Anyone have any tips on getting the drain bolt off the transfer case? I got the fill bolt off with my 24mm socket but could not for the life of me get the drain bolt off with either the open wrench 15/16 as it started to strip the bolt. Of course a socket wont fit in that space either.

 

Isn't that a recessed allen key? It should be metric size as well. Buy the right key and engage it well. Use a hammer to seat the key and the jarring force to break the thread bond.

If the slot is getting damaged, exercise caution and remember to replace it with a new one to prevent future problems. Also torque the plug to the specified and put a fresh crush washer.

I recall a discussion on a strip slot not so long ago.

Salim

 

This one doesn't use the allen key to get the bolt off. It is the 24mm thin bolt. I am picking up a new thicker bolt from Napa with a magentic end to replace this one.

 

I seem to recall, perhaps from LexMex's excellent writeup on fluid change, that it is necessary to take a grinder to a box wrench so that it fits within that awkward recess.

 

I took someone's advice on here and got a 15/16 wrench from Ace Hardware it's their "Pro Series" to do the transfer case drain. It has a very thin walled box end and fit the plug with no grinding (worked on by brother-in law's RX330 too).

 

Will stop by Ace on my way to Napa to pick up that new bolt. Will report back to see how it goes. Thanks for the suggestions! Will also post the part# from napa for the bolt i'm picking up if anyone is intrested as well. It cost about 6 bucks and has a magnetic end.

 

My bad ... I was thinking transmission. Make sure the new bolt is not any longer than the OEM. Longer penetration can be disastrous. I don't have a AWD so I cant comment why the head is so, thin. Does it have to do with the clearance of a moving arm? Usually there is a reason for use of a strange size [it very well could be sharing/availability or price for the manufacturer.]

Salim

 

Went to Ace and they didn't have the wrench in a pro series

The part# i got for the drain bolt at Napa with the magnetic end is 704-1923 $5.73 after tax. It does have a bigger head that you can actually get a closed wrench end on.

I'm not sure why the OEM has a flater head either. It doesn't seem like it rubs on anything. Maybe a road hazard design?

 

My super duper wrench. It's real thin. Shoot a pic of that new plug if you can.

 

Here's a pick of the plug

 

Finally got the bolt off during lunch today!

I took it to my mechanic and after about an hour it came off.

I don't think that I would have been able to get the bolt off on my own. He jacked the car up with the floor jack with a gazillon wrenchs and just could not latch on to that bolt.

Finally after about 30min with that he put it on the lift and used a metal stake and a hammer and viola! Installed the new bolt with new fluid. Now I can take back all these 15/16 wrenches back to sears.

 

I started a thread on this a year or two ago due to the same problem -- what a poor design to have that frame rail in the way! I sawed off a Snap-on swivel-head socket and posted some photos. A search may show it. It's the only way I could get the plug off. I'm glad you were successful, though!

 

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...rain-plug.html

Yep, I was trying to duplicate your design when I gave the Ace Hardware thing a shot and it worked perfect. I can't imagine what they were thinking when they decided to use plugs with heads like that. Especially the fill plug, all the space in the world up there.

 

I used a 24mm socket with a long extension on it. I paid my dues for it:

When it finally broke, my index finger went right into t sharp edge on the frame resulting in a crushed finger nail. Thankfully, I was able to take out my anger on the trash can.

 

None of the Ace stores 100 miles around me have this wrench, are there other alternatives? Husky/HD, Kobalt/Lowes, from the auto parts stores? I tried using a Craftsman locking adj. wrench, no go.

Are there alternate magnetic bolts? With my luck the Napa near me would not have this one.

Just got done with the front and rear brakes and let the tranny/frt. diff. drain over night. This is the last of my fluids to change.

Thx!