Tranny Fill Plug Removal

[gnosez]

I've done and read a good dozen different ways to get the fill plug loose including heat, a 10 pound hammer, a cheater bar and my favorite, using a jack with a small cup (Sears sells them for $100) and putting the other end of the wrench in the cup and jacking it up while you have the car on stands.

Today I didn't have the small jack but I did have a ratchet strap that I wrapped around the engine crossmember and the wrench. A literal piece of cake.

 

[siteunseen]

Great idea!

I'm about to do my differential and will try that if it's as tight as my 280s was. Seems like those are female type plugs and I used a half inch pull handle or ratchet.

That's one helluva oil pan you got on there!

Edited June 7, 2017 by siteunseen

[JSM]

Sometimes ther is slop in the square. I've used a blade screwdriver to take up the slop. Worked great. 

[gnosez]

Might I suggest that if there is any slop in the fill plug (17mm) that you could file it down to 16mm and be assured of a tight fit without worrying about adding another tool to make this work. I mean how many times do you use your 16mm wrench anyway?

[siteunseen]

Or...

[gnosez]

Nooo. Likely to damage the plug and now you're filing it down to 16mm. I have a better all around solution and I'll post it later tonight.

It's really for folks like me who change tranny oil 4-6 times a years.

[siteunseen]

There's no pressure built up in the tranny is there? A rubber freeze plug? a bolt? or just tap a 16 point socket on the square plug.  Anxious to hear your solution and why in the name of god do you change it 4 to 6 times a year?  I'm guessing you are a racer? That would explain the huge oil pan I guess.

Rock on!

[gnosez]

Yes, I race a 240 and that is the small oil pan (6 qt) as opposed to the large (8+) pan. Add in filter, lines. Accumsump, cooler and you have 12 to 16 qts. invested.

As to the idea, here's the prototype that I used to verify that it works. The version going in the race car will be longer, have a connection point to the body and be lighter in weight. Think auto tranny dip stick with a threaded cap that can be removed via a socket.

 

[Zed Head]

I'm pretty sure that I got a 1985 300ZX 5 speed for $20 because the PO couldn't get the drain plug out.  I used the gears and back half as a 71C with a ZX 5 speed front/bellhousing swap, then tried to get the plug out of the left over front case using all kinds of crazy techniques; torch, solvents, breaker bars, etc.  Ended up drilling a hole in it just to show it that I could use it if I really wanted to.

It's available if somebody needs a 1985 300ZX front case/bellhousing.

[Reptoid Overlords]

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