So.... how do I fix this???-gctid363440

[Guest]

OK, so last fall when I was winterizing my boat for the first time (dealer did it first season) I had one of the heads of the blue drain plugs twist off! (see attached photos - end of red pointer)Tried using an easy out to remove, but the plastic is too soft.. just spins out. I soaked it with wd40 a couple of time over the winter, tried the easy out again with no success.So now what???Question, do I need to replace or can I just fill hole with some epoxy of some type of sealant to keep water from leaking?? This year 5.0 has a self draining feature... do I really need to pull drain plugs??Thanks in advance,

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[2850Bounty]

Use a couple of nice sharp wood lathe tools, or something similar, and just cut/chisel the remaining pieces out.

Chase what's left with a pipe thread tap.

Follow up with your shop vac.

Install new fitting.

[Guest]

I don't understand completely what happened. Did you break off the "wings" off the blue plastic drain plug and cannot remove the threaded part? If that's the case, take a largest flat head screwdriver and heat up the tip so you can melt plastic with it to make a slot in the rest of the plug. Then you can unscrew it using a screwdriver.

[Guest]

GrindKore wrote:
I don't understand completely what happened. Did you break off the "wings" off the blue plastic drain plug and cannot remove the threaded part? If that's the case, take a largest flat head screwdriver and heat up the tip so you can melt plastic with it to make a slot in the rest of the plug. Then you can unscrew it using a screwdriver.

That's exactly what happened... wings snapped off along with part of the top. The screwdriver tick sounds like it might work.. if not, I will us Rick's suggestion.

Thanks..

[Guest]

2850Bounty wrote:
.

Chase what's left with a pipe thread tap.

Rick.. do you happen to know tap size and thread??? If I don't have it... I want to try and get it on the first trip to the hardware store... something I dont often accomplish!!! :hypnotysed:

Thanks!

[2850Bounty]

mdldgl wrote:
Rick.. do you happen to know tap size and thread??? If I don't have it... I want to try and get it on the first trip to the hardware store... something I dont often accomplish!!! :hypnotysed:

Thanks!

Pick up the new plastic replacement plug first, and take it with you to the hardware store.

[Guest]

I bought a new set this year, they are cheap and easy to replace... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Water-Drain-...#ht_1487wt_944

[Chesapeake]

The blue plug is made out of plastic. It will not damage the threads by itself. If you can remove the plug without touching the threads then there should be no reason to chase the threads open.

I remove my plugs every winter and throw them away and replace with new ones in the spring (OEM plugs are about $4.00 from the dealer).

I use a battery terminal cleaner (a cleaner that does not have battery acid on it) using the male part, and clean the threads during the fall, and coat the threads with a silicone grease. Install new plugs in the spring.

[2850Bounty]

My point regarding chasing the female threads, was to clean them up from any plastic that may have stuck to them!

[Guest]

2850Bounty wrote:
My point regarding chasing the female threads, was to clean them up from any plastic that may have stuck to them!

I understand.. "an once of prevention...".. right? Hardware store is a block from the dealer... will pick up the replacement plug -then go to the store.. just have to get the broken one out first...

Thanks again..

[Guest]

Harbor Freight has a great, home use tap and die set for $14.00. Includes both SAE and metric sizes.

[Guest]

same thing happened to 2 of mine the same season . dito on the torch and screw driver . took them right out .

[Guest]

Scraping B wrote:
same thing happened to 2 of mine the same season . dito on the torch and screw driver . took them right out .

Well, the heat and screw driver didn't work perfectly...but it worked. Heated up screw driver with heat gun, stuck it in, let it cool a bit - but the blue plastic just crumbled.. did not unscrew. So per Ricks suggestion, I just kept repeating until all that was left was the plastic in the threads. My dealer just closed, so I will pick up new plugs tomorrow.. I will take my tap and die set with me to see if I have the right one (it is like 40 years old... got it from my Great -Uncle! - so no metric)... if not, the hardware store is just around the corner from Fox Lake Harbour.. hopefully I can finish it up tommorw .

Thanks for the suggestions!!!!

[2850Bounty]

I may be wrong, but I'm thinking that these are tapered pipe threads, not machine threads.

If so, you want a pipe thread tap, not a machine thread tap.



Or run a very stiff internal pipe cleaning brush .... or a stiff auto battery cable terminal brush inside of it.

[Guest]

2850Bounty wrote:
I may be wrong, but I'm thinking that these are tapered pipe threads, not machine threads.

If so, you want a pipe thread tap, not a machine thread tap.



Or run a very stiff internal pipe cleaning brush .... or a stiff auto battery cable terminal brush inside of it.

Yes.

They are NPT pipe threads, either 1/8" or 1/4". More than likely 1/4" pipe tap.

If you do run a tap in, do not run it all the way like you would a normal tap. The pipe thread taps are tapered, and tapered reamers are used to finish the holes. If you run the tap in to far, the plus will no longer have enough surface to seal and might leak.