Male Square Head Pipe Plug with starting to round off - What to do?

[ROUSTABOUT]

Stillson is a style of pipe wrench with a moveable stationary jaw that cams in when force is applied to the handle. That may be true but it still denotes the moveable stationary jaw design.

Yep, I have them all from 6" to 60" , have two of a lot but only one 48" and one 60" them two are costly.

 

[5030]

I have a Ridge Tool Stillson that is 6 feet long and heavy as hell. It's an oilfield wrench. Used it a couple times, don't need no cheater pipe with it.

 

[jaxs]

You'll find your answer in this thread.

Rounded off drain plug

You will definitely find your answer in that thread BUT YOU MUST READ THE INTIRE THREAD and don't skip anything.

 

[jaxs]

I have a Ridge Tool Stillson that is 6 feet long and heavy as hell.

I have a Harbor Freight Stillson that is 7 feet long and carry it in my hip pocket on days i think I might needed it.

 

[5030]

I have a Harbor Freight Stillson that is 7 feet long and carry it in my hip pocket on days i think I might needed it.

If HF made one that long, it would probably break just from the weight. Speaking of big wrenches, I have a couple oilfield open end spanners that have 6" throats and 4 foot handles. Everything is bigger in the oilfield.

I actually picked the stuff up when I was a longshoreman. Lakes boats use very large fasteners.

 

[LD1]

Liquid Wrench and heat have been the most succesful for me in situations like this. I think the heat is more important than the lubricant/ penetrant.

Penetrating oils do no good on pipe plugs. NPT are threads that seal. So your just wasting penetrating oil.

The only trick to lubricating the threads and freeing them is to heat the plug itself with a torch, and use wax while its hot. (an old candle). The wax will wick into the threads as it cools.

 

[4570Man]

If it’s not already mangled too bad they make square sockets. A small pipe wrench would grip far better than channel locks would. Or look into Knipex pliers.

 

[Smokeydog]

Most people over tighten gearbox plugs. See little if any pressure. Snug tight. They have little heads for a reason.
Almost human nature if hard to remove must put back too tight. Never had one leak or come out.

Millwrights would paint a line on the plug and gear case to mark where the original deformation of tapered threads sealed and retighten to that point. Hundreds of checks over decades of service.

 

[Farmer495]

Vice grips and replace plug. It's likely at the hardware store plumbing section for a few bucks.

 

[Tony H]

Metric or sae flare nut wrench. If it's bummed up as you say, maybe a metric wrench would tap on it right.