[quadzillabill]

Doing front and rear diffs and transfer case fluid changes today. Rear had extra tight fittings, but otherwise no problem. Transfer case was a piece of cake. I decide to tackle the front last and after getting the rear skid plate off I found the offending fittings. Pretty rusty looking, I cranked on the fill first to make sure I could get it loose. Took some tapping and a small helper bar, but it came out. The drain is lower and had more rust around it than the fill and proved to be more than me or a helper bar could handle.

I took my 10mm hex key and put it on the end of my 3/8" drive air hammer to see if I could break it loose. After several cycles of lefty-loosey and a right-tighty shot or two hoping to break it free, the drive key got stuck and then after pulling out out I stripped the drain plug.

Now what do I do?

I really do need to change that front fluid as from the looks of everything its the original install of fluid and I'm just rolling up to 100k miles. Looks like I'm going to end up at a shop on some kind of lift where we can try to get at the plug with some specialized tools or extractor. Its going to be a pain in the arse from what I can see.

Do I need to reinstall the rear skid plate if I'm only driving on the road for a very limited amount until I can get that done - or better to put it back on just in case?

I hate it when straightforward jobs go bad.

[CJ3Flyr]

Originally posted by quadzillabill
Doing front and rear diffs and transfer case fluid changes today. Rear had extra tight fittings, but otherwise no problem. Transfer case was a piece of cake. I decide to tackle the front last and after getting the rear skid plate off I found the offending fittings. Pretty rusty looking, I cranked on the fill first to make sure I could get it loose. Took some tapping and a small helper bar, but it came out. The drain is lower and had more rust around it than the fill and proved to be more than me or a helper bar could handle.

I took my 10mm hex key and put it on the end of my 3/8" drive air hammer to see if I could break it loose. After several cycles of lefty-loosey and a right-tighty shot or two hoping to break it free, the drive key got stuck and then after pulling out out I stripped the drain plug.

Now what do I do?

I really do need to change that front fluid as from the looks of everything its the original install of fluid and I'm just rolling up to 100k miles. Looks like I'm going to end up at a shop on some kind of lift where we can try to get at the plug with some specialized tools or extractor. Its going to be a pain in the arse from what I can see.

Do I need to reinstall the rear skid plate if I'm only driving on the road for a very limited amount until I can get that done - or better to put it back on just in case?

I hate it when straightforward jobs go bad.

I am not slamming you but this is another reason why I never go more than 3-4 years or 45-50k:soapbox: Another trick is to always loosen the fill plug prior to draining an axle or t-case.

Ideally you DO need to change it. For a short, on-road jaunt I wouldn't worry about the skid.

If you want take a piece of cheap, clear hardware store hose and 'suck-out' the front axle. It's not ideal but it would buy you a little time to strategize about getting the plug out and order a replacement.

Good luck! That's a PIA, I hate it for you...

[quadzillabill]

Originally posted by CJ3Flyr
I am not slamming you but this is another reason why I never go more than 3-4 years or 45-50k:soapbox: Another trick is to always loosen the fill plug prior to draining an axle or t-case.

Ideally you DO need to change it. For a short, on-road jaunt I wouldn't worry about the skid.

If you want take a piece of cheap, clear hardware store hose and 'suck-out' the front axle. It's not ideal but it would buy you a little time to strategize about getting the plug out and order a replacement.

Good luck! That's a PIA, I hate it for you...

Noticeable improvement on the road test I just finished even though I just have two of them done.

I would have changed it earlier, but I just got it April with 95k on the clock. It looked to me like the rear had been changed at least once and the transfer case probably not at all or possibly 50k or so ago based on the color - and I know that's a pure guess.

I've got an oil sucker that I use on the boat that might work if there's enough room to get it to the bottom of the housing.

[CJ3Flyr]

The oil sucker sounds just right... A piece of soft vinyl tubing and you're there.

[quadzillabill]

Originally posted by CJ3Flyr
The oil sucker sounds just right... A piece of soft vinyl tubing and you're there.

A buddy suggested I have a 1/2" nut welded onto the plug. Seems like a good idea since I'm going to pull it and replace the fluid and plug anyway. I don't think it could hurt anything.

[CJ3Flyr]

Originally posted by quadzillabill
A buddy suggested I have a 1/2" nut welded onto the plug. Seems like a good idea since I'm going to pull it and replace the fluid and plug anyway. I don't think it could hurt anything.

Sounds great. I'd get a metric nut just because... I'd also try to get the biggest one that makes sense (ie bigger wrench size).

Your buddy's trick is great, I have to remember that one