Trouble with seized fill/drain plugs

A nice long serious breaker bar will allow you to angle the half inch drive piece that fits into the socket some what where the business is and the jacking up that has to go on and what have you It's kind of tough getting up in there I do realize that I'm using a Mac tools close to 30 in long breaker bar it is never not broken anything loose so far whether I'm standing on it or my big rear end buddy is doesn't matter The heat has always helped a little bit I'm not suggesting that we're trying to red hot aluminum That's just not the case We just want to heat it a little bit so something will expand away from the steel You're not heating the steel and trying to make it expand into the aluminum You're warming the aluminum just around the plug a little bit You're not trying to smoke it it doesn't get red hot it melts we're not doing that couple of seconds it's warm breaker bar in and try to get on one side of the car Don't be under the middle of the car trying to pull on the breaker bar It's lefty loosey so try to get the bar centered and angled towards the tranny and back of the car a little bit and be on the driver side of the car pulling and putting your foot on the right side tire to give you some leverage and power. It has been a long time since I've been in Western Massachusetts where rust rules the road

 

I would not use a torch, impact, or WD40 to heat the plug area. A torch will damage the cast aluminum case of the transaxle. Aluminum starts to soften at 500 degrees F and melts at about 1100.

Buy this square fluted broken bolt extractor set or equivalent off of Amazon;

Straight Fluted Screw Extractor Set, 5 Pcs M4-M18 | 3/16-Inch to 5/8-Inch Easy Out Bolt Extractor Set for Broken Bolt Thread Repair, Carbon Steel

The only sure way to remove the plug is to drill out the center with a 3/8 inch drill.

Slowly drill the center of the plug and collect the steel cuttings with a rod magnet.

Stop, when you can feel that you are about to break through.

Drive in the 3/8 inch square drive extractor punching through the hole until it wedges in tight.

Using a large adjustable wrench, remove the damaged plug and you're done.

I would also replace the plugs and the plugs in both the transaxle fill and drain with these M18x1.5 hex head ones. I believe that they include aluminum crush washers.

Get these off Amazon and use a regular 19mm socket to remove and install them next time.

X AUTOHAUX 5 Sets M18x1.5mm Metal Car Engine Oil Pan Drain Cap Screw Bolt Plug with Gasket

 

Try to use a wire brush around the filler plug, then the drain plug.
ALWAYS remove the filler plug first!
Then clean out the area where 10mm hex goes. Use some valve grinding compound
in the hole and on the hex tool. Try to fix the hex in so it match the pattern on the bolt.
Then use a small hammer to tap it in as far as you can, it will be tight, but the grinding
compound will drive into the nut. Then try to keep it straight and remove the nut.
You can use the small hammer to tap the breaker bar as you twist, the shock will help
to remove the nut. It's slow, but I've used this method a lot and it works 98% of the time.

Do not over tighten them when you install them. They don't need to be super tight.

And you'll need to get the vehicle up and level to fill correctly.

 

Seized/ stripped/ damaged bolts et al can be a challenge.
Best advice, start with the easy stuff and progress to the hard stuff...eg proper socket, tools, and access progressing to drilling out.

I'd offer:
1) As you wrote "short of", IMO your first step is to lift the car higher
2) I would spray with BP Blaster/ Liquid Wrench for a few days instead of regular ol' WD40.
3) Acquire a new socket.
4) Sometimes, while the Liquid Wrench is soaking, install the socket to the bolt and hit the socket with a hammer to "shock" the bolt.
5) You can apply some heat carefully and I would suggest an electric heat gun and not a torch. Some have even heated a soldering iron and then touched the tip to the bolt head to apply said heat.
6) Yep, proper tools... sockets, breaker bar, car lift, jack stand supports, and all I emphasize. Knowing Murphy's Law, an assistant, a second set off hands to perhaps ensure the socket remains firm in/ on the bolt while you use the breaker bar may not be a bad idea.
7) You may only get 'one shot" with a proper socket before the bolt head stripes out
Now you go to the next (or damaging) level.
8) Use a die grinder and cut a slot into the bolt to insert a straight edged screwdriver and try to unscrew the bolt.
9) If that fails, try to use a chisel in those slots and hammer the chisel at an angle to unscrew the bolt...remember counterclockwise to loosen.
10) If that fails, you are drilling as Georgina above writes. Again, I suggest acquisition of new drill bits and extractors. You may even need a 90- degree drill for straight line drilling access.

In closing, IMO you must lift the car high enough off the ground as a first step.
As for part numbers for your needed replacement parts...I do not know.
Damaged/ stripped bolt heads and all "suck".
And for all reading, another top-tip is to always remove a fluid fill hole plug before the drain hole plug.

Good luck with your project and let us all know of your success.

 

In the commercial aircraft repair business, there is no luxury of spending a lot of time to remove a damaged drain plug.

One quick method to do it with no try and try series of attempts is needed.

The steel socket head plug is a holdover from the days of cast iron differentials and gear cases.

I prefer aluminum to upgrade to M18x1.5 19mm hex head plugs with neodymium magnets. These work well and are less likely to corrode in place from electrolytic action. In the case of the Gen 3 transaxle and inverter drain plugs, there is no hang down that will result fro road damage.

Additionally, since there is water contact, I coated the plug with teflon paste pipe dope.

 

Honda also uses socket head cap screw, albeit with a 3/8" square recess. With any 3/8" drive ratchet wrench on hand, you're in business. And I'd think the square socket is virtually impervious to these hole-rounding problems. Too bad Toyota doesn't use that style.

If an impact wrench isn't available*, a manual impact driver might help: They're like a thick chisel, most typically used to jar loose screws (say brake rotor retainer screws), but they come with inserts for sqare drive sockets as well. When you smack them with a hammer it pushes hard AND rotates the connection slightly, either in tighten or loosen direction.

Just be careful you've got it set to loosen; it can be set for either direction. The one I've got has cryptic symbols for this, which I never quite fathom or trust, so I just push down on it by hand, see which way it rotates, and fix if needed.



* I have a cheap, corded-electric Porter Cable impact wrench. Has zero speed control, pretty crude, but is quite effective. See it's currently $80 USD at Amazon.com.

 

This recently happened to me.

Here is your part number: 90341-18016 (around $3 online and $6 at the dealer) Call to make sure they are in stock. My dealer only had one.

My issue was the hex socket I used was cheap and so not a perfect fit. I wasn't directly underneath the plug when I turned, and the slight angle allowed the hex socket to slip.

If you look at the plug you can see a hex shape at the base of the plug also. This area likely was not damaged and will probably allow you to grab it. My suggestion is get the new plug and make sure your hex socket is very tight in the new plug. Then put it back into the stripped plug and tap it in as snug as possible. Next, use your breaker bar while keeping one hand on the head to make sure the hex socket doesnt drift. If needed, tap the hex socket between attempts. Mine broke after a couple of attempts. The tapping seems to help loosen the plug a bit (tap only).

 

I cut a hole right under the inverter cooler drain plug allows me to drain the coolant without taking off the undercover.

After draining, I just hose off that area of the undercover.

First, I made a one inch hole for the long 10mm hex wrench.

Then, I enlarged it to 2 inches, so I could use hex head plugs with a 19mm socket and extension.

Since, starting with the Gen 3, Toyota no longer puts magnets on the end of the drain plugs, I switched to aluminum plugs with hex heads and neodymium magnets.

Finally, I added a 2 inch hole plug for easy future access.

 

Manual impact wrench works greats, if you can get the car high enough, for a good hammer swing.
There is no rust holding the plugs in; those plugs are screwed into the aluminum case - they are just really tight. Spray the plugs with penetrating fluid, then use a machinist scribe or ice pick to scrape all the crud out of the hex. Repeat several times, until your sure the hex has been cleaned out. Use a 10mm hex socket and long breaking bar - MAKE SURE you keep that socket pressed firmly against the bottom of the hex plug, maintaining a 90 degree angle. If it still doesn't want to break lose; tap on it with a very small hammer. TAP ONLY - not smash.

Good Luck....

 

I'd bet if you just tap the hex bit in with a hammer to get it to seat fully, you'll be able to get it out no problem. Then replace it, or remember to be careful next time.

 

Any update???

 

I was going to say that, but I've seen a lot of road debris literally fill a hex plug. One time an apprentice I was supervising told me there wasn't a fill or drain plug on that transmission - "must've been a manufacturer's defect". I handed him a large 24" screwdriver/breaker bar and told him to start scrapping.

 

- "must've been a manufacturer's defect". I handed him a large 24" screwdriver/breaker bar and told him to start scrapping.

You scrapped the car for that minor defect? Livin' large!!!

/sarc of course typo

 

LoL; stupid autocorrect!!!! Actually had to scrap the intern; three strikes rule. That was his second strike. The car was in for routine maintenance, and I asked him - how's the was car running without ATF.

 

I had the same problem 3 weeks ago. So I ordered new drain plugs and aluminum washers. The washers were $5 Canadian for two (3.50 US) and the drain $ 6.50 each (4.50 US).
In order to get the stripped drain due to the 10mm Hex socket being stripped, I first removed the transmission fill plug (because if you can't get the fill off Do Not take out the drain obviously!) In order to get it off I used a flat cold chisel and a ball peen hammer and used it to gently tap the bolt loose in a counter clockwise fashion. Careful not to hit the cast aluminum transaxle body. Although it seemed like I was going to break the breaker bar when initially attempting, I was surprised how easily the fill plug broke free after a few repetitive strike on the edge of the plug. The impact really makes a huge difference as well as the levering on the edge of the drain plug bolt.

 

PB Blaster is excellent. Would it be a concern to get a little in? (That I’m not sure). You’d be amazed at how easy it is to break loose a fastener, after you’ve tried it…

 

STILL waiting on the update.....