Porsche 911UK Forum

Welcome to the @Porsche911UK website. Register a free account today to become a member! Sign up is quick and easy, then you can view, participate in topics and posts across the site that covers all things Porsche.

Already registered and looking to recovery your account, select 'login in' and then the 'forget your password' option.

Gearbox filler plug rounded, any ideas?

Lets just say plugs are normally an 8mm but this is one i've never removed before so cant say for certain .

It happens .. best if i don't list the mistakes i've made over the years !!
 
You can get some mole grips or stilsons on the outside of the plug to tighten it back up. Or go buy a new one.....

Thats how I got my old filler plug out as it rounded. Likely never been out.

New one from OPC was shiny blue alloy.

always take the fill plug out before the drain...
 
It's not a 9mm so I'm stuck! Are there any other socket types that Porsche use?
 
I'll check on a spare gearbox for you tomorrow if you like.

MC
 
As an engineer, the first things I would try next, an Imperial allen key to see if you get a better fit.
A nice brand new pair of mole grips, you can get a set of 3 sizes from screwfix which are fairly good quality, I bought some a few weeks ago to do a particular job at work ( I have never owned any before, but these were my only option with the job in hand ) item no 4091V. £8.99
Try some shim steel / feeler gauge down the side of your 8mm allen key and bend it 90 degrees over the end of the allen key so that the key pushes it down the hole as you insert it.

Best of luck :thumb:
 
Thanks both, Mistercorn that would be great.

Access is very tight on that side, much tighter that the left side so I can't get any grips on or be able to turn them. I haven't got any imperial keys to try unfortunately.

I did try the trick of putting a small screwdriver down the side but no joy.

The plug is back in and fairly tight and will probably be fine but I really could do with nipping it up properly.
 
I just remember I have another gearbox in my garage so took a look.



Octagonal, 10mm across the flats on the outer drive section, looks like a stepped plug but didn't measure the inner one.

MC
 
You did well to find that TBH. I had a look around for you and couldn't find anything.

MC
 
Can you not just tap it with a screwdriver the same as you did to undo it?
 
Yes that looks like what someone has done on MC's box.

You can see what Porsche were thinking, there's a plug on the side of the box that looks very similar to the fill plug but it's part of the selector mechanism so we don't want anyone to remove so let's put a very unusual head on it !!!

Mac
 
I checked the other gearboxes in my store room, it doesn't look like any others have suffered the same fate, and some don't appear to have the recess.









All have the same 10mm octagonal hole in them.

MC
 
Thanks,

I'm going to call into my local garage tonight to see if they've got one I can borrow.

I've tapped it all I can with the chisel but it's not quite fully home. To make matters worse it's a very tight thread so I couldn't do it much at all by hand, just had to painstakingly tap it round!
 
Ignore everything I said, MC just put me in my place and told me it was octagonal not hex? But I did remove mine without a problem so maybe 3.4 and 3.6 gearboxes have a different plug.

EDIT. I didn't remove mine, I assumed I had, this is a different mechanism to the detent.
 
It looks like I've well and truly f***ed it this time!

Back on it's wheels after the cats and other bits and bobs and the gear stick is very loose on the left side and it really is like stirring porridge with no distinction between reverse and first any more making it very difficult to drive!

My only glimmer of hope I've thought is that maybe you need to be in a particular gear such as reverse before you insert the plug and I wasn't, if anyone knows or has any other ideas I'd be very grateful as it looks like this may have been a very expensive mistake!
 

New Threads

Forum statistics

Threads
124,354
Messages
1,439,455
Members
48,710
Latest member
Silage
Back
Top