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put the square side of the socket over the square plug

Quote:

Great suggestion, but the distance between the flats on these plugs is 9/16" so a standard 1/2'' drive socket won't do the trick.

I was fortunate to pick up a set of square plug sockets for the princely summ of $10. Unfortunately they do not work well on rounded off square plugs.

I have a 1/2" 8 point Craftsman socket that fits the 1/2" plugs perfectly, you might buy one of those for the next time, or if you do the trans.

Well that's too bad. My cars have nothing on them but 1/2 or 3/8 square.

By the way the same trick works for Bendix brake adjusters and other square heads. No more rounding them off with open end wrenches and vice grips and you don't have to buy any new tools.

Classic and Exotic has a filler plug for sale. Not sure if it is different than the one supplied by York. The one supplied by York shows a gasket while the Classic and Exotic does not. York is $8 cheaper.

turbo...i went to the hardware store and one of the helpers working there for christmas teaches auto mechanics and has worked for a couple of truck dealerships as a mechanic..
he says like you. find a set of 8pts. or double points as he calls them

he asked if i had torches...i said ...'ahhh no' ..says acetalene gives greater heat to bolt..then he says okay
take your propane..and work the bolt for a couple of minutes.
as it cools take some penetrating oil and squirt it on..the heat he says will naturally draw it into the threads. then og have a beer or a cup of coffee and do it a couple more times more.

I recommended an 8 point ..esp if you have rounded the corners off. as it slips around your rounded corners, the points will dig into the flat. The 8 points are much deeper for grabbing

then he said ..if you really screwed up the flats. slowly take a file and reduce it to 7/16 ..file fit..file ...fit..file ...fit...to expose more of the flat

if that fails..then i usually weld a hex head # 9 on the head of the plug and go from there..

then if all else fails...its drill time which seldom happens using the above method..

Try a set of Craftsman Bolt-Outs. If one's large enough it should fit over the square end. They tap on with a hammer and you turn them out with a wrench or socket. I've had good luck with them.

yeah i saw them at sears today...hmm

Your Sears helper is on the right track, do what he says and you'll get it out.

On the subject of heat and removing bolts, you can to the same thing with heat and plain cheapie candle wax. The heat draws the wax into the threads, and allows it to come out easily. I do this on head/manifold studs that are a PITA to remove. Better than drilling and re-tapping.