tranny drain plug stripped, what to do Options

[drewvw]

I went to change my tranny fluid today and found that my drain plug is rounded out pretty good. Fill plug is fine, and I was happy to find she was at least filled with oil.

Questions:

1) Whats the best way to get this thing out of there? I don't have a welder. Can I JB Weld a hex bolt in there and break it free? Looks like it hasn't moved in decades.

2) I took out that plug on the bottom (the one with the spring and ball bearing) in an attempt to get it to drain. Went back in fine...did I screw anything up by taking it out??

Thanks in advance...
drew

[lapuwali]

The spring and ball bearing bit has quite a few parts up in there, all are the detent balls for locking the car in each gear. So, if you can still shift it from one gear to the next, and it stays in gear, you reassembled it correctly. The Haynes manual shows a drawing with the correct order.

As for the plug, you could just get a fluid pump, stuff it down the filler hole, and pump the old fluid out. This will at least get the oil changed.

[drewvw]

when I took out the detent plug, the car was in first gear and only the spring and ball bearing came out. None of the other stuff did that I saw in the diagrams....

[bondo]

With the shift fork shafts in place, the other bits will not come out. As long as you got that ball and spring back in (ball on top) you're fine.

As for the plug, that's tough... JB weld MIGHT work, but I doubt it. Maybe something like a giant easy-out? You could always drill it, use an easy out, and then use a new plug. The plug particles would stick to the magnet, so you probably won't have a big problem with shavings in the trans.

You could always just leave it.. They make transfer pumps that will drain fluids out of the fill hole. A stuck drain plug is much better than a stuck fill plug... (which is why they say always take out the fill plug first)

[wbergtho]

I had a similar problem w/ my drain plug on my 915. I assume your drain plug is a female hex and it is rounded out BIG TIME. I chopped off about a 3" allen hex and welded it to the drain plug...I then put a breaker bar on the "allen attachment" and cranked it out. It was a PITA! I then bought a new drain plug and chopped off another 1 1/4" section of hex stock and brazed it to the new plug effectively making a custom MALE drain plug. I know someone makes a male plug but I decided to make my own. I have no idea why porsche decided to make a female plug...it gets rounded out over the years and become an absolute pain in the ass to get out. I spent an entire afternoon fu-----g around with this. I feel your pain. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif)

Bill

[drewvw]

That was you, I read that post about the welding it in before. I think for the moment I will give the the pump idea a try just to change the fluid and finish the tranmission meet and greet phase.

Then...try and make a male plug and get it out. Doesn't sound fun. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif)

[Dr Evil]

Magnesium will not stick to the magnet, Bondo.

I would drill the plug, thread an easy out into it and get it out. Use heat to get it loose. Heat maybe not as recommended if it still has oil in it and is in the car, though (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif)

[Aaron Cox]

QUOTE (Dr Evil @ Apr 3 2006, 08:46 PM)

Magnesium will not stick to the magnet, Bondo. I would drill the plug, thread an easy out into it and get it out. Use heat to get it loose. Heat maybe not as recommended if it still has oil in it and is in the car, though (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif)

the plugs arent magnesium yo (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

[SLITS]

I used a chisel and BFH...it came out.....I put the new one in with a little anti-sieze and didn't tighten it with the 17mm hex and a 3' cheater bar.

[Dr Evil]

QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Apr 3 2006, 11:47 PM)

QUOTE (Dr Evil @ Apr 3 2006, 08:46 PM) Magnesium will not stick to the magnet, Bondo. I would drill the plug, thread an easy out into it and get it out. Use heat to get it loose. Heat maybe not as recommended if it still has oil in it and is in the car, though (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif) the plugs arent magnesium yo (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

Funny, they tasted like magnesium (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif) Ya, my bad. I guess the magnet inside of them would not stick otherwise (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif)

[Cap'n Krusty]

Why change the oil at all? It doesn't wear out, doesn't get loaded with combustion byproducts, and doesn't carry dangerous steel particles around. Unless you hear horrible noises, there's not much else in it either. If you do hear horrible noises, the tranny's a gonner anyway. I would hesitate to apply direct flame to a Mag alloy case, unless I wanted to start a REALLY cool bonfire.

[Dr Evil]

Don e it many times with a propane torch. Never a class D fire (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)

[bd1308]

so you CAN torch a mag case?

cant weld it though....right?

b

[Tobra]

QUOTE (Cap'n Krusty @ Apr 3 2006, 08:29 PM)

Why change the oil at all?  It doesn't wear out, doesn't get loaded with combustion byproducts, and doesn't carry dangerous steel particles around. Unless you hear horrible noises, there's not much else in it either.  If you do hear horrible noises, the tranny's a gonner anyway.  I would hesitate to apply direct flame to a Mag alloy case, unless I wanted to start a REALLY cool bonfire.

Why change the oil at all? Come now Cap'n, you disappoint me. The oil degrades with time and heat cycles also. My tranny leaks, but not enough that just topping it up is adequate to my mind, regardless of any factory recommendations.

Why not cut a piece of allen wrench, J-B weld it to make your male drain plug. No heat, and that J-B epoxy is pretty tough. If you screw that up, you could still cut it off flush and drill it out, though a piece of allen wrench might be pretty hard to drill...

[Dr Evil]

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Apr 4 2006, 01:04 AM)

so you CAN torch a mag case? cant weld it though....right? b

Wrong, you can weld it. I am sure someone has a pic of a welded on ear which is semi common to find. Alloyed magnesium has a pretty high flash pont. You cant just get out the old mig and weld it, though. I am pretty sure you need a special kind of rig.

Never change the oil (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/av-943.gif) Good one (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)

[Porcharu]

QUOTE (Dr Evil @ Apr 3 2006, 07:46 PM)

I would drill the plug, thread an easy out into it and get it out. Use heat to get it loose. Heat maybe not as recommended if it still has oil in it and is in the car, though (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif)

I wouldn't do that on my car. What happens WHEN (not if) the ez-out breaks - the poor guy has a BFH in his transmission. That plug is in very tight or it wouldn't be stripped out.
Do the cut off allen wrench (my wrench still works for oil plugs) welded to the plug trick. Just clean it up good with some break cleaner and drive it to a welder or a small muffler place and have them MIG it on there. It only takes about 2 minutes total to do it. Shoudn't cost more that a 6 pack on Friday afternoon.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beer.gif)

[drewvw]

The tranny isn't making any horrible sounds, but it gets cranky in 1st reverse after its been driving awhile, so I was going to change the tranny oil as part of my three pronged attack:

1) replace tranny fluid
2) adjust clutch
3) replace shift bushings

I am beginning to accept that my dog ears are probably worn but I figure I should try some stuff before....cause I ain't spending the $$ on a new tranny for awhile. The ghia hasn't had 1st gear in 10 years!

drew

[Cap'n Krusty]

QUOTE (Tobra @ Apr 3 2006, 09:06 PM)

QUOTE (Cap'n Krusty @ Apr 3 2006, 08:29 PM) Why change the oil at all?  It doesn't wear out, doesn't get loaded with combustion byproducts, and doesn't carry dangerous steel particles around. Unless you hear horrible noises, there's not much else in it either.  If you do hear horrible noises, the tranny's a gonner anyway.  I would hesitate to apply direct flame to a Mag alloy case, unless I wanted to start a REALLY cool bonfire. Why change the oil at all? Come now Cap'n, you disappoint me. The oil degrades with time and heat cycles also. My tranny leaks, but not enough that just topping it up is adequate to my mind, regardless of any factory recommendations. Why not cut a piece of allen wrench, J-B weld it to make your male drain plug. No heat, and that J-B epoxy is pretty tough. If you screw that up, you could still cut it off flush and drill it out, though a piece of allen wrench might be pretty hard to drill...

Degrades? Show me where it says that. The Cap'n

[Mueller]

the cap'n is correct.....many manufactures of transmissions and rear diffs do not recommend a regular draining and re-filling...engine oil breaks down due to the combustion process...in fact propane powered engines can go 10X or longer with no oil change since they burn so clean and do not contaminate the oil like gas or diesel engines....

[Tobra]

As I said in my original post, regardless of factory recommendations. They also advise 15, 000 mile engine oil change intervals for cars nowadays, which I would never do.

You are trying to tell me, that oil never degrades if you don't expose it to combustion byproducts. That is just not plausible to me, with what I know about Organic Chemistry.