[167k&going]

Any thoughts on removing stubborn rear diff drain and fill plugs???? Tried PB Blaster and a long bar, turning and twisting whole diff, but no movement on the plugs.

 

[chillywilly]

I used a long bar with a pipe on the end (maybe a total of 3 ft) and a whole lot of force to remove mine. Sounds to me like you're on the right track with what you're doing.

I can't find it right now, but I think there's a thread on here (here it is: http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f89/stuck-rear-diff-filler-drain-plug-38690/) where someone mentions using a jack to slowly apply increasing force on the end of the bar. Also someone has mentioned to try tightening them first and it might break them loose. Sometimes the sharp impact of a hammer on the bar will break things loose, but I realize there's not a whole lot of room under there to swing one effectively.

Just a couple things to consider:

1. Are you turning them counterclockwise? (I know, it sounds stupid, but I've done it before)

2. Make sure you undo the top plug first no matter what...don't want to have the diff drained and no way to refill.

Good luck.

 

[jgrote]

I have found a mixture of the previous post's ideas work. Use a jack or a friend to put pressure on the plug. I use a breaker bar and a pole. With steady pressure on the plug, hit the breaker bar on the head like you are trying to hammer the plug into the hole. Sometimes just tightening it first works too.

 

[AJ711]

Create your own impact gun by hitting the breaker bar with a hammer. The added force may help break things loose.

 

[steeter]

Use some heat!

i tried all the above. I used a torch for maybe 20 seconds and the bolt turned with a normal ratchet.

note: don't hold the heat in 1 place for 20 seconds, move it around. Heat the bolt, and the bolt edges not the diff.

Steve

 

[adc]

OP hasn't posted for 11 days...could someone see if he is trapped under the car?? You can get better leverage by running the rear up on ramps

 

[SkateandDestroy]

Next time use one of these if you have $30 to spare on the tool...

13mm Subaru & Nissan Drain Socket

 

[167k&going]

Gee-forgot to post back! So, I got the plug out by rolling the rear wheels up on a few pieces of 2x6 just to get a few inches higher. Sprayed the plug with PB Blaster, put a breaker bar on it, and used a jack to move the bar. It still took a lot of force. But it worked well. Thanks for all the suggestions!