stripped the fill plug on rear diff

Harbor Freight sells cheap LH drill bits. Buy a set and the right sized Easy Out. Use a center punch to put a dimple into the center of the plug. Put your drill on reverse and drill a hole in the plug with the LH drill bit. Use the Easy Out in the drilled hole to get the plug out.

I broke off a timing cover bolt in an engine block once and the above method worked like a champ. In fact, the Easy Out wasn't even necessary; the drill tip grabbed the bolt and turned it out far enough to grab it with pliers and unscrew it the rest of the way.

 

I did the same thing. i used a chisel and broke the crush washer out the used a screw driver behind the bolt and was able to back it out.

 

There is no need for an LH drill bit to use an easy out. A conventional bit is just as good.

Also, OP doesn't need an easy out. OP stripped the threads, not the socket. OP needs a wedge to drive under the head to pop it out as he reverses the threads.

 

True, but why risk driving the plug in further (possibly inside the pumpkin) if spinning it CCW helps to back it out with whatever threads may remain?

An Easy Out would grab the ID of any drilled hole to grab the plug for unscrewing when OP "reverses the threads" as you put it. An Easy Out would probably work on its own, grabbing the inside of the socket of the plug without any drilling.

If you want to apply an axial force to help the plug come out, you could remove the cover, drain the oil, and push the plug from the inside while unscrewing.

There are a million ways to skin this cat.

After the plug's out, more than likely you're going to need to drill/tap for an oversize plug. This means metal where you don't want it. With the cover off you could mask off the ring, pinion, carrier with a clean rag and also run a wet/dry vac to suck up any chips you make. Point being that getting the plug out is only half the battle and opening the diff may be necessary regardless of the method used.

 

The head of the plug is going to prevent that, unless you dremel it at 10 million RPM and melt it through the hole.

And as I said already AND the OP said, he has NO PROBLEM gripping the head with his hex key to turn the bolt. An ezout isn't going to help with anything. You're just adding unnecessary complications.

What he needs is a significant force pulling the plug OUTWARD as he turns it. An easy out isn't going to do that.

Little excessive, don't you think?

Already pointed out in this thread: unlikely. He stripped the THREADS on the PLUG. If anything, he will need a tap with MATCHING threads, just to clean them out.

MUCH less complicated just to rinse it out after running the tap through it.

 

No cover. 3rd member

 

I was able to get the bolt out with pliers. I used a size M18 Thread 1.5 tap to make sure the threads in the diff were straight. The new fill bolt from the dealer went in well, lets hope it holds!

The socket for the drain and fill plug is 24mm.

 

While we're on the subject.. does anyone happen to know where to find the plug online? I need to get a new one, and work nights, so a trip to the dealer is difficult... thanks in advance

 

Any wrecking yards near by ??...

 

Get yourself some of these http://www.marlincrawler.com/axle/rear-axle-parts/low-profile-magnetic-drain-plug-metal-gasket. I used them on my 88' axles, manual trans, and t case and should fit the Tacoma as well. No more worries about rounding off bolt heads.