TC fluid change advise!!!!

johnferg69 · Aug 30, 2009

I figured I'd give my new toy a complete tune up, do some minor repair and change all the fluids. That is till I got to the TC!!!

Yesterday when I started I realized I didn't have a wrench or socket to fit the fill and drain plugs. So I liberally sprayed it with BP and again this morning before heading to town to buy more stuff.

Now after an hour of wacking it and wrestling with it I still can't get the fill plug loose. I haven't tried the drain, I figure I'd make sure I can get fluid back in it first.

Any advise???

joe_peters · Aug 30, 2009

You need three things.

1. 12-pack of cold beer.

2. A buddy.

3. A long cheater bar (best) or a BFH.

Step one--drink a couple beers with your buddy.

Step two--have your buddy hold the socket on the transfer case fill plug.

Step three--use that cheater bar to bust that sucker loose (or beat on things with the BFH).

Step four--if it still won't come loose drink more beer, invite a bigger buddy to come over and let him work the cheater bar.

dennis461 · Aug 30, 2009

Are you on the right plugs?
They are removed in this picture..

johnferg69 · Aug 30, 2009

Yep /\ Thats the %#&% I'm trting to get off

johnferg69 · Aug 30, 2009

joe_peters said:
You need three things.

1. 12-pack of cold beer.

2. A buddy.

3. A long cheater bar (best) or a BFH.

Step one--drink a couple beers with your buddy.

Step two--have your buddy hold the socket on the transfer case fill plug.

Step three--use that cheater bar to bust that sucker loose (or beat on things with the BFH).

Step four--if it still won't come loose drink more beer, invite a bigger buddy to come over and let him work the cheater bar.

Didn't know there was any other way:cheers:

lawsoncl · Aug 30, 2009

johnferg69 said:
I haven't tried the drain, I figure I'd make sure I can get fluid back in it first.
Any advise???

Excellent thinking. I've seen a few folks get it drained and then can't fill it. :laugh3:

spat70 · Aug 30, 2009

I would be in the damn...."now how do I fill in now" boat.

Pb blaster every time ya think about it and after a few days tap it with a hammer, the shock should help weaken any corrosion bond. Then follow what Mr. Peters said. Big breaker bar, BFH and plain dumb luck.

Kevinma255 · Aug 31, 2009

Good advise but remember it is an aluminum housing, they do break if you hit them too hard. I know this as a fact, I cracked one once.

spat70 · Aug 31, 2009

I just talked to my dad and he was a Tugboat captain for years and always had issues with stuck fastners, I asked him what he would do

He said
" With aluminum and steel you will have electrolysis corrousion due to disimmalar metals. I would heat it but flame heat changes the crystal structure of the case aluminum making it brittle. I use a heat gun, heating the bolt head and the area around it. While hot give the head a good tap with hammer and punch and then quench with penetrating oil and let sit until cold. Lost very few bolt holes or snapped off bolt heads evers since using this method. Even when it breaks free a bit, add more penetrating oil along the way to gently ease it out by both in and further out turns like you were using a tap.

then he said his diaper was full...He is 80, give him a break!

Boatwrench · Aug 31, 2009

Heat the bolt, not the case is the important part. Than a flash cooling just like you dad said.

My dad couldn't explain the why...but he guesses the steel of the bolt expands faster and shrinks from the cooling faster.

winterbeater · Aug 31, 2009

Boatwrench said:
Heat the bolt, not the case is the important part. Than a flash cooling just like you dad said.

My dad couldn't explain the why...but he guesses the steel of the bolt expands faster and shrinks from the cooling faster.

Aluminum heats/expands/shrinks twice as fast as steel. Heat the case around the plug.

kf_chris · Aug 31, 2009

Not to sound contradictory....but if you work a plug in and out like that you could gall the hole. Make sure you use feel when doing that work on the stuck bolt so you dont' make more work for yourself. Just a word of caution. We pull large steel plugs all the time here at work.

Flyfisher · Aug 31, 2009

And be careful...what looks like a "star wrench" fitting on the plug isn't...it has a different number of points. Also, I could never find a socket to fit since the "points" of the plug are rounded...had to get a big open-end wrench to be sure I didn't round it more!

Khary23 · Oct 31, 2009

Any one know off hand what size socket you need for the plug? I'm about to do a SYE and want to make sure I got all the right tools

birchlakeXJ · Nov 1, 2009

Spray with penetrant, tap with hammer.

Repeat

Repeat

Conservative use of heat if above doesn't work

joe_peters · Nov 1, 2009

Khary23 said:
Any one know off hand what size socket you need for the plug? I'm about to do a SYE and want to make sure I got all the right tools

For some reason 30mm is coming to mind.

flyingbrick · Nov 1, 2009

i just used a crescent wrench to take mine off, and one of those crayon looking water guns from the dollar store works really well for filling it back up.
Having a little brother comes in handy from time to time...

TC fluid change advise!!!!

johnferg69

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joe_peters

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dennis461

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johnferg69

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johnferg69

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lawsoncl

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spat70

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Kevinma255

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spat70

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winterbeater

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kf_chris

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Flyfisher

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