Remove Stripped Drain Plug

[RavensRoost]

Went to change Hy-Gard on John Deere 4500 MFWD front axle. Was able to remove center plug and the one on the left reduction gear housing "leg", but the one on right stripped out using Torx 30 socket. Looks like I am in for some fun! What is best way to remove a stripped pipe plug, what have you done that worked in similar situation?

- Drill through and use easy out? Have never done on a plug before, work?
- Might be able to get Vice Grips on edge of plug that is higher than housing, but not much confidence it will work.
- Special tool?

 

[DanD78]

If you do go with an easy out I would try the square ones first. I would not attempt the drill out and retap until I had a new plug and tap in hand. I am sure they are meteric but not sure of the thread size or pitch.

Dan

 

[RavensRoost]

I did some Googling, looks like a nipple extractor would be best, assuming I can get one small enough to do the job. If not, then a spiral screw extracor with sharp tip ground off is choice #2.

I will post back....when and if.

 

[Soundguy]

weld a hex nut to it then turn it out and replace.. OR.. leav ethe hex nut on it so you don't have to bother with it.

if it is a recessed plug, try a lefty drill bit.

soundguy

 

[Egon]

This is interesting as I have the same situation on my tractor. Got the plugs, lots of drill bits and a good set of easy outs; just need the motivation to do it.

 

[RavensRoost]

Egon, the one that I was able to get out (1/8" pipe plug, 3/16" hex/Allen) was also too loose for 3/16", but I was able to tap a #30 Torx socket in there and break it loose. May want to give that a try. Worst case, you will still end up trying a "plan B".

 

[Egon]

That has been tried with a 3/8 drive torx socket and now its round. They were sticking out just far enough to get bashed up and no meat left for grip.

It's plan B. No big deal but motivation.:ashamed:

 

[jim2210]

I know it's been previously mentioned but I think bears repeating - no matter how you get it out, make sure you have a new plug to go back in! :thumbsup:

 

[dqdave1]

left hand drill bit will work the easiest. Welding a hex nut works well if you are a good welder. ( So I agree with soundguy!)

 

[Wayne_H]

I had the same thing happen on my 4400. It happened I think because my allen wrench (the 4400 uses them on the front axle) I suspect was not the best fit. I have since bought some snap on ones that work.

The solution for me was to take the cheap allen wrench that stripped out, put it in, and weld it.

I'm by no means an expert welder, but it did the trick.

Wayne

 

[ModMech]

Welding a bolt into the rounded portion of the plug would be my suggestion, just make sure the bolt is clean as is the cavity.

The heat will do as much as the bolt itself will.

 

[RavensRoost]

I won...but not in the way I thought I would.

- I bought a set of spiral screw extractors from the Harbormaster
- Selected the one that would best fit the new plug, then ground the tip down to remove some of the sharp point to get to the starting diameter I wanted
- I tapped the extractor into the stripped drain plug head with a hammer (1/8" NPT, 3/16" allen) and I turned the extractor CCW with an adjustable wrench (all I had), all it did was turn inside the drain plug head, did not grip tight enough
- I ground down some more (grind more, effective diameter gets larger), tapped in, and it still turned, hole now larger
- Repeated the above grinding down the extractor tip/tapping into head of stuck plug a few more times, no success
- While lying there on the ground, it struck me that I better figure something out as this method was going to hog out the original hex head to the point where the top of the plug was gone. It also occurred to me to try tapping in a Torx 40 socket (T-30 did the trick on the other side, this one was larger now due to hogging it out with extractor). It worked!!!

So, I am grateful for having the wisdom to long ago buy a set of Torx sockets to work on my '79 CJ-5. ;-)

 

[Soundguy]

that sprial extractor may have worked if you would have drilled thru the plug to give it more surface area to grip.. since the plug was a gonner anyway..

soundguy

 

[RavensRoost]

that sprial extractor may have worked if you would have drilled thru the plug to give it more surface area to grip.. since the plug was a gonner anyway..

soundguy

Probably. I guess I was leary of the mess, still had Hy-Gard in there.

 

[ToadHill]

In the future I've had success using a punch sharpened to a point, drill a small indentation into the plug, use the sharpened punch and a hammer and tap it counter clockwise.

 

[Soundguy]

i've removed many plugs a-la chissle.. just got to be carefull.

soudnguy

 

[Dugway]

torx 30 worked like a charm - Thanks!!