Stripped Geared Hub Drain Plug...good extraction methods?

[T9000]

I should add - If you were ever looking for a excuse to buy a welder, take this one and run with it. With a little practice, pretty much anyone can be up and running with a mig welder using flux core wire and producing serviceable welds. It's one of those tools that might sit idle for long streches between projects, but I always find cool and useful stuff to do with mine.

You are exactly right, I love metal and have many other tools, the welder seems like a missing piece. If I go the welding route, I would still get someone with experience to do this job while I get up to speed practicing.

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

I literally have to remove a drain plug every week on customer trucks, always hit it with heat first, than once stripped, drill it out and use a large ez-out, it’s literally a 5min job,every week for years….
ive even had good success with vice grips if there is enough threads still protruding, but heat is the key.

 

[T9000]

I literally have to remove a drain plug every week on customer trucks, always hit it with heat first, than once stripped, drill it out and use a large ez-out, it’s literally a 5min job,every week for years….
ive even had good success with vice grips if there is enough threads still protruding, but heat is the key.

Yes, I think heat is the key, I did try the vice-grips (larger ones to get more torque) and it took off pieces of the plug head without any plug movement.
If the plug Allen head wouldn't have stripped first, then the 5/16" key would have broken, it was already twisted half way.
I will give the heat a shot first, it feels like that should help it loosen up.
Also, I like the Torx idea, I can see how those teeth can be hammered in on the largest bit that would fit, but would have to be a 1/2" drive because I already had a 3/8" adapter that started to shear from the high torque. In theory the Allen has more surface and it should be able to provide a higher torque vs. torx, but the torx could cut deeper (not going too crazy with the hammer like Mogman said) and get a better grip...will see what happens, still have the welding option as the last resort

 

[GopherHill]

I don't use the L shaped Allen wrenches for high torque items. Have had much better results with 3/8 or 1/2 drive Allen wrenches.

 

[blutow]

I don't use the L shaped Allen wrenches for high torque items. Have had much better results with 3/8 or 1/2 drive Allen wrenches.

+1, either with a long breaker bar or an impact. A regular allen wrench is often too short to get any real torque on it and it's also harder to keep in properly aligned in the hole (particularly if you are putting a pipe over it or something to add leverage). I also find the quality of the metal and machining to be poor with many allen wrenches compared to the sockets

 

[Mullaney]

Yes, I think heat is the key, I did try the vice-grips (larger ones to get more torque) and it took off pieces of the plug head without any plug movement.
If the plug Allen head wouldn't have stripped first, then the 5/16" key would have broken, it was already twisted half way.
I will give the heat a shot first, it feels like that should help it loosen up.
Also, I like the Torx idea, I can see how those teeth can be hammered in on the largest bit that would fit, but would have to be a 1/2" drive because I already had a 3/8" adapter that started to shear from the high torque. In theory the Allen has more surface and it should be able to provide a higher torque vs. torx, but the torx could cut deeper (not going too crazy with the hammer like Mogman said) and get a better grip...will see what happens, still have the welding option as the last resort

.
Another thing to do is take that Allen that is already bent and pretty useless - and cut it so you have a piece maybe one inch long. Keep it cool while you cut it. Either quench it in oil or keep a steady stream of water on it...

Then take the one inch piece and hammer it into the drain plug, then use an impact socket if you have one and go at it. If you don't have an impact wrench, maybe a long breaker bar - and hopefully somebody to support and keep it "square" with the plug.

 

[T9000]

+1, either with a long breaker bar or an impact. A regular allen wrench is often too short to get any real torque on it and it's also harder to keep in properly aligned in the hole (particularly if you are putting a pipe over it or something to add leverage). I also find the quality of the metal and machining to be poor with many allen wrenches compared to the sockets

OK, here is the full progression...I started with a 5/16 Allen wrench that has a 3/8" input, driven by the 1/2" impact wrench with a 1/2" to 3/8" adapter, and there was no movement. In the past, I had a similar situation on a tire 7/8" nut that didn't come out with the impact wrench, but it did with the 1/2" longer tire torque wrench, so I used it again, however, in this case the 1/2" to 3/8" adapter sheared (for the tire I used a 1/2" input 7/8" socket, so there was nothing in between). It is also possible that the 1/2" to 3/8" adapter was weaken from other things I used it for before and so it happened that it broke on this particular job.
It was late at night and didn't have a 1/2" drive 5/16" Allen wrench and switched to the L shaped 8mm Allen wrench (the plug's Allen head already started to feel loose with the 5/16" and the 8mm is slightly larger, and had a tighter fit), which I combined with a long 1/2" driver extension with a deep socket on it that went over the Allen key body almost to its neck, similar with using a breaker bar, but made out of solid Chrome-Vanadium....and that's when the plug stripped. Something had to give and unfortunately it was its head instead of the whole plug.
As I mentioned in another post, I tested multiple wrenches of same size and closest metric equivalent as there are small variations from different manufacturers (over time I accumulated 5 -6 sets of SAE Allen wrenches and 3-4 metric ones) and for high torque situation I test which one fits tightest.

EDIT: The allen key doesn't have any signs of damage, meaning that in theory, it would have been the same result even if I had a 1/2" driven allen key as the plug steel seems to be softer than the key, but I should have used some heat...20-20 hindsight.

 

[Action]

I don't use the L shaped Allen wrenches for high torque items. Have had much better results with 3/8 or 1/2 drive Allen wrenches.

When did a hub drain plug become a high torque item?

 

[98G]

When did a hub drain plug become a high torque item?

When it's stuck and requires high torque to remove...

 

[Crapgame]

Find a tall nut that will fit the hex in the plug. Think spring hanger nut . Weld this to the plug, let cool for a few minutes, then unscrew.

I tack welded a Harbor Freight 3/8" drive hex key to the drain plug. Then bought a Craftsman 3/8" drive hex key to replace it in my tools.

And I did disconnect the batteries and Smart Start Box before MIG welding the drain plug, as others here have recommended.

 

[Action]

Maybe one of these on the impact gun for the next one that is too tight...

 

[springer1981]

 

[juanprado]

So what is it that causes so many of these to stick?
Rust due to water?
Seems like threads if sealed with pipe thread compound would be ok.
Does the oe nor military goop plugs?

 

[lpcoating]

Had this issue last night. This was an easy way to remove if one has a welder.