Thread: Slotted Diff drain plugs

Originally Posted by rick130

You can quench copper and it doesn't really matter in my experience, but ordinarily you allow it to air cool.

Quenching removes the scale that forms but isn't required as part of the annealing process.

Colin

Originally Posted by gromit

Plastic !

Make sure the drain plugs do not hang below the lip around the drain hole. Someone fitted a cast iron plug with a raised square head in the Salisbury fitted to my Dormobile. They then dragged the axle over something and sheared the head off so now no way of gripping it to remove it ! Looks like drill, get covered in oil, then use an easyout.....whether it comes out easy I'll find out at the time.

I also have a couple of axles where the raised lip has been bent in making it difficult to remove the standard slotted brass plug.


Colin

I had a rounded off diff drain plug on a van once that i couldn't get out,i used to siphon the oil out overnight.

From memory i think i used to get a piece of 1/4" copper tube bent around so it got to the bottom of the diff,then push a piece of clear tube over the copper and suck on it to get it started,then leave overnight,as it was bloody slow.

Originally Posted by scarry

I had a rounded off diff drain plug on a van once that i couldn't get out,i used to siphon the oil out overnight.

From memory i think i used to get a piece of 1/4" copper tube bent around so it got to the bottom of the diff,then push a piece of clear tube over the copper and suck on it to get it started,then leave overnight,as it was bloody slow.

Thanks,
I had thought of that or tipping it up & taking a stub axle off. I have a spare Salisbury axle that I might overhaul & fit instead.......


Colin

before you take them out, during which process they can be damaged, buy some serious duty brass plugs fully slotted from British Offroad.

They will post them to you straight away.