illinilefttackle
11-11-2007, 05:06 PM
My family seems to be plagued with this disease-"strpped diff plugs". My daughter has a 1996 chevy 4x4 pickup and my grandsonson has a 1985 chevy pickup-4x4---both of then have stripped diff plugs-according to the oil change guys. His is the rear diff (old square plug hole type) and hers is a bolt head. Now its up to me to get these @#%& things out! I've heard everything from welding nuts to them,special extractors,etc. What do you guys do? We cant check the levels the way we should with out getting them out-Thanks Al
KWTMECH
11-11-2007, 05:24 PM
Scrape the gunk outta the square hole and see if you can get at it. Fawkn' 10min lube guys
tacoma73
11-11-2007, 05:27 PM
Pop the cover, replace????
wtf hardcore tech at its finest LOL
vaz71
11-11-2007, 05:36 PM
His takes a 1/2" ratchet, try to clean all the mud out of the hole and use it or use a pipe extractor for 1/2" pipe. Hers needs a small pipe wrench on it, I've never had luck with vise grips on them because they are'nt tall enough to clamp on very well. In either case use heat, preferably an oxy-acetelene torch on the housing beside the plug. Make a hot spot the size of a quarter and then wrench on it. Neither has a seal or bearing close enough to hurt with the heat, but hers is aluminum so be careful. As long as you heat in one spot and don't move the torch around you'll have no problems at all.
jm8881
11-11-2007, 06:33 PM
When I changed mine, I don't think it had ever been changed. The plug looked untouched. I cleaned it out, put my ratchet into it and it was siezed. I threw some pb blaster on it and gave it another go and stripped it out. I started swearing at it, heated it up with mapp gas, clamped my vise grips on it and it came right out. Total 180* in my mood. Went from a swearing fit to pure relief. :D