otherwise I should've had some trouble undoing them as well.
The old oil was not bad at all. Diff oils looks almost new, but I changed it anyway.