Simon wrote:
>
> OK, so the engine and a lot of other stuff is now off the van, so I
> decided that having all this extra room to play in is the perfect
> opportunity to try to get the syncro's tranny fill plug out.
> Well, it's worse than I thought.
> The fill plug is stripped out so badly by the P.O. that my 17mm allen
> wrench is way too small.
> A 19mm bolt head just about fit, so I ground it down a hair and put two
> nuts on the other end.
> The nuts turn on the bolt. No matter how hard I tighten them together,
> they turn.
> The bolt head wants to pop out, anyway. That thing's really stripped.
> Can't get a Vise-Grips in there. It wouldn't matter, since there's no
> way I can try to turn the bolt-in-the-plug and apply leverage with a
> pry bar to keep the head IN the plug, anyway.
> Not enuff room in there to get the vise-grips or a pair of channel
> locks on the external part of the plug that sticks out past the case.
> Yes, I searched the archives. The best thing in there was the old
> tighten-then-loosen trick (duh! I shoulda thought of that!)
> It didn't work- the plug's too stripped.
> I've got a set of easy-outs... but there's really no room to aim the
> drill properly without dropping the main coolant lines.
>
> What would YOU do?!?
>

Is there a vent on the top of the transmission that can be used to fill
it (slowly)?
  Or can you fill thru the drain plug?  Hmmm..
If you remove the drain plug and drill a hole thru it and tap it to
accept a small valve, you could force the oil in with some type of hand
pump and then close the valve.  You would have to protect it from damage
during that off-roading stuff you syncro guys do.  :-)

Larry A.