I was "killin" time waiting on my new head to arrive so i decided to change all the drivetrain gear oil. I had no trouble with the front differential, tranny, or the transfer case. I then got outback for the rearend and the dang oil filler bolt is already stripped! I could take the drain plug out fine but then i would'nt be able to put oil back in it. I tried a 24 mm. socket and it spun right off. It was already stripped beyond help(not by me). The only thing i know to do is drill and tap it out. Does anyone have a better suggestion? and if tapping is the way to go how in the heck do i make sure there are no shavings inside the unit. thanks in advance.

 

From reading other threads here in the past, some have suggested (if my memory hasn't failed me) to weld a socket onto the rounded head. It can then be removed and replaced with another one. I'm sure some will chime in with their bolt horror stories. Fortunately, I haven't had that problem.

If you have to go that route, maybe first you should get a big pair of vise grips and see if you can get it off-since the damage is already done. Maybe its not on there too tight.

 

Don't drill and tap it, unnecessary. Either jam a smaller size socket onto it w/ a hammer, try some "stripped bolt remover" sockets (Bob Villa advertises them), or weld something to the stripped bolt head and then use that to get it out.

 

Check out the very bottom of this page. That might be what you need.

 

I had the same thing with my bolt. The mechanic said that he put a chisel tangent to the curve of the bolt and struck it with a hammer. The chisel sunk in and allowed the bolt to be turned. Just order a new bolt from the factory (duh)

 

in the mean time if you dont want to fight the fill plug, pull the breather, its a smallish hole but big enough for the tip of one of those gear lube pumps that make that job so much easyer.

 

First i want to thank everybody for the advice. I hamered on a 23mm. socket(one size to small) and it still stripped it off. the head of the bolt is so slim you cant get a good bite on it, then i broke out the pipe wrench and got a good bite on it but the bolt never budged. i cant imagine why anybody would put the filler plug on that tight. i stopped because it was shredding the bolt head, i was wrenching on it with about all i had and i'm no slouch. i never even thought of taking off the vent cap, good idea. i think i'll do that for a quick fix, until i can get someone to weld a socket on it for me since i dont have a welder. thanks again

 

As Rustbucket suggested, if you have a good cold chisel and hammer, you might want to try that. I have had to do that with some bolts. It often works, unless maybe it was put on with an impact gun.