Is it Karma??

If you haven't gummed up the plug already, sometimes tightening it a short-hair helps to break the sealed threads. If you can get it to tighten, you should be able to loosen it. Alternatively, hold your breaker bar against the plug and use a floor jack to slowly turn the breaker bar using the weight of the vehicle as leverage. Keep the breaker bar head at as close to 90* as possible, it would be better if you don't have a

CRAFTSMAN Breaker Bar, 3/4" Drive Sliding Handle(CMMT99276)

swivel head breaker bar, but use what you have. If you use this method, go slow as that breaker bar will want to slide off the jack, the key is slow and steady.

-J

 

Thanks for the tips.

Yes, I have new gaskets coming from Toyota today along with a couple of other parts.

I have tried the tightening approach to help breaking it loose, but.....no love there either.

The truck is sitting on its wheels. I don't have a method to safely lift the truck enough to get good access. The breaker bar just doesn't have enough space. My creeper is a double layer of cardboard from a flattened Amazon box.

My hunch is when the front diff was changed, the gasket was reused and the plug was gorilla armed. Actually, all the plugs on this truck were excessively tight. You know, this just eludes my mind. These things are not pressure vessels, they are not structural there is no reason for these plugs to be so friggin' tight. Shoot, the spark plugs hold more pressure and heat but are just about a 1/4 turn beyond finger tight. So, maybe 15 ftlb torque.

Some mechanics think if tight is good, then tighter must be better and stupid tight must be best.

Today, when the parts arrive, I will step to the brute force gorilla technique using a cold chisel and a hammer. I'm sure 4 letter words will be employed and blood will spill as offerings to the Stupid Tight Deity.

 

Well, the sacrifice of blood and 4 letter words has been accepted.

Rear Diff drain, beat on Front Diff drain plug, Fill R. Diff, Xfer case drain, beat on F. Diff drain plug, Fill Xfer case, beat on F. Diff drain plug some more. Smash hand with 3 lb hammer, swear, take a break to feed and walk the dog. Really beat on drain plug...... It moved.....hammer a bit more.....quarter turn..... Yaaaayyyyy. It can be removed. Drain, remove PCV. Compare to new PCV. Nuts. I got the wrong PCV from Toyota. Reinstall the old PCV, fill front diff. Take a short drive, verify no leaks. All good.

Done for the weekend. Return the PCV to exchange for the correct one.

Karma......again.