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

[LD1]

Small pipe wrench. Then replace the plug

 

[Jims1025R]

You can purchase "bolt extractor" sockets or wrenches. They have internal helical grooves which taper in to grab a broken off bolt. The right size one should grab what's left of the pipe plug square.

If all else fails, drill down the very middle carefully to as large a drill diameter as you can without touching any of the original threads. Then use a small file, or saw blade to make a cut along the hole to just touch the threads. You'll then be able to use a punch at 90 degrees to the saw cut to collapse the plug into itself a little, and it'll come out. I've succeeded with this a few times. It's time consuming, but if nothing else works, this will.

 

[toolslinger]

If all else fails, drill down the very middle carefully to as large a drill diameter as you can without touching any of the original threads. Then use a small file, or saw blade to make a cut along the hole to just touch the threads. You'll then be able to use a punch at 90 degrees to the saw cut to collapse the plug into itself a little, and it'll come out. I've succeeded with this a few times. It's time consuming, but if nothing else works, this will.

If you have to go down this road, if you get left hand bits, on occasion the fitting will actually just screw out when you're drilling it. Haven't tried it on a taper thread like a pipe plug, but bolts with some frequency. At the very least, you're not making it worse with a right hand bit driving it further in the hole.

 

[5030]

They make square wrenches for square pipe plugs. Elvathang will round off with crescent wrenches and vise grips.

Wow, a new TBN word.... I'm impressed. It's an adjustable open end wrench not a 'Crescent wrench'. Crescent Tool is a company that makes (made) them. If you bugger up the head, use a Stillson pipe wrench on it and heat is a bit. The serrated jaws will bite into it and remove it. I'd replace it with a recessed square drive BRASS pipe plug.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

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.

 

[cwbyeng1300]

Wow, a new TBN word.... I'm impressed. It's an adjustable open end wrench not a 'Crescent wrench'. Crescent Tool is a company that makes (made) them. If you bugger up the head, use a Stillson pipe wrench on it and heat is a bit. The serrated jaws will bite into it and remove it. I'd replace it with a recessed square drive BRASS pipe plug.

Wow, Stillson is a tool company that made pipe wrenches, not the name of the tool.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Wow, a new TBN word.... I'm impressed. It's an adjustable open end wrench not a 'Crescent wrench'. Crescent Tool is a company that makes (made) them. If you bugger up the head, use a Stillson pipe wrench on it and heat is a bit. The serrated jaws will bite into it and remove it. I'd replace it with a recessed square drive BRASS pipe plug.

Stillson is a brand too. You're busted. So I'll keep on with my vise grips, crescent wrenches, driving a Jon Deere bobcat.

 

[5030]

Stillson is a brand too. You're busted. So I'll keep on with my vise grips, crescent wrenches, driving a Jon Deere bobcat.

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.

 

[airbiscuit]

You'll find your answer in this thread.

Rounded off drain plug

 

[5030]

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.

Here you go (various type of pipe wrenches) and their names....https://www.abmtools.com/product/pipe-wrench-stillson-type/