Transmission fill plug stripped!

[D.Martijn]

I wanted to replace all fluids on my iX but when I got to the transmission I got greeted by a stripped fill plug by the previous owner. Great.

I tried to remove it with my 17mm imbus wrench but it just slid right out.


I then tried tapping it with a punch but that didn't do anything. Finally I tried some vice grips but mangled the bolt even further..

Any suggestions on what I could try to get this sucker out?

Thanks!

[MrBurgundy]

hammer and chisel, make a notch and hammer away. 60% of the time it works every time.

[TobyB]

...or a pipe wrench. I'd start with this, and then go to the chisel,
just because the chisel runs the real chance of munging up the trans case.

40% of the time, it works...

heh

t

[e30davie]

Some heat on the aluminium may help, based on teh coefficients of expansion the aluminium will expand more than the steel and loosen it up. My good condition nut was still quite tight, i think it might be tapered thread.

Either way its cold chisel on the bit that you can see to try and turn it. If you drop the cross member you can drop the box a bit lower to get better access.

[noid]

You might have enough exposed thread to get a bolt extractor on there.

[SSR-125]

tack weld a nut to it and remove it, then replace it with a new plug. Good luck

[D.Martijn]

hammer and chisel, make a notch and hammer away. 60% of the time it works every time.

Already tried that and mangled the plug even further down to 60% :p

...or a pipe wrench. I'd start with this, and then go to the chisel,
just because the chisel runs the real chance of munging up the trans case.

40% of the time, it works...

heh

t

Might have to give the pipe wrench a go, haven't tried that one yet

Some heat on the aluminium may help, based on teh coefficients of expansion the aluminium will expand more than the steel and loosen it up. My good condition nut was still quite tight, i think it might be tapered thread.

Either way its cold chisel on the bit that you can see to try and turn it. If you drop the cross member you can drop the box a bit lower to get better access.

BMW states a M24x1,5 plug, so I guess this means not tapered?
Also it's an iX so no cross member on the transmission but the Transfer case, not sure if this would work on the iX as i would have to remove the front shaft etc

You might have enough exposed thread to get a bolt extractor on there.

I don't know if any stores here have these around here and I definitely mangled the threads by hammering on it with a chisel :)

tack weld a nut to it and remove it, then replace it with a new plug. Good luck

I've also considered this but there isn't much room to weld a bolt / nut on the old plug. The heat will probably also heat up the aluminium so it might be easier to get it loose

[noid]

I don't know if any stores here have these around here and I definitely mangled the threads by hammering on it with a chisel :)

Mangled is what theses are good for.


Lowes has them:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/IRWIN-BOLT-GRIP-5-Pack-Bolt-Extractor-Set/50146292?cm_mmc=SCE_PLA-_-ToolsAndHardware-_-MechanicsTools-_-50146292:IRWIN&CAWELAID=&kpid=50146292&CAGPSPN=pla&store_code=1585&k_clickID=6f4c11b3-c3e2-4b8d-9258-40b4188cb319

[TobyB]

You'd need a huge one, though...

It is tapered- and it often wedges itself in there pretty good.
I'm thinking at this point you might be down to welding.
I'm not gonna lie, it's gonna suck.

t

[D.Martijn]

Mangled is what theses are good for.


Lowes has them:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/IRWIN-BOLT-...8-40b4188cb319

I'm from Belgium, we don't have such big hardware stores around here

You'd need a huge one, though...

It is tapered- and it often wedges itself in there pretty good.
I'm thinking at this point you might be down to welding.
I'm not gonna lie, it's gonna suck.

t

Yeah, it's gonna suck. I might wait to replace the transmission fluid since the previous owner f*cked the threads of my transfer case where the drain plug bolts into too.
This would mean that I have to drop the T case to replace the half where the drain plug screws into. Luckily I have a spare T case laying around.

I'll then drop the transmission too so I have more room to work with. and since I'm there replace the clutch and other parts also.. :p