For those of you who may have seen my transmission thread, you'll know I dropped the trans pan today.

Well, when I removed the drive shaft (DOH!  I just realized that I didn't need to remove it, I could have just detached it from the frickin' diff and moved it to the side   D|removethispart|@MN   )... Anyway, now that I dumped most/all of the t-case's gear oil on the garage floor, I can't get the frickin' fill plug off  

It would be very bad to drive the vehicle with little to no oil in the t-case, right?  The gears (at least for the rear driveshaft) are always turning in there, right?

I think I'm gonna take it to the shop in the AM and get them to break that plug loose :-/

what have u tried to get it losse? did u hit it with some penetrating lube

id hit it every hr for 6hrs with some PL

did you try a little heat ?

There's a fill plug on auto trans? You could always just fill it through the dipstick tube, couldn't ya?

Take the shifter out and pour it through the top.

There's a fill plug on auto trans? You could always just fill it through the dipstick tube, couldn't ya?

He's talking about the t case

He's talking about the t case

Just realized that.  

what have u tried to get it losse? did u hit it with some penetrating lube

id hit it every hr for 6hrs with some PL

I just bought some penetrating fluid today and I was thinking about spraying it down, but I was so disgusted that I just gave up.

Do ya'll just use the end of a 3/8" ratchet on those square holes?  I was using a couple of extensions and whacking the ratchet handle with a 2 lb hammer.  Didn't budge it  I just don't understand how those things get so tight.

I may try it in the AM, but I'm likely just going to take it to the shop.  I don't want to end up rounding the plug out, then we're talking welding a nut head on it and more $$$.  I think I'll have them put a plug with a square bolt head on it.  They did that with the rear diff when I couldn't get that one off.  Maybe I'm getting weak in my old age :-/

did you try a little heat ?

Ya know, I know it's supposed to work pretty well, but I've never tried that on anything.  I don't even own a torch (that what ya use, isn't it?).  I'd be too worried about setting the gobs of petroleum products down there on fire.

You could always just fill it through the dipstick tube, couldn't ya?

Yea, that I can get to work.  Thank goodness the dipstick isn't bolted on  

Yes 3/8 ratchet, no extension and a
cheater bar (pipe) for more leverage,
if you are using a POS ratchet, be carefull
it doesn't break and you bust your knuckles

Wild

Yes 3/8 ratchet, no extension and a
cheater bar (pipe) for more leverage,
if you are using a POS ratchet, be carefull
it doesn't break and you bust your knuckles

Wild

I used the extension to get past the t-case skid plate.  

Somehow, I thought I had more than one 1/2" to 3/8" reducer, but I found out today that I gave my only reducer to a friend (lives too far away to bring it to me on short notice) so I couldn't use the larger 1/2" ratchet.  Actually I think I have a 3/8" that is about 1' long, but for some reason I was using a smaller (7" maybe) 3/8" Craftsman.  I don't particularly like its directional switch on it (it seems to switch too easily), but I figure with a lifetime guarantee I could whack it with the 2 lb  

Yes 3/8 ratchet, no extension and a
cheater bar (pipe) for more leverage,
if you are using a POS ratchet, be carefull
it doesn't break and you bust your knuckles

Wild

As an extension to this post: watch out for the ratchets that have rounded edges. I've had the best luck with the ones with sharp edges... otherwise you're liable to round out the hole.

u can put more force on it with a pipe over the end of the ratchet rather then hitting it with a hammer

the hammer puts force on it but not like a 2' piece of pipe =)

when I first got my rig and did all the fluid changes I had to use my 3/8 impact on it.  Ifyou have one use it, if you don't locate one and use theirs
Brian