Help Me Pull The Plug

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (Fdmorrison) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m01.aol.com:

A good tool I've found for this is an appropriate sized Torx bit. They are usually a bit larger than the allen, and can be driven in with a hammer like an easy-out. Works well for me.

Got an old Case loader that's been sitting for a long time. It has two heavy steel gas tanks welded to the frame. At the bottom of each tank is a drain; a socket head pipe plug. Pulled the the first plug with a hex socket,it came out easy. Along with a quantity of rust, sludge, and old gas. Went to pull the second plug, and hex won't fit. Someone has munged the recessed hex trying to get the plug out, instead of a 3/8 hex it is now roughly a 3/8 square. Tried to turn it with a 3/8 adapter, but there is just a little bit too much clearance around the adapter. Any ideas of how to get this plug out other than drilling it? Might some kind of epoxy/liquid metal hold the adapter enough to get it out?

I took out one of my diesel injector sleeves using JB Weld and an old socket.

Sounds like it might have been changed with one of the plumbing types instead of the SAE. Probably drill it and try an EZout, but be careful with that, nothing more miserable to try to get out than a broken ezout. might try a larger size of square stock, ground to fit and see if a little hammering on it might help. Good luck.

Good idea, but FIRST light up a torch and put it inside the hex opening. It won't take much, just a few seconds, but when it cools the plug will come out much easier.

If all the above ideas fail,

Weld a nut to the plug. The heat will loosen it and now you got a place the put a wrench on it.

Karl

I'd try hammering in a torx bit or another tool that is close to the same shape. I've heard of people having good luck with that JB Cold Weld - I have two tubes but haven't used it yet myself.

I'd be real nervous about weld>Got an old Case loader that's been sitting for a long time.

Uh, the OP did say those were gas tanks.....And there was "old gas" in the other tank.

Probably nothing would happen, but I'd be chicken to take a torch to it...Cluck ..

Jeff

See my previous comment about using a torch...

He said it was a GAS TANK, remember?

Jeff

Jeff Wisnia wrote: Uh, the OP did say those were gas tanks.....And there was "old gas" in the other tank. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The heating idea is so good that I am trying to think how to make it safe. Not only will heating break down some of the bond in the threads, making them release more easily, it will also expand the hole in the plug, so that on cooling, the Torx wrench will really the tightly held.

So, how about syphoning out the gas, and filling the tank with water. Or old crank-case oil, which will be miscible with the gasoline. Gasoline will float on water, and could still be dangerous, but diluted with oil, it ought to be pretty hard to light. Another idea is to run the exhaust from a small engine into the tank with a hose, and run it for 15-30 minutes. I know of a welding shop that does this when they weld gas-tanks.

Maybe try throwing in a few lumps of dry ice, which will fill the space with CO2.

Jeff Wisnia wrote: See my previous comment about using a torch... ^^^^^^^^^^^^ And my response to it. Leo

Using a torch on a gas tank full of gas, old or new, sounds bad. Is using a drill any better? When the drill penetrates the gas will come flooding out all over the drill. Every drill that I know of uses brushes. There is continual sparking as the drill runs. A pneumatic drill might be better but there could be sparks at the drill bit.

If all of the methods of gripping the plug fail, either the torch or the dill sound too dangerous.

If he pumps the tank empty of as much gas as possible then fills it with water to float any remaining gas out then blow the fumes out for a few days it should be safe to drill or cut with a torch.

Pete.

Yeah, so? He's not going to be welding *inside* the tank or *through* the tank wall. He said the gas is old, so most of the lighter volatiles will have already evaporated. The tank isn't going to get very hot while just welding a nut on the plug. The arc will be well away from the tank vent. No more dangerous than any other welding done on a vehicle with a gas tank.

Gary

On Sat, 07 Feb 2004 07:23:40 -0500, Nick Hull vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:

ummmm..... petrola is involved here...

I know this will start an endless fight about ratios, risks and such, but you are suggesting playing high temps across a gas plug. Given the ability of fools to overcome foolproof systems, this is risky.

It is certainly one possible way to pull the plug.

Spike....Spike? Hello?

On Sat, 07 Feb 2004 12:44:52 GMT, "Karl Townsend" vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:

Weld. Gas tank.

Spike....Spike? Hello?

On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 18:52:39 -0600, snipped-for-privacy@aol.com vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:

a (3/8) open-ended spanner that fits?

make one?

the glue will not work.

hit it a couple of times. it may mamke it easier.

maybe use a cold chisel or whatver. Tap at an angle to loosen.

Spike....Spike? Hello?

Old Nick wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

"PERMANENTLY"

First off, my thanks to all of those who responded with ideas, all of which were helpful.

I ended up grinding down a half inch extension to a fairly tight fit in the munged up hole. PB blasted the threads on the plug four or five times. Hammered the extension in, attached an 18 inch breaker bar, and went to turn it. Unfortunately the corners on the inside of the plug started to turn up and out and the plug itself never moved. The recess in the plug is fairly shallow. I think someone must have tightened the hell out of this plug years ago. The tanks are 3/16 steel plate, and the plug is mounted in a very heavy boss. I think that an impact extension could be mig-welded into the plug and it could be turned.

The only problem might be my hands shaking too bad to get a decent bead.

My neighbor said: "Go on and weld the damn thing. Hell, she aint goin' to make but one bang!".