8mm Hex Impact 1/2" Drive Suggestions

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gathermewool

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Any recommendations?

With a standard 8mm allen key I can't for the life of me get the Legacy's front differential fill plug to budge, even hours after applying Deep Creap and putting as much weight on the key as possible. The 8mm allen key fits in perfectly, leaving ZERO extra room for a breaker bar or longer key.

I'm hoping that my 1/2"-drive breaker bar will align so that I can use it with the subject drive.

Any suggestions on how to get it loose would be helpful, too. The fill plug requires removal of the passenger front wheel, since it's right above and to the left of the drive axle. to reach it, I have to reach on either side of the second cat-converter.
 
On my Mercedes cars the diff plugs always are seized tight. I leave the car on the ground, fit the Allen socket in tightly, use a cheater on a breaker bar. Ive had to use leg power in some cases.

An impact rated Allen might be worthwhile here.
 
HEAT. Heat it with a torch. It might have lock-tite red or some locking compound that needs heat. Get it at least 300 degrees or so and try again.
 
Originally Posted by JHZR2
On my Mercedes cars the diff plugs always are seized tight. I leave the car on the ground, fit the Allen socket in tightly, use a cheater on a breaker bar. Ive had to use leg power in some cases.

An impact rated Allen might be worthwhile here.


Unfortunately, there's not much room in there to use a cheater bar. I'm hoping I'll be able to get an 8mm socket in there and use my breaker bar past either side of the cat and exhaust.

If that doesn't work I'm hoping I can fit my impact gun in there.

Originally Posted by spasm3
HEAT. Heat it with a torch. It might have lock-tite red or some locking compound that needs heat. Get it at least 300 degrees or so and try again.


Unfortunately, there's too much plastic and rubber in the vicinity, so heat will be hard to apply. If it comes to it, I'll definitely consider wrapping everything in foil and heating the plug up as much as possible.
 
I usually take a chisel and cut a groove straight on the fill plug with a few )))SMACKS((( of the hammer.

Then turn the chisel to the Right and smack, Lefty Loosey which actually starts to bugger up the edge some.

This usually help to loosen up the fill plug. I can't explain in here as well as I could show you but others may/may not agree.
 
how about an extra long allen socket like this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/183245125401?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=183245125401&targetid=876875609442&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9046645&poi=&campaignid=9441049872&mkgroupid=99468942881&rlsatarget=aud-629407025185:pla-876875609442&abcId=1139126&merchantid=9722174&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpLfzBRCRARIsAHuj6qUHTT3bguclHecCyEg7Q0gmi0UQ5cfsY854WclJssZeo69xEFsFktUaArtcEALw_wcB

it should reach down far enough that your breaker bar will not be obstructed by anything
 
I would be concerned that an impact would chew up the middle of the plug. Lightweight parts of the "loosening chain" see more stress under impact.

Is there any other way to get fluid into that diff, like via a vent line?
 
Originally Posted by Chris142
Put an 8mm socket and long extension on the other end of your allen key.


Use a 1/2 inch copper pipe as the cheater bar. That should fit.
 
The winning combination pictured below: 14" 1/2" drive breaker --> 1/2" to 3/8" drive adapter --> 8mm 3/8" drive hex key
-----I had the Craftsman breaker, purchased with points before all of the local branches when under
-----I picked up the adapter and hex socket from HF

I tried to open-palm the breaker bar as much as possible, but still managed to slightly bust my pinky knuckle as the plug let go with loud POP!!!, ripping way a 1/4" of skin in the process...

The next hardest part was getting the diff full and THEN lifting the car to re-install the overflow-check plug. I had to lift the rear up and shimmy under, since the overflow/check plug is on the rear driver-side of the front diff. I knew I was on the right track when I began to lift and the slight dribble through the port, indicating that the diff was full, completely stopped.

MAN DO I MISS HAVING ACCESS TO A LIFT!!! The Forester front diff was MUCH easier to do, because the fill port is the vent port, which requires pulling a vacuum-style hose which is connected via o-ring seal only. There's also so much clearance that I didn't have to lift to vehicle to shimmy under and re-install its overflow/check port.

[Linked Image]


For reference, the plug is just above the driveshaft, which is covered with a green rag in the first pic, since I was spraying Deep Creep and PB Blaster over the preceding 48 hrs.

[Linked Image]


Here you can see the cat and exhaust right beneath, leaving very little room to barely get my hand angled in past

[Linked Image]


Here you can see the plug (without the hex installed), above and to the left of the driveshalf

[Linked Image]
 
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