Stuck Transmission Plug

matthud · 06-14-05, 10:12 PM

I went to check the transmission fluid on my 4 spd today. Crawled under the car only to find the pipe plug totally rusted in place. This is the first time checking it since I bought the car. Put a wrench on it and it would not even budge. Tried hosing it down with penetrating oil, didnt help. I'm imagining that this was a steel plug in the aluminum housing. What would be the best way of trying to get this off?

wishuwerehere82 · 06-14-05, 10:21 PM

Try some PB Blaster on it. It's a great penetrant that works better than most other penetrating oils. Let it sit for a few days and drive it a few times to temp. cycle it. Then rap it a few times with a hammer to get it into the threads. Spray it again, and then try it.

matthud · 06-14-05, 10:24 PM

I didnt really want to put many more miles on it without knowing how much oil, if any is in there. Do you think a propane torch to it will help.

The73vetteman · 06-14-05, 11:04 PM

Had the very same problem. This is what I did:

Used some putty to build up a little well or sump underneath the plug then kept it full of PB Blaster for about a week. Then put the best fitting socket on it I could find and the longest lever. Then I placed the jack under the lever and gently pumped it up. That did the trick.

I hate the idea of using propane on my car. There are just too many flammable things underneath!

John

wishuwerehere82 · 06-14-05, 11:10 PM

Yeah, leave the torch in the box. The trasmission will warm itself up good enough for the PB Blaster to work into the threads.

lucky76 · 06-15-05, 01:34 AM

Pipe wrench, like you use on water pipes is what I used on mine. It's long and catches on the square head. Put your foot on it and push.

matthud · 06-16-05, 09:15 PM

Well, I've used the Penetrating oil over and over, warmed up the transmission a few times, used a pipe wrench and still nothing. It looks like possible that the plug was cross threaded, I'm not positive. I would really like to check/change the oil in the trans. What other options do I have?

Ken · 06-16-05, 09:32 PM

Be careful with it; I had a friend crack his case trying to remove a stuck plug.

wishuwerehere82 · 06-16-05, 09:38 PM

Well, there is one other way to drain the transmission, but you're not going to like it....

Drop the driveshaft and pull the tailshaft from the transmission, then jack the front end up high. It's probably less work than you already have put into it.

Ken · 06-16-05, 09:40 PM

That's a good one Pete, except that wouldn't get all of the lube out from the main case, unless you had it really high - say ... vertical.

wishuwerehere82 · 06-16-05, 09:51 PM

I said he wasn't going to like it.

But seriously, that's the only other way I know other than the fill plug. Possibly dilution over a few changes would be preferable to cracking the case. I don't know if it's possible to get a siphon hose in through the tailshaft to the bottom of the case, but I doubt it.

jdp6000 · 06-16-05, 10:01 PM

Take it to a shop..GM...big GM shop and make them responsible....just a thought...

Jim

bradfordsvettes · 06-16-05, 10:29 PM

Some times if you use a commercial heat gun and heat the crap out of it it will free up that is what is recommended on transfer cases made out of magnesium only my 2 cents Steve

geekinavette · 06-17-05, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matthud

Well, I've used the Penetrating oil over and over, warmed up the transmission a few times, used a pipe wrench and still nothing. It looks like possible that the plug was cross threaded, I'm not positive. I would really like to check/change the oil in the trans. What other options do I have?

But did you use the PB-Blaster? That stuff really works well.

Bill