Front Differential Aluminum or Steel?

So I'm a dope and stripped the drain plug on my front diff and haven't been able to get it out. I'm surrendering and bringing it in to a local shop I trust. They said they don't do too much work on tacomas and asked if the housing was aluminum. I said now, as when I was under there I could swear that it was rusted some. So Is it the front differential housing aluminum or steel?

 

Did you strip the threads of the housing the plug plugs into, or did you screw up the hex head of the drain plug. If its just the drain plug you can get them to tack weld a bolt to the drain plug. People also said they drove a over size torx bit into the old plug and got the plug out.

Post a picture of the issue, makes it easier to figure what is going on.

 

Put a magnet to it

 

Thanks for the response. The head of the hex bolt stripped out when I was trying to torque it down - I think my torque wrench is not accurate as I had it set correctly and it never reached the correct torque according to the wrench. Anyways, The threads of the housing should be fine. I was just curious about the housing material since he asked and I am not sure.

Side note, I have tried use a screw extractor tool and could get it to budge with an impact wrench and I tried jamming a hex head into it, but that just kept stripping it worse - the dang thing never budged. I'm sort of freaking out that I ruined something, but I can't see how I would have.

 

derp..... lol now I feel like a complete tard. Thanks.

 

FYI everyone it is steel not aluminum.... the magnet stuck lol. Thanks @Color_Me_Taco

 

because I just turned 20k miles and just got back from an off road trip where I really used the 4x4 and wanted to put some fresh oil in.

 

You know the schedule for maintenance 60k right? And extreme usage 30k.

 

Meh. I changed mine early.

 

Don't tell anyone, but so did I.

 

yeah and I thought doing it a bit early would be good - this is irrelevant at this point. I change my oil at 5k not 10k and I did the rear diff already too.

Yeah, and I change all other fluids early too.

 

Bummer u can't get it out. Channel locks on the O.D. of the plug?

 

tried it, but they can't get a good grip as the nut is basically flush.

 

I’d sure hope it’s steel, that would be a disaster waiting to happen with Aluminum.

 

That plug has a metal seal washer on it. If you give it a couple of square solid smacks with a hammer you can usually spin them out by hand because it crushes the washer just enough to loosen. Worst case you can spin it out with a hammer and chisel to get it turning.

 

Take a chisel and hammer to the side of plug. Been there done that

 

Merry XMAS

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/front-diff-drain-plug-alternate-oem-part.604989/

 

Thank you! My buddy just left and he's a better welder than I am and was able to weld a piece to it that we could grab. He works in a machine shop and machined a special piece to fit the hole and punched it in, welded it, and we were able to break it free while whacking that. I'll be ordering the part you suggested! I'm so happy it came off.