Removing Plug to Install a Block Heater - Need some ideas

[California]

There's another thread on nearly the same subject that is presently active. It has over a thousand posts:

Rounded-off drain plug

That guy started with what was likely a half inch iron pipe plug below his transmission. He has rounded the square head to half the diameter, perfectly round, and tapered.

The hundreds of posts advising him range from silly to effective. One I liked was from Soundguy (a founder of this Yanmar forum) who said he just welds a large nut over a rounded plug if he needs to make a nice wrench surface. And he said on an old tractor, he would re-use that modified plug as the working plug.

Another poster said weld a flat bar - notched - over the plug to make a solid wrench grip.

My contribution was: pressure wash the tractor before welding anything so you don't set the tractor on fire. (His plug is below the transmission and dirty with old oil).

Take a look in the middle of that thread. Skip any pages where the conversation has gone to jokes. There's some good advice in there.

 

[careyo63]

The first problem to start with on both threads is to use the right size socket or wrench so you don't strip it out. Then the only problem will be Torque. Either Air And if that doesn't do it use a breaker bar. I had to Strip Eng. Blocks at a machine shop when I was in my Teens. Without the correct fitting wrench or socket your shooting your foot off right off the bat!! I had to deal with motors that sat in a junk yard for YRS!!! uncovered and never had any problems. So now there is a major problem that would have been avoided!!

 

[winston1]

There's another thread on nearly the same subject that is presently active. It has over a thousand posts:

Rounded-off drain plug

That guy started with what was likely a half inch iron pipe plug below his transmission. He has rounded the square head to half the diameter, perfectly round, and tapered.

The hundreds of posts advising him range from silly to effective. One I liked was from Soundguy (a founder of this Yanmar forum) who said he just welds a large nut over a rounded plug if he needs to make a nice wrench surface. And he said on an old tractor, he would re-use that modified plug as the working plug.

Another poster said weld a flat bar - notched - over the plug to make a solid wrench grip.

My contribution was: pressure wash the tractor before welding anything so you don't set the tractor on fire. (His plug is below the transmission and dirty with old oil).

Take a look in the middle of that thread. Skip any pages where the conversation has gone to jokes. There's some good advice in there.

Read over that thread California, amazing that thread is still going and started in March over a pipe plug.

 

[clemsonfor]

Read over that thread California, amazing that thread is still going and started in March over a pipe plug.

Haha, some people love to talk and suggest I guess!! I haven't looked. Is the OP still there, did it ever come out or we don't know as he never reported back?

 

[clemsonfor]

There's another thread on nearly the same subject that is presently active. It has over a thousand posts:

Rounded-off drain plug

That guy started with what was likely a half inch iron pipe plug below his transmission. He has rounded the square head to half the diameter, perfectly round, and tapered.

The hundreds of posts advising him range from silly to effective. One I liked was from Soundguy (a founder of this Yanmar forum) who said he just welds a large nut over a rounded plug if he needs to make a nice wrench surface. And he said on an old tractor, he would re-use that modified plug as the working plug.

Another poster said weld a flat bar - notched - over the plug to make a solid wrench grip.

My contribution was: pressure wash the tractor before welding anything so you don't set the tractor on fire. (His plug is below the transmission and dirty with old oil).

Take a look in the middle of that thread. Skip any pages where the conversation has gone to jokes. There's some good advice in there.

I was thinking I said that here? At this point I don't remember, but I do that myself, just put a nut bigger over it and fill the center up with weld to weld it on to give a better new grip surface.

 

[careyo63]

I was out cleaning up leaves yesterday and my Adj. Bar was laying on the work bench. As soon as I seen it I remembered this thread. The hollowed steel of the Bar is 2' that is what holds the Ratchet or Wrench and then the solid bar that slides inside of it is another 1-1/2'. so I can get a length of around 3-1/4' easy if not a few Inches more give or take. It don't mess around in getting the Job done. Which I never had to extend that far that I can recall......... I didn't have a tape readily handy so I put it on the floor and stepped off the lengths.........

 

[California]

I haven't looked. Is the OP still there, did it ever come out or we don't know as he never reported back?

He's still posting and the plug isn't out. Now he's trolling nonsense, apparently to keep the thread going.

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/parts-repairs/393632-rounded-off-drain-plug-56.html#post5289935

 

[clemsonfor]

There's another thread on nearly the same subject that is presently active. It has over a thousand posts:

Rounded-off drain plug

That guy started with what was likely a half inch iron pipe plug below his transmission. He has rounded the square head to half the diameter, perfectly round, and tapered.

The hundreds of posts advising him range from silly to effective. One I liked was from Soundguy (a founder of this Yanmar forum) who said he just welds a large nut over a rounded plug if he needs to make a nice wrench surface. And he said on an old tractor, he would re-use that modified plug as the working plug.

Another poster said weld a flat bar - notched - over the plug to make a solid wrench grip.

My contribution was: pressure wash the tractor before welding anything so you don't set the tractor on fire. (His plug is below the transmission and dirty with old oil).

Take a look in the middle of that thread. Skip any pages where the conversation has gone to jokes. There's some good advice in there.

I was thinking I said that here? At this point I don't remember, but I do that myself, just put a nut bigger over it and fill the center up with weld to weld it on to give a better new grip surface.

 

[Jtullis13]

He's still posting and the plug isn't out. Now he's trolling nonsense, apparently to keep the thread going.

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/parts-repairs/393632-rounded-off-drain-plug-56.html#post5289935

Yeah that is sure what it looks like

 

[pmsmechanic]

I would get the engine hot with coolant in it. Put a plastic garbage bag over the grill to help warm the engine quicker. Then weld a nut onto what is rounded off on the plug. Make sure you use a large enough nut to fit completely over the head of the plug. As soon as you are done welding touch a wax candle to the threaded area. The wax will melt and then follow the threads into the block lubricating them. As soon as the welding has cooled to block temperature start working the plug back and forth using an air impact gun set to about medium torque. When you are changing directions on the air impact don't release the trigger just instantly reverse direction by using the appropriate buttons or knobs. You might have to work at this for a while but the plug will come out. You can even leave the engine running to keep heat in the block.

Have fun!