Some twonk striped my IRD filler plug

Hi all just completed a major service. Replaced gearbox oil and IRD oil.
However some idiot (monkey with a spanner) had stripped the IRD fill point. I paniced intially........ then had to resort to a temp bodge....examined hole.....one thred was left at very end....so I removed the copper washer so the plug would reach the last remaining thread.....cleaned the hole throughly and plug .... siliconed the lot and put it back in tightening as far as I dare........left for a couple of hours ..... it seems to be holding.

Question.... is it possible to re helicoil in situ......or can you get a kinda self tapping tapered refurbishment plug........I need some serious advice here .... :doh:

Take it back to the muppets that broke it.

how did you manage that??

helicoil in situ or tap to a larger bolt/stud size.

Thanks for your reply JuiceyV8....ha ha ..... may the biggest grease monkey (silverback)
swing from your landrovers vitals!!!! Actually I obtained car 6 weeks ago ... its a ten year old shed.......so it's obviously got history.......and not being a butch landrover but one with lots of girly Rover 200/BMW bits on .... I suppose this kinda thing is to be expected.

Seriously ... I was thinking of a helicoil...but i am afraid of the swarf. Has anybody done this. Or is there kinda of a self tapping tapered repair plug available to the trade...as a get out of jail kinda thing. Alternatively I was thinking of machining a smooth bush that was an interference fit.......(that is threded to accept a smaller plug) then freeze it and then tap it in....with some hermatite sealant......any other ideas???

the swarf will only be particles of aluminium, so not too detrimental, but you could fix it then get it warm and change the oil again.

My missus has a smooth bush which has a perfect interference fit.

I don't suspect your wife's perfectly formed bush - would solve this problem....
on the contrary it could cause another!!!

I had an issue with removing the plug, ended up drilling in situ

Its a short arse stubby plug. Thread is about M18, talk about oversized.
You could tap M20 then helicoil down to M18??? Tap could be expensive!

I drilled the plug with a cordless 12V drill, 7.5mm bit , it was as soft as pie Then tapped with M8 for an M8 bolt

I used loads of grease on the drill bit and tap, to trap all the swarf

some Twonk also stripped mine, but being stupid i only noticed after draining the ird, the joys of filling it thru the breather pipe!!! nuf said!!!

My advice to anybody that has done this ..... take the copper washer off... so the plug can pick up remnants of old thread.....clean the hole and the plug throughly.......silicone the whole lot and put it back in and nip up just enought to secure. This worked for me and the whole lot has set and is pretty darn secure....and leak tight.....I know its not ideal...but it's not as if there is huge pressure or it requires regular access. My sympathies
and may all the grease monkeys responsible for this loose there nuts!!!!

D3savage said:

My advice to anybody that has done this ..... take the copper washer off... so the plug can pick up remnants of old thread.....clean the hole and the plug throughly.......silicone the whole lot and put it back in and nip up just enought to secure. This worked for me and the whole lot has set and is pretty darn secure....and leak tight.....I know its not ideal...but it's not as if there is huge pressure or it requires regular access. My sympathies
and may all the grease monkeys responsible for this loose there nuts!!!!

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Hi. I had this problem. Just saw this old thread. Advice was to remove washer to reach thread. But it looked to me as last thread is reached with washer in. If you remove washer, you skip the first few threads. Anyway, apart from leaving the washer, I siliconed it all up. Let's see if it holds. Will do a proper job on it later with an oversized plug.