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Post by duff on Aug 21, 2022 9:46:03 GMT -5
Put new rear shocks on a car 2 weeks ago and realized the rust on the differential cover was pretty bad. Easy enough to undo 10 bolts and replace gasket, bolts and cover. Until the attempts to remove the dirty filla-ramic-packaloomer fill plug. Pb blaster, heat, pb blaster, weld a nut onto it, cold chisel...all failed to break it loose. Any tips or tricks minus selling it and buying a new truck?  |
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Post by featherduster on Aug 21, 2022 10:34:55 GMT -5
Sell the car.
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Post by bowonlykindofguy1 on Aug 21, 2022 10:38:51 GMT -5
Heat it red hot,pour cold water on it while red. Then remove while its still hot.Should break loose the rust and/or threadlocker,cold water will shrink it down and it should work.
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Post by esshup on Aug 21, 2022 10:47:04 GMT -5
Replace the diff cover. Then the fill plug will be easy to unscrew!!
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Post by greghopper on Aug 21, 2022 11:15:10 GMT -5
Replace the diff cover. Then the fill plug will be easy to unscrew!! This^^^ Start at bottom to let oil come out slowly…. |
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Post by duff on Aug 21, 2022 11:56:01 GMT -5
How will a new cover help? The fill plug is on the housing, not the cover?
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Post by duff on Aug 21, 2022 11:57:13 GMT -5
I hope you guys are right. My fear is I remove the cover and can't get to plug out and now my truck is stuck with no way to fill the diff
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Post by duff on Aug 21, 2022 12:00:34 GMT -5
Heat it red hot,pour cold water on it while red. Then remove while its still hot.Should break loose the rust and/or threadlocker,cold water will shrink it down and it should work. I feel like I have got it hot enough but maybe not. Held map gass torch on it foe 45 to 60 seconds. I have it on jack stand so not a whole Lotta room for my not so nimble body and tools. I squirted with pb blaster after a few of the heat up. I know it isn't impossible but I make it look a lot harder than it should |
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Post by duff on Aug 21, 2022 12:02:12 GMT -5
Pre messing it up! Got a plan now. Will wait for new plug in the mail. Then work round 3 on this stupid thing  |
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Post by greghopper on Aug 21, 2022 12:13:49 GMT -5
How will a new cover help? The fill plug is on the housing, not the cover? Ok…. I assume it was on the cover |
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Post by deadeer on Aug 21, 2022 12:16:23 GMT -5
Stick a punch or extension in there and whack it hard to shock the threads.
I have square tapered easy outs for pipe plugs like that.
Map gas is so so. Need oxy-acetelyne to make cherry red, then quench as said.
Its tapered threads, so one crack loose and your home free.
If you were only in Hudson Lake... lol.
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Post by duff on Aug 21, 2022 12:37:19 GMT -5
Stick a punch or extension in there and whack it hard to shock the threads. I have square tapered easy outs for pipe plugs like that. Map gas is so so. Need oxy-acetelyne to make cherry red, then quench as said. Its tapered threads, so one crack loose and your home free. If you were only in Hudson Lake... lol. Mechanics and machine repair guys have my respect...I lose patience pretty fast. Bigger hammer rarely works. I bought a 3/8 square key thinking it would fit better but it just twisted. |
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Post by featherduster on Aug 21, 2022 12:39:43 GMT -5
If you would have taken better care of the differential like maybe checking the gear lube more than once a decade it might not have rusted shut.
What year is this and what kind of truck is it??
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Post by deadeer on Aug 21, 2022 12:55:38 GMT -5
If you would have taken better care of the differential like maybe checking the gear lube more than once a decade it might not have rusted shut. What year is this and what kind of truck is it?? Good advice, but... Up north here with the crappy beet juice on the roads, I have had 2 rear end covers rust out, and a couple frames rust thru and break. My current truck was southern, and clean when I got it 3 years ago. It is already junk underneath. Absolutely sickening. |
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Post by duff on Aug 21, 2022 13:09:22 GMT -5
If you would have taken better care of the differential like maybe checking the gear lube more than once a decade it might not have rusted shut. What year is this and what kind of truck is it?? I always appreciate brutally honest advice! And I am 100% production minded...run that till it fails then bark at maintenance guy until they bubblegum it back together. I just happen to play both roles on my home fleet. 2005 chevy trailblazer. Bought it with 180k 2 yrs ago for my daughter. A kid wrecked into her and I thought it was totaled so ended up with gas saver for her now. Got this back from the shop and I have been piecing it back together. I am driving it now. Really like it so want to protect the wore out...I mean broke in parts. |
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Post by jtclark on Aug 21, 2022 13:56:41 GMT -5
I've NEVER in 60 years known A SINGLE PERSON to change the gear lube in a differential that wasn't leaking, broken, or NEEDED some type of replacement or repair. I've never seen one break either that wasn't abused.
To get that plug out start with the Mapp gas but a LOT more than a minute. With that kind of heat it is going to take a LONG time to get it out.
If you have access to a stick welder I'd try that first. Get everything ready to twist it out FIRST before you start. Clamp your ground on there as close to the plug as you can hook it up. Put the biggest rod you have in the stinger. With the welder OFF put the stinger in the middle of that plug and hold it there while someone else flips on the welder and hold it until the rod gets soft and tell them to turn it off. Do that a couple times at least and be ready when you think it is enough. Soon as you shut the welder down put your wrench tool on that plug and crank on it until it strips or comes out one or the other. It will probably turn.
If it strips just stick a big bolt on it and weld the thread end to the plug. When it cools put a socket on the bolt and a breaker bar and it will come out. Probably EASY after all that heat welding it on.
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Post by duff on Aug 21, 2022 14:03:09 GMT -5
I tried welding a nut on the plug but couldn't get a good bite. I didn't think of the bolt side into the gap. I have bot a stick welder and mig, just less than average when it comes to welding.
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Post by jtclark on Aug 21, 2022 15:13:53 GMT -5
I tried welding a nut on the plug but couldn't get a good bite. I didn't think of the bolt side into the gap. I have bot a stick welder and mig, just less than average when it comes to welding. It looks you were trying to weld something about the same size as the plug to the plug and more of the weld got on the plugand the steel the plug is screwed in to. I bet your bolt just fell off when you quit. Get a little 3/16 6010 or 6011 farmer type rod. Use a bolt that will go down in that middle area, giving you an angle corner to weld in to. Use that rod and bolt set up to practice a couple times just welding it straight up on a piece of scrap steel. Try to run that little rod about as hot as you think you can to get good penetration on the plug. You could go around it a couple times if you have to but don't weld the plut in the hole it is screwed in to. Make sure you can SEE what you are welding while you weld it. Put some tape of any kind you have over those places you don't want the plug to stick to, it might help a little as it builds ash and keeps it from sticking. When you use a NUT like you've seen people do, they put the weld on the INSIDE and fill it up to stick it to the top of the bolt. |
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Post by jtclark on Aug 21, 2022 15:16:22 GMT -5
Have you tried an impact driver with a bit that fits inside that?
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Post by bowonlykindofguy1 on Aug 21, 2022 15:31:48 GMT -5
Scratch the bottom of hole to make sure there is no rust in the bottom. 60 seconds of map gas won't do it. The housing is cast and it will dissipate heat quickly. Heat the plug until it is glowing red and stays red when heat is removed. Then cold water and steady pressure with a 3/8 ratchet. Give it one more shot,it will work!
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