Hi, I want to top the the oil up in a rear axle, as previously it was
leaking, but the filler plug is seized.
Someone has tried to remove it before slightly rounding the nut so that
now a socket will not fit.
I have brought some stillsons, but has anyone got any tips to make it
easier to get off without damaging the plug, for example would heating
the plug up first help?
Thanks
Shane

shane wrote:
Hi, I want to top the the oil up in a rear axle, as previously it was
leaking, but the filler plug is seized.
Someone has tried to remove it before slightly rounding the nut so that
now a socket will not fit.
I have brought some stillsons, but has anyone got any tips to make it
easier to get off without damaging the plug, for example would heating
the plug up first help?
Thanks
Shane

you could hit it with a hammer, end on to break/jar the seal. Is it a
parallel thread or taper?

On Fri, 20 May 2005 17:57:32 GMT, shane
wrote:

Hi, I want to top the the oil up in a rear axle, as previously it was
leaking, but the filler plug is seized.
Someone has tried to remove it before slightly rounding the nut so that
now a socket will not fit.
I have brought some stillsons, but has anyone got any tips to make it
easier to get off without damaging the plug, for example would heating
the plug up first help?
Thanks
Shane

If it's a brass plug, then heating it is perhaps not the best option,
brass has a tendancy to melt.

The best method I can see is to file the nut down so it has two very
defnite sides on it, which you can get a big spanner onto.

Alex

"Alex" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 20 May 2005 17:57:32 GMT, shane
wrote:

Hi, I want to top the the oil up in a rear axle, as previously it was
leaking, but the filler plug is seized.
Someone has tried to remove it before slightly rounding the nut so that
now a socket will not fit.
I have brought some stillsons, but has anyone got any tips to make it
easier to get off without damaging the plug, for example would heating
the plug up first help?
Thanks
Shane

If it's a brass plug, then heating it is perhaps not the best option,
brass has a tendancy to melt.

The best method I can see is to file the nut down so it has two very
defnite sides on it, which you can get a big spanner onto.

Alex

The first thing I would try would be to see if it's possible to 'persuade' a
six wall socket onto the rounded nut, maybe after a bit of judicious filing.
Then I'd try what Alex suggested and attempt to file a pair of flats.
If that didn't work I would lose patience with the job and find a big nut
that fits over/around the offending plug and weld it on. Well, I would if it
was a steel plug anyway.

Simon H

Rob wrote:

shane wrote:
Hi, I want to top the the oil up in a rear axle, as previously it was
leaking, but the filler plug is seized.
Someone has tried to remove it before slightly rounding the nut so that
now a socket will not fit.
I have brought some stillsons, but has anyone got any tips to make it
easier to get off without damaging the plug, for example would heating
the plug up first help?
Thanks
Shane

you could hit it with a hammer, end on to break/jar the seal. Is it a
parallel thread or taper?
I'm not sure, I think it's probably a parallel thread, thanks for the tip,
I may try that.

Simon H wrote:
If it's a brass plug, then heating it is perhaps not the best option,
brass has a tendancy to melt.

The best method I can see is to file the nut down so it has two very
defnite sides on it, which you can get a big spanner onto.

Alex

The first thing I would try would be to see if it's possible to 'persuade'
a six wall socket onto the rounded nut, maybe after a bit of judicious
filing. Then I'd try what Alex suggested and attempt to file a pair of
flats. If that didn't work I would lose patience with the job and find a
big nut that fits over/around the offending plug and weld it on. Well, I
would if it was a steel plug anyway.

Simon H
Thanks for the advice, there are a couple of reasonably flat sides I have
tried an adjustable spanner on, but I couldn't get enough leverage without
the spanner slipping, so I thought I would try some stillsons to get a good
grip with, if not I'll try filing it as you suggest, and use a conventional
spanner or socket.
Thanks
Shane

On Fri, 20 May 2005 17:57:32 GMT, shane
wrote:

Someone has tried to remove it before slightly rounding the nut so that
now a socket will not fit.

The best tool to remove it is a socket. Go and buy one - a six-sided
"flank drive" socket, preferably from Snap-on. These put their force
into the middle of the sides, not on the corners, so they're less
affected by rounded corners and they're also less likely to round the
corners further.

shane wrote:

Simon H wrote:
If it's a brass plug, then heating it is perhaps not the best option,
brass has a tendancy to melt.

The best method I can see is to file the nut down so it has two very
defnite sides on it, which you can get a big spanner onto.

Alex

The first thing I would try would be to see if it's possible to
'persuade' a six wall socket onto the rounded nut, maybe after a bit of
judicious filing. Then I'd try what Alex suggested and attempt to file a
pair of flats. If that didn't work I would lose patience with the job and
find a big nut that fits over/around the offending plug and weld it on.
Well, I would if it was a steel plug anyway.

Simon H
Thanks for the advice, there are a couple of reasonably flat sides I have
tried an adjustable spanner on, but I couldn't get enough leverage without
the spanner slipping, so I thought I would try some stillsons to get a
good grip with, if not I'll try filing it as you suggest, and use a
conventional spanner or socket.
Thanks
Shane

I've managed to remove it with the stillsons, I used a technique I've used
in the past to get extra leverage. When the stillsons were in place on the
nut I put a jack under the end of the handle, and jacked it up putting a
lot of force on the nut. Not always possible as it obviously depends where
the wrench/spanner is positioned, but it worked this time.
Thanks
Shane