So to date I've removed five different gearbox "plugs" using plusgas and a lump hammer to the handle of the socket wrench to get things going. The sixth one ... the drain plug on the CA box currently on the bus ... is having none of it. It's jacked up to give me some room but my slowly-repairing-and-not-to-be-tested torn shoulder muscle is limiting things. Would I be ok giving it a couple of bursts with an impact driver?
Are you using something like this ? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KENNEDY-...=item3fb15d2d8f:g:fgQAAOSwCXFb6zfG:rk:10:pf:0
It's 17mm and clean ... So you reckon just a longer lever rather than the impact driver? I haven't managed to blag the loan of a car lift so there's not a lot of wriggle room under there!
Yep, less effort on the shoulder, if the socket fits well should come undone. Maybe get a wire brush bit on a drill all round it and buy some plus gas, keep spraying it for a few days. Have you undone the filler yet ?
You can use a bit of scaffold pole or decent tube that a fit over the wrench handle . Normally if you take um for a run it warms both oil up to make easier for oil flow out and warms Ali up which should help it release it grip . As yours is cold it won’t help but your not running at mo soooooo .........
Yup, the filler was plug number five in the line up, and plusgas already a feature (see above ) ... It's pretty clean under there so I don't think the wire brush will bring anything to the party but it's getting plusgas overnight so maybe that's all it needs
It is running (you're thinking of the OTHER one that I got the Gillet book for?) so if the weather obliges I will try that, ta!
The reversing light switch plug is up there too . I’d give the plus gas and wire brush another go first too like mick says it should break with a longer wrench bar .
Use the impact driver, better than hammering on the handle of a socket wrench especially if you've got a bad shoulder, just make sure its turning lefty loosy and not righty tighty once it starts to move use a ratchet and work it both ways with some lube on the outside to get it into the thread and make it easier and less likely to tear the thread out of the case. A propane torch wont do much as the alloy case will conduct the heat away too quickly unless you want to spend ages warming it all up.
I’m not a fan of using flames close to fuel lines and not far from the fuel tank. And I don’t think it would do any good - but I’d be happy to be proved wrong IMO it’s the torn shoulder muscle that is the problem, just find someone without a limiting disability to put more effort into the wrench – with a tube on the end if necessary. Or use a rattle gun. A dodger shoulder won’t allow much force to be applied to an impact driver.
Rattle gun is too blunt a tool. Impact driver on the plug makes sense but I would prefer to use a long breaker bar as it has more sensitivity to the sad feeling of chewing the plug or twisting the 3/8" drive 17mm hex key like I have..
Make sure you can undo the filler plug FIRST then the drain one, just in case you have drained and then cannot refill. You don't want to be stuck and not able to drive somewhere ie garage!