Thread: The proverbial has hit the fan... LT230

If the plug is plastic I would just punch the remainder through into the box and take of the plate and remove it, the thread is either a Gas/Water pipe plug thread usually BSPT "T" is for tapered either 1/2" or 3/4", may be wrong, can buy the plugs at your local hardware/Plumbers supplies, iron or brass, Regards Frank.

Not all LT230's have the same drain plug - 2 different sizes that I know of.

Generally the low range (large dia) gear is above the drain plug, so access from the inside could be difficult without pulling the centre diff and final drive gears.

Hi the thread on earlier boxes is 12mm X1.5 (normal 12mm pitch is 1.75) it is common for this to happen when the drain plug is overtightened. As you note the threaded portion is left in the hole, if you punch the center with a 3mm punch to drive thr magnet into the gearbox the thread will come out with an easiout. Problem is you must now take the bottom plate off to retrieve the magnet or it will attach itself to the gears with a resulting crunch. regards

Ian Ashcroft

Originally Posted by ashtrans

Hi the thread on earlier boxes is 12mm X1.5 (normal 12mm pitch is 1.75) it is common for this to happen when the drain plug is overtightened. As you note the threaded portion is left in the hole, if you punch the center with a 3mm punch to drive thr magnet into the gearbox the thread will come out with an easiout. Problem is you must now take the bottom plate off to retrieve the magnet or it will attach itself to the gears with a resulting crunch. regards

Ian Ashcroft

Thanks a lot for the info! Now, if I should succeed in removing the remainig part as described, will I be able to use a new plug without rethreading the hole (since I damaged the lower layers during my frustrane attempts to tap out the tip)?
And will there be sufficient space for me to locate and retrieve the magnet after removing the bottom cover plate? Forgive my ignorance, but I have never opened the gear box before.

Cheers
Johannes

Originally Posted by ashtrans

Hi the thread on earlier boxes is 12mm X1.5 (normal 12mm pitch is 1.75) it is common for this to happen when the drain plug is overtightened. As you note the threaded portion is left in the hole, if you punch the center with a 3mm punch to drive thr magnet into the gearbox the thread will come out with an easiout. Problem is you must now take the bottom plate off to retrieve the magnet or it will attach itself to the gears with a resulting crunch. regards

Ian Ashcroft

Good info for all thanks Dave
Oops sorry Ian!

Or is that Ian!

Just make sure you have the correct pitch thread, clean up the damaged section of thread. If it leaks just bang some thread sealent in or use some teflon tape.

Originally Posted by ashtrans

Hi the thread on earlier boxes is 12mm X1.5 (normal 12mm pitch is 1.75) it is common for this to happen when the drain plug is overtightened. As you note the threaded portion is left in the hole, if you punch the center with a 3mm punch to drive thr magnet into the gearbox the thread will come out with an easiout. Problem is you must now take the bottom plate off to retrieve the magnet or it will attach itself to the gears with a resulting crunch. regards

Ian Ashcroft

OK old thread but thought I would keep it together.
First oil change on this second hand box.
Tried to undo the drain plug and it just kept spinning around.
Drilled it out as far as I could then jammed a screwdriver between the magnet and the gear and with a bit of work with the die grinder got it out.
Now helicoil time.
I have a 12mm 1.25 Recoil set from a previous job but this thread is not that. The above post mentions 1.5 and 1.75 so thats three different 12 mm thread pitches. How do I measure this thread of mine. ?
I have pitch gauges in TPI but not metric

Keith

Ahh, this popped up coincidentally a the right time....

Was changing my TC oil yesterday, drain plug loosened off as normal, then got tight again, wound it out, some thread came with it. When reinstalling it would tighten up until the last bit, then spin loosely, obviously last bit of thread was damaged. Had a light-bulb moment...put some thread tape on and put another washer on as a spacer so that it tightens up nicely on the thread that is there. Seems to work.

Question is...the only washer I had available was a spring washer, is that going to be ok or should I put a similar thickness flat washer on it? And should I be investing in one of those gearbox plug repair kits seeing as I have lost thread?