Rear Diff Mistake NEED HELP!!

[Keith Stone]

I was attempting to change my rear diff fluid and I believe a stripped the drain plug bolt. When the bolt began to move, I mistakenly was tightening it when I though I was loosening it. Upside down got my lefty and right mixed. Rookie mistake and now I fear the worst. Now when I try to remove the bolt, it just spins in place. My fear is that I have now not only stripped the bolt, but the threads within the rear diff as well.

I am unsure how to get the bolt out to see how much damage I have done. Any thoughts on how to get the bolt out?!?! Or any encouraging thoughts in general?

Thanks in advance:frusty::help:

 

[curtperry]

PB-Blaster, hit the housing around the bolt with a torch, whack the bolt head with a hammer to shock the threads apart, turn it the right way, pray


Before you do any of this make sure you can get the fill plug out...

 

[Keith Stone]

Or better yet should I go ahead and take it to my friend's shop preemptively.
Because lets say I get the bolt out and everything is fine or maybe just need to buy a new drain plug. Or I could get it out and not be able to thread a new bolt back in and thus have an undrivable vehicle.

As of right now, no fluid is leaking and it appears drivable.

 

[Keith Stone]

Thanks for the advice. The fill plug is out. Used PB Blaster and came off nicely.

Up crap creek with paddle floating to side, just don't know if I should try to grab the paddle or just float downstream until I hit land.

 

[JEL]

Worst case since you got the fill plug out you can suction the old fluid out and replace it without having to drain it, probably won't get as much but it should get a fair amount.

 

[Keith Stone]

@ JEL... I have gone down that path in my head. I have a pump that could do the trick.

My main fear with the drain plug now, is that it could pontially work its self a little loose and drain my diff without me know or while driving and cause big big problems.

Right now, it has not leaked a drop yet. The drain plug is still in all the way. It turns with normal force, but since I overtightened at the beginnning now just spins off thread.

 

[JSwain]

Without knowing the condition of the threads for the drain plug, and if you decide to do it yourself, before removing you should buy a tap for the next size up in case you screwed the threads in the differential up. And also the new drain plug in the same size. You may get lucky and it just be the plug that is messed up but without knowing for sure unless you're walking distance from a good parts store/have a second vehicle don't remove it until you are prepared for battle.

With that being said when you go to remove it use a small flathead between the plug and the diff to kind of pry down on the plug as you spin it with a socket/wrench/vicegrips and it should eventually catch and come out. If any of this confuses you, stop now and take it to a shop. I wouldn't leave it in there as is though or at least not for too long, because when it drains on you unexpectedly it will be late on a Sunday night, on a back road, with nobody around and your cell phone will be dead lol.

 

[fourwd1]

... I wouldn't leave it in there as is though or at least not for too long, because when it drains on you unexpectedly it will be late on a Sunday night, on a back road, with nobody around and your cell phone will be dead and a group of zombies are closing in on you

Fixed that for you.

 

[Keith Stone]

Update: Yesterday morn I made a sling to support the free spinning drain plug to prevent the plug from completely falling out and drove my runner over to a friend's shop a few miles away.

He brought out the impact wrench to see if that would pop it loose. No luck. It appeared as a scientific anomaly to us, as the plug free spun so easily you could turn it with one finger, yet it would not come out with the impact wrench, vicegrips, flat head pry, nothing. Once we gave up on getting it out easily. I just spun the plug with the impact wench until a small amount of liquid leaked out. When I stopped with the wrench, the leaking stopped.

Anyways, I depend on this car for work, and would rather not have it out of commission unless truly needed. So in order to insure gear fluid stays within differential we welded a cap to the housing and enclosed the free spinning plug. That way when I have the time and money I can grind off cap if desired and properly fix the issue. Lastly we hit it with some high heat paint to prevent rust and such.

For now, I will use the fill plug and a hand pump empty and fill fluid and hope the drain plug magnet continues to catch shavings.

Before

After

 

[arnott1t]

Another option for draining is to remove the bottome few diff studs from the front of the housing. It will take for ever and you won't get the shavings out but it doable. I'd be tempted to pull the third and clean up all the threads you just broke off in the housing. Then remove the lower studs for future draining.

 

[Full_Throttle]

:wow2:

I am very glad that is you and not me. Sorry for your trouble, dude.

 

[KidVermicious]

Oh, dear.

Ok, so I'm thinking the best way to get that thing out now is to pull the third and lay some righteous hammer action on the inside of the bolt while you turn it from the outside and hope it catches. If that doesn't work, I'd probably just shove it out with an air hammer and tap it for the next size drain plug.

Except what I'd ACTUALLY do is just score another housing off craigslist. They're cheap,.

 

[JWaldz]

Should have just spot welded a nut to the plug, then a washer to the nut, and lastly another nut to the other side of the washer. That way it sticks out far enough that you can stick something behind the washer to pry out with while your friend uses his impact wrench on the outside nut. Just an idea.

 

[IL_Fletch]

Same situation

Hi guys. I know this thread is old, but I'm in the exact same situation (except I have a 4th gen-shouldn't matter, and didn't turn the plug the wrong direction). Just bought my ('04 V6) 4Runner last week. Used all the tutorials to start changing my fluids. Removed the fill plug for the rear diff no problem. Started to remove the drain plug. It was very hard to break loose. When it did start to move, it just went very slow. Now it just keeps spinning (still tight, not leaking oil) and won't come out. Took it to the shop, and they said they didn't want to mess with it. "Too risky" and "can of worms." I know I can pump out the fluid through the fill plug and refill it, but is there a better long-term solution other than replacing the entire rear axle?

I'm taking it to another shop today to see if they can extract it somehow, but thought I'd check here to see if anyone has any suggestions or long-term fixes for this that won't get tons of metal shavings in my diff.

This forum has been so helpful to me in purchasing and starting to learn my way around my new 4Runner. Thanks!

EDIT - I DID turn the plug the wrong way. Figured it out this morning as I was thinking about this thread.:barf:

 

[SaulG]

More often than not the plug is a crummy soft metal and the diff is steel,so not much in the way of shavings working up into diff. Besides it is full of oil.
The weld a nut system works and also heat expands the plug

 

[gamefreakgc]

Hi guys. I know this thread is old, but I'm in the exact same situation (except I have a 4th gen-shouldn't matter, and didn't turn the plug the wrong direction). Just bought my ('04 V6) 4Runner last week. Used all the tutorials to start changing my fluids. Removed the fill plug for the rear diff no problem. Started to remove the drain plug. It was very hard to break loose. When it did start to move, it just went very slow. Now it just keeps spinning (still tight, not leaking oil) and won't come out. Took it to the shop, and they said they didn't want to mess with it. "Too risky" and "can of worms." I know I can pump out the fluid through the fill plug and refill it, but is there a better long-term solution other than replacing the entire rear axle?

I'm taking it to another shop today to see if they can extract it somehow, but thought I'd check here to see if anyone has any suggestions or long-term fixes for this that won't get tons of metal shavings in my diff.

This forum has been so helpful to me in purchasing and starting to learn my way around my new 4Runner. Thanks!

It was suggested earlier, but I think your best bet is to weld the plug on permanently and just use a pump through the fill hole. You don't have to change the fluid all that often so you should be ok that way.

 

[IL_Fletch]

It was suggested earlier, but I think your best bet is to weld the plug on permanently and just use a pump through the fill hole. You don't have to change the fluid all that often so you should be ok that way.

:iagree:

This is exactly what I am going to do. It's not even leaking. If I mess with it more trying to get the plug out, welding it on may not be such an easy option. The shop suggested a whole new rear end.

I think I can manage to pump out the fluid every 5 years or so...

Thanks for the suggestions!