Need help with rear diff stripped threads

[Ezlife45]

Hi guys,

I was finishing up my 100K service on my 4R and was at the last item - changing rear diff fluid. As usual, everything went smoothly until the last step.

I ordered crush washers, drained diff, filled til oil seeped out fill plug, then I screwed up and forgot to install the crush washer. As I was tightening the fill plug, I thought I was crushing the crush washer. I wasn't.

It seems that the male threads on the fill plug were not long enough to bottom out the plug and what I thought was crushing the washer was stripping the threads. My fill plug is metallic so I'm not quite sure if I stripped the male plug, the female diff point, or both. Now the drain plug just spins and will not come out since the threads are screwed.

Anybody screw up like I did? How do you get the fill plug out?

I know I could drain the oil and go full retard and pull the center chunk out but didn't want to get that deep into it.

Thanks in advance,

 

[RRosco]

Try to pry under the head of the bolt while slowly turning. A standard screwdriver tapped with a hammer can work.

 

[Ezlife45]

Try to pry under the head of the bolt while slowly turning. A standard screwdriver tapped with a hammer can work.

Tried that, can't even get a feeler gauge in there. Also tried grabbing with channel locks, vise grips, etc, turning backwards and pulling, threads don't even start to grab.

 

[spartacus]

Run some baling wire around it. Put some tension on it and see if you can engage some threads while unscrewing it.