Welding nut to gearbox fill plug

wintercat7

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My GB fill plug is stripped. Tried aralditeing in a Allen key and gripping the outside of the plug but it won't budge. So want to get my local fabricator to Weld a aluminum nut to it. Anyone done this? Did you disconnect the battery or anything else.
Thanks
 
Drill the plug and use an Easy-Out. Dip the drill bit into grease to avoid swarfe dropping inside the box. But TBH its likely to drop into the sump and cause no harm. You could consider drilling the plug right up to but not into the threads. You can then punch the side inwards to break any seizure and unscrew the remnant. Big issue there is swage getting into the box so it would have to be filled and flushed with cheap sump oil to shift any metal debris.

Always disconnect all sensitive electronics not just the battery when doing arc welding.
 
Just tap a close fitting splined drive in it. Simples.

Do not drill it, you will have to strip the gearbox if you do!
 
If you can grip the outside of the filler plug with some mole grips or similar, get a kettle full of boiling water and pour it slowly over area of gearbox plug. This should expand the alloy gear case and with luck let you get the plug out. Have used this in the past successfully with other alloy cases that dont want to put a flame from welding torch on. Alternative is a hot air gun, hair dryer wont do.:D
 
bendy is way off this time,do not drill and knock through into the box:blast
tap in a torx bit and use a heat gun and bobs yer whatsit
 
Didn't Charley Boorman famously fry the canbus system on his bike on one of his long way somewhere jaunts by arc welding the bike frame? there is a lot of power in a welder and simply disconecting the battery may not be enough to protect the electronics.
Alan R
 
If bashing a torx bit into the plug does the job then great stuff.

But failing that anyone with half a brain kows that knocking the plug INTO the box is the very worst option.

Im saying drill out the middle and use an easy out to unscrew the plug. If that fails drill a larger amount out and then bend the sides of the plug shell to release from the threaded hole and pull or screw out the remains.

Drilling is not as bad as many suggest. The drill debris is pulled out by the drill helix slots. Grease the slots and debris wont fall into the box.

When you fi the new plug don't use a torque wrench. Tight enough but not jammed solid is enough. If it leaks use PTFE tape.
 
Bendy toy said:
Drill the plug and use an Easy-Out. Dip the drill bit into grease to avoid swarfe dropping inside the box. But TBH its likely to drop into the sump and cause no harm. You could consider drilling the plug right up to but not into the threads. You can then punch the side inwards to break any seizure and unscrew the remnant. Big issue there is swage getting into the box so it would have to be filled and flushed with cheap sump oil to shift any metal debris.
Click to expand...

You don't half talk a lot of cock:blast
 
Get engine and gearbox well up to temp(run it or hot air gun ) then use a pipe freeze spray on the plug itself, that may be enough to shock it loose enough yo get some groups on it or as mentioned, a spline drive.
 
Taking aside this issue for the moment. Easy Out's should have a huge heath warning attached - like a drill bit they don't bend, they snap. A snapped Easy Out in the thread makes it a much bigger problem.

They are the tool of last resort.
 
If you drift a slightly larger tore bit into the hexagonal socket it's likely to come out. The splines will grip where the allen key has slipped and the shock of knocking it in will likely help release the thread.

Failing that, welding a nut on to / allen key into the bolt will work a treat but it's a last resort, the heat generated by the welding alone will sufficient to sort it!

Don't drill it fella, unless it's an empty casing out of the bike in a machine shop it'll only end in tears!
 
Alan R said:
Didn't Charley Boorman famously fry the canbus system on his bike on one of his long way somewhere jaunts by arc welding the bike frame? there is a lot of power in a welder and simply disconecting the battery may not be enough to protect the electronics.
Alan R
Click to expand...

Nope. Turned out it wasn't the welding that fecked up Claudio's bike. They had forgotten to remake a connector.
 
Wintercat Use SMALL engineering hammer and hit the plug a square crack not extremely hard but a firm "crack" squarely on the outer face of the plug

This shocks any corroded faces of steel v alloy and loosens the tension

Tap in a spline or torx tool and you should find that it loosens much more easy

The important thing is a sharp crack with a small to medium sized hammer "squarely" on the outer face of the seized plug

On many occasions after doing this I have been able to turn them out by hand without even tools

Good Luck

Bendy toy said:
Drill the plug and use an Easy-Out.
Click to expand...

Bendy your advice is "usually" okay but in this instance you need a boot in the nads

Never ever try an easy out unless you have bought a Snap on or Mac Tools one and even then only as a very last resort
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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