Salisbury Diff with built in practical joke?

[DiscoDave]

Yesterday I though I'd be a good lad and check if there was any fluid in the necessary places in the County before going off to spectate at this weekends LROCS Tuff Trip.
In due course I came to the Salisbury diff and removed the filler plug (which seemed a little loose) dipped in the finger - finger oily, oil is not grey, all good! So I put the filler plug back in and give it some turns, still not tight, give it some more turns and it's still barely more than 'hand' tight. Gave it some more turns and I'm wondering "How thick is the cover plate on this diff?" when PLUNK the filler plug disappears down inside the diff housing. I think I said to myself "Goodness me I wonder how that could have happened?" but might have used different words.
There followed lots of entertainment involving magnetic probes and fiddling with thin nose pliers, screwdrivers, etc. Finally I managed to get the drain plug onto the end of a half-inch extension bar (still inside the diff) and was lucky enough to get the threads to bight before it fell off again, so I could unscrew it back to the outside world.

For now I've secured it with some threadlocker but I'm curious what's happened here, surely this isn't 'normal' for a Sals is it?

[spudboy]

... PLUNK the filler plug disappears down inside the diff housing. I think I said to myself "Goodness me I wonder how that could have happened?" but might have used different words.

Can't give you any useful help, but had to say that your description made me laugh a lot

[Blknight.aus]

and I thought it was only AJ's who did that.

either the taper been wound in so many times that its expanded the housing OR...

someones replaced your taper bung with a parallel one.

[Scouse]

Let's face it Dave, you were never meant for this County & it was never meant for you .

You should be Land Rovering forwards, not backwards, & get yourself a Range Rover.
Preferably a silver one like mine. In fact: mine .

[TimNZ]

I'm glad Im not the only one whose done that!!! I ended up just taking the back plate off to retrieve my one, so much for a 15 minute oil change!

Tim

[rar110]

One method I've heard to reduce the size of the plug hole is to place a socket over the rim of the hole and give the socket a gentle tap to cave the rim in slightly.

[isuzurover]

Never happened to me...

Just buy one of these:

[JDNSW]

Actually mine has a brass plug - with a flange - now I know why!

John

[Cameron_Def]

No no .. never ever done that (sobs)

Hehehe good on you for getting it out the hard way, I just removed the cover

[Slunnie]

Sorry Dave!