Seized Diff Plug

[Offroader Member Find all posts View Profile Close Offroader]

The drain plug on my front diff is completely seized. I hope I am not double handling a topic but I did a search on this and only found some info on using a chisel and hammer. I've tried propane, shock freeze and sprays, chisel and hammer (plug metal is too soft) all to no avail. Finally I got the breaker bar onto the hex insert and only succeeded in stripping out the hex insert Why Toyota insist on using these flimsy plugs which are torqued up in the shops to well over specification I don't know. The only decent plug is the big drain on the rear diff. Anyway, I will order a new plug. In the time being, does anyone have any creative ideas to remove a stripped plug in these circumstances? Can you weld a nut on to these plugs or should it be drilled out? Any advice here would be appreciated.

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Re: Seized Diff Plug

Sacrifice an allen key and cut a short piece off it, long enough for a socket, weld and a bit in the plug.

Weld this into the plug, use a stick welder and if you have them; Weldalls or similar high alloy rod, although a GP rod will be fine. Let it cool naturaly (don't quench or cool with compressed air)

Use a socket on the end of the allen key (a 6 point socket) and breaker bar. Don't jerk on the bar, steady torque is the trick.

Hopefully the welding has shrunk the plug enough to free it.

If you have to resort to drilling make sure you center pop it dead center and work your way up in drill sizes until you are as close to the tread as you can get. get it right an you should be able to pick the thread out with a scribber or at the worst run a tap thru it.

Drilling will be messy (oil) and you will have to take care to get all the swarf out of the diff after.

Don't be tempted to try an Ezy Out unless you are very confident you won't break it off!!!

Mick

[Offroader Member Find all posts View Profile Close Offroader]

Re: Seized Diff Plug

Thanks Mick for the advice... I'm not too keen on those Ezi-Outs, never had much success with them and yes, I've broken a few in the past. WIll try some of the methods you described when I get the new plug. I resorted to a syringe and a great deal of patience to drain the diff oil and replace. This is not ideal as there could be some swarf still down the bottom of the diff but I figured it was better than running the old oil. Sadly this shouldn't have to be said, but a word of advice to those getting a Genuine Toyota diff. service:

1. Tell them not to touch any of the plugs with rattle guns. (I've had to replace a rounded filler plug already)
2. Add a dab of anti-seize to the thread before reinstallation.
3. Torque to proper Toyota specification.

A little bit of extra effort will save hours of frustration later.

[VL400 Member Find all posts View Profile Close VL400]

Re: Seized Diff Plug

And I thought I was the only one, it is a 90 series but you get the idea ..

[Offroader Member Find all posts View Profile Close Offroader]

Re: Seized Diff Plug

Nice weld there VL400 and thanks for the pic. Did you hit it with higher than normal amps?

This plug seems to be in so tight that I could see (before stripping the hex recess), my expensive chrome vanadium hex bit twisting under the force of the cheater pipe. I'm concerned that an allen key might just shear off. Hopefully the heat of the welding as Mick suggested will loosen the thing.

[Rainman Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Rainman]

Re: Seized Diff Plug

Try some Wurths Rostoff on it as well, its a 1000% better than WD40 and CRC when it comes to loosening tight nuts etc.

[VL400 Member Find all posts View Profile Close VL400]

Re: Seized Diff Plug

Yeah that was the third weld attempt, the other two broke due to not enough juice first time and then not thick enough weld area as it broke through the middle of the weld. Ended up pretty high on the mig, its a 220A one and was nearly at max to get a strong spot weld and then built it up a little. The heat I am sure helped loosen it too.

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Re: Seized Diff Plug

I got out the mig and welded big fat nuts onto all of the plugs on my old 98 GXL. The bloody thing had 3 different styles of plugs bewteen the 2 diffs!

[Offroader Member Find all posts View Profile Close Offroader]

Re: Seized Diff Plug

Update: Finally got the seized plug out. Here are the Toyota part no's for those interested: Front diff. drain plug # T*90341-24014 and copper gasket # T*90430-24003 $20.30 is a little on the expensive side for a plug but I suppose its got a magnet in it too.

It sure was a fight all the way. Anyway, following the advice of others with a few improvisations here's what I did.


1.Firstly I unscrewed the filler plug to allow pressure to dissipate during the welding process ( not sure if this was necessary but didn't want any trouble).
Next, I welded the biggest bolt I could find to the plug because I didn't have a large enough allen key. I made sure I laid on the weld nice and thick to really heat the plug because the oil in the diff. draws the heat away fairly well. Unfortunately, after letting it cool, the bolt just twisted and sheared off under the torque of trying to turn it. Time for plan B.

2. Next, I got the air chisel out and using the build up of steel weld as an impact point, let her rip. I found the plug itself was too soft and the chisel just cut through it, but the weld was solid enough to land the blows necessary for it to finally unscrew.

3. The plug was a real mess after all this treatment so I replaced both the plug and copper gasket and reinstalled with a dab of anti-seize to the correct torque spec.

Hope this thread is useful to others who run into this dreaded scenario. Preventing this in the first place with a little extra time and care during installation is the moral to this story. Unfortunately too many workshops overlook these simple practices.

[Guest Close Guest]

Re: Seized Diff Plug

Toyota should be made to rectify this problem.

I did the oil filter change on my Tarago for the first time after having it serviced by Toyota religiously. It was such a bugger to get off. I now have a torque wrench and will be torqueing it up by the book.

[RustyTruck Member Find all posts View Profile Close RustyTruck]

Re: Seized Diff Plug

Ended up getting mine off. Stick welder and a blow torch for abit more heat got it off on the 2nd attempt

[tassie tiger Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close tassie tiger]

Re: Seized Diff Plug

Just for people who read this post, beware of any so called professionals who do up diff or gearbox plugs with compressed air tools.

I was in the mechanical game and never saw this happen. This must be some A1 clowns out there :shock:

Who taught them, Bozo the clown.

I have never used a torque wrench on any sump or filler plugs. Just nipped up and never had one come loose.

Bit like oil filters. They just need a lick of oil on the seal, a big spin and then the smallest of hand tightening.

[damonat Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close damonat]

Re: Seized Diff Plug

I was in the mechanical game and never saw this happen. This must be some A1 clowns out there :shock:

Who taught them, Bozo the clown.

I have never used a torque wrench on any sump or filler plugs. Just nipped up and never had one come loose.

Bit like oil filters. They just need a lick of oil on the seal, a big spin and then the smallest of hand tightening.

same here.
i also have never used a torque wrench to tighten drain/filler plugs or filters.

[adrian5800 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close adrian5800]

Re: Seized Diff Plug

Never seen anyone use air tools to tighten drain plugs either in 26 years of mechanicing either - or use a torque wrench to tighten.

One tip to anyone attempting to undo one is use a sharp hit with a 32 oz hammer, flat on the plug. Don't hit at an angle or you will burr the hex socket. This works on all drain plugs that I have had to undo over the years. Provided it has a parallel thread and sealing washer - not a taper thread.

[wbt023 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close wbt023]

Re: Seized Diff Plug

Hey

So here I was thinking that Toyota's were a dream to work on after the ease of doing spark plugs, fuel filter, location of oil filter etc... especially coming from a Subaru vehicle! :lol:

Then came time for the diff. oils! Rear diff. fill plug seized... bolt head strips, I tried the vise grips but couldn't get it on tight enough considering the plug is seemingly made of playdough (this came in handy later). A mate of mine managed to get it on tight enough to not slip, but could not get enough torque on it with one leg pushing of the left rear wheel and he's not a weak lad.

Time to drill. In steps of a half mill all the way to a 13mm bit until the vise grips managed to remove it, which was lucky as I was a little off centre and VERY close to the thread. Anyway this worked for me and would be confident of doing it again, although the point is not to have to.

So front diff should be easier right? Wrong, fill plug cracks but drain plug does not budge using a 1ft cheater bar and a twisting bit. This forum is very helpful, shame is I don't have a welder. So maybe time for the shop... :roll:

PS tried to attach a pic but kept getting ''The image file you tried to attach is invalid.'' :?: --> tried JPG, JPEG and PNG...

Ben