[Ynnek888]

So winter is coming around and its time to check on my beater car, a 97 Geo Tracker... Its actually my wife's old car, that she got a few years ago, when we were dating... without consulting me first.. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)


Anyways, I notice the fill and drain plugs on the rear diff are basically stripped. Its the plugs that take your 3/8" square drive.. Actually, it looks like the previous owner coated the whole rear axle in a thick black coating.. and pretty much sealed and filled up most of the square hole. I can see someone tried to remove the fill plug, and failed, cause there's not much engagement.. and the drain plug looks more like a slight square dimple filled in..


Soo, any suggestions? Level of difficulty? Unfortunantly, I don't have much skills per say in troubles like this.. but I am curious to know and perhaps try.. cause I know one of these days I'll eventually strip/break a bolt off in my Camaro, and this might be a good learning experience...

[nape]

Hot wrench (torch, propane should work) to burn the goop out of the fill plug or just heat it until you can scrape it out. My next idea would be a punch to try to break up the junk in the plug. Lastly, try a solvent like acetone or lacquer thinner to see if it'll soften whatever is in hole (be sure it's cool before putting flammable liquids near it...).

Good luck.

[jensend]

Start simple: brake clean or PB Blaster. Sounds like undercoating- which will soften/dissolve in most solvents.