Help: Stripped AT Drain PLUG
 

Hello all. Attempted to change the tranny fluid in my 2000 accord 4cyl yesterday.
In doing so, I managed to almost strip the 3/8" head drain plug. I lodged a 3/8" racket into the plug and heated the surrounding area slightly with propane. Gave it a few good pulls and the racket began to slip, slightly rounding the inside if the plug. Anyone have any suggestions, or tips for getting these out?

THanks

Ok, good that it is the "head" and not the threads :) - saw the title and thought of the worst.

First, find a replacement drain plug, might as well get a new washer.

Have you tried a different ratchet/breaker bar and be sure to set/seat it all the way into the plug. A short extension is another idea.

From there, time to get creative. Many have been able to use vise grips on the round head to get it out.

If all else fails an air chisel will break it loose. When I ran into this in the past I was able to pound a breaker bar further into the plug and get beyond the damaged area.

X2 on the short extension. Put it in the square hole and hit it a few times with a small sledge hammer. Then put the breaker bar on the extension and try tightening the plug just to get it moving. If it doesn't move, hit the extension some more/tighten some more.

I ran into this problem buying a trans at the junkyard. I think what happens is the steel plug and aluminum case corrode. The plug probably hasn't been out since the factory put it dry; no anti-seize, no ATF on the threads. The corrosion has to be broken free. Safer to round out the square drive in the tightening direction. That way when you get it out you can, as Poorman said, get a new plug.

Thanks for the replies everyone.
Due to the limited space and the engine/tranny mount in the way, there isn't room for an extension. The racket just fits.


The air chisel may be a good idea to get it started. Maybe some vise grips also.


I've seen online that it is recommended to change the ATF every 30K. Seems pretty frequent to me. My car has 165K on it and about 60 on the rebuilt tranny. The fluid looks very clean and doesn't smell burnt in any way. Is 30K too often?




Thanks

From my experience a ratchet will not work well because the head of the ratchet will usually hit before the drive is fully inserted. I would use a breaker-bar, and make sure you have it inserted all the way. My rule with changing fluid is, change it as often as you have to, to keep it clean. That interval could be different for each transmission. I will drain the fluid into a large clear pan, so I can easily see the condition of the fluid, and have a better idea when to do the next drain and fill.