Removing rounded off tranny fill plug

[ventura ace]

Have you heard of a Multi-Wrench??

I am happy to report great success with using this special tool today, to remove the fill plug from by '70 spider transmission. The 17mm hex head on the fill plug was hopelessly rounded off, and had almost accepted that I was going to have to pull the transmission just so as I could get the darn filler plug out. But first let me back up a bit:

The filler plug is a bear to get to for the early model spiders, even more so than for the later spiders, because the exhaust pipe is right smack in the way. I had attempted to remove the plug (which was on there really tight) recently, and my 17mm closed-end wrench slipped off the head of the plug, rounding it off a tad. Rather than partially disassembling the exhaust to give me more room, like I should have, I attempted to use the 17mm again, and used a pry-bar to keep the wrench from slipping off the head. Didn't work, and buggered it up more, since the exahust pipe and the stupid flange on the bottom of the transmission was preventing me from getting the wrench on there straight enough. I tried the open end of the 17mm wrench, and screwed it up even worse. I resorted to a hefty pair of vice grip pliers, but the plug was in there really tight, and the vice grips slipped, also. Next, I tried to force a socket onto the mangled head of the plug, and was going to use vice grips to grab the socket and turn it (no room for a ratchet), but I could not get enough of the socket onto the plug, since it was so mangled up by now.

At this point, I had completely disconnected the exhaust pipe to get it out of the way, and was getting ready to lower the tail end of the tranny, though I knew that I'd never get enough room to access the plug without removing the transmission.

I grabbed this cheap-looking Multi-wrench off my work bench peg-board, and decided to give it a shot. WIth the exhaust pipe out of the way, there was barely enought room to put the Multi-wrench on the head of the stubborn plug. I pulled hard, and it didn't slip, but it didn't turn either because the plug was so darned tight. I grabbed a big cheater handle and put it on the end of the Multi-Wrench, knowing that I would likely see the tool snap in half. Boy was I surprised when it popped loose!! This ingenious tool has a cam action that gets tighter on the bolt the harder you pull on it. I have no idea where I got this Multiwrench, but I highly recommend this live-saver for your tool kit!

Rounded off plug:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/v ... G_5348.jpg
Picture of Multi-wrench in place on the head of the plug:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/v ... G_5354.jpg

Link to this same tool {on ebay tonight right now::
http://cgi.ebay.com/MULTI-WRENCH-81-2-I ... dZViewItem

Alvon

[rlux4]

One of the nice things in life is finding a new tool. Thanks Ace.
Ron

[Curly]

I had similar trouble with a sump plug on an engine I was stripping for parts. I ended up removing the sump full of 10-year old oil sludge, then drilling out the centre of the plug and removing a section before collapsing it in on itself with a punch. Heat and a massive Easy-out did nothing.
You were lucky Alvon.