TO-30 Oil Plug verification

JasonKS

Member
So I thought I would change the oil in my TO-30, which I am just this year having time to work on after buying it a couple years ago. I have put maybe 2 hours on it, in total. Anyway, I ran the tractor for a bit to warm up the oil (probably didn't need to because it was 102F outside), pulled her under a tree for shade and got the oil and new filter out, and a bucket for the old.

I crawled under and could see right away that the old plug was pretty worn, like it had one too many wrenchings. I managed to get a crescent wrench on it, but it wouldn't budge. So, out came the pipe wrench...still wouldn't budge. I noticed what looked like a copper washer beneath the plug bolt. I kept trying, but could never get the plug to budge. I tried penetrating oil, but that didn't work either.

So, it looks like I will have to drop the entire pan (full of oil) to get it off the tractor and then get the pan onto a bench where I can maybe get enough torque on it to get the plug out. It must be cross-threaded. I can't imagine how a plug, which is sitting in oil, is seized up. Maybe someone put threadlock on it to stop a leak before they sold it to me, I don't know.

I do want to make sure I've got the right replacement parts for it. In the Steiner catalog, I see parts ABC539 and 540, which are the plug and copper washer, and MFS154, the gasket. The gasket is clearly marked for TO-30, but the plug and washer are not. Are these correct for TO-30? Thanks.
 
(quoted from post at 16:49:23 07/23/12) try putting a pipe on tour wrench. that will give you more leverage to loosen it/
bill

I don't know what a "pipe on tour wrench" is. Do they go by other names?
 
Make sure you are turning the correct direction. I know, I know... when you're working upside down, it can happen to anyone. I would not take the pan off... then you will have 2 problems. i.e how to hold the pan while turning the plug. KB
 
If you are not having a problem with the wrenches slipping off, get a good heavy hammer and give that wrench a couple of good whacks. It is amazing how much more force you can get that way.

(The downside of course is that your wrenches are being somewhat abused, but I prefer to abuse a cheap wrench than my one-of-a-kind body!)
 
im sorry, it's a pipe on your wrench. ir will give you more leverage to turn it, lust stick a iron pipe on your wrench and turn it
bill
 
(quoted from post at 18:29:25 07/23/12) Make sure you are turning the correct direction. I know, I know... when you're working upside down, it can happen to anyone. I would not take the pan off... then you will have 2 problems. i.e how to hold the pan while turning the plug. KB

I actually caught myself tightening it once, but if it's threaded for counter-clockwise extraction, then I was turning it the correct way.

Your other point about having trouble holding the pan once it's off the tractor is a good point. A friend of mine has used heat to loosen stuck bolts like this before, and we may try that, but I wouldn't try to heat it while it's still on the tractor, full of oil.
 
(quoted from post at 18:58:50 07/23/12) im sorry, it's a pipe on your wrench. ir will give you more leverage to turn it, lust stick a iron pipe on your wrench and turn it
bill

Oh, ok...a cheater bar. Yeah, I was looking around for a pipe to do that, but didn't have one handy. I will locate one this week and try it. At this point the pipe wrench is starting to chew up the plug head, so it's getting to a point where I'm tired of messing with it in that confined space.
 
might try this,
KY redneck solution

Secure a good pipe wrench with sharpe teeth in the jaws so it will hold.

have a buddy jack the front of the tractor up place the pipe wrench on the bolt head with cheater bar extention against the ground.

now have your buddy slowly lower the weight of the tractor down,
this process will use the weight of the tractor to turn the bolt.

If this does not break the bolt loose you are up a creek

Probably have to drill out the bolt and use sometype retread device, but this would be a last resort as now you would have metal chips in the oil pan.

before you break something or get hurt or drill out the oil drain plug.

Question: can you stick a small rubber hose down the oil fill pipe and suck the old oil out? if so this might be an option.

if the oil drain plug is this tight, no telling how long its been since the oil has been changed and no telling what you will find in the bottom of the oil pan.
also, you may have the same problem with the oil filter canister, if its been that long since an oil change.

let us know what happens.

note: if you do have to take the oil pan off you may want to take it to a machine shop and have them get the oil plug out to save the oil pan, if you ruin the oil pan you are talking some bucks.
 
That's an interesting idea, but the problem really isn't that I can't turn the wrench. The problem is that the wrench is not holding fast to the bolt head when I apply a lot of torque. The wrench just slips or it chews another bit off of the bolt head.

If push comes to shove and I can't get the plug out, even after removing the pan, I would probably be more inclined to tap a new, threaded drain than drill out the old plug.
 
The metal in the side of the pan is probably too thin to drill and tap new threads.

most times you take the pan off drill a new hole then insert the new drain plug holder with gaskets on both sides and a nut on the inside of the pan to tighten up that secures the new drain plug holder to the pan side.

again if you have to take the pan off to do this might as well spent your money on having someone with the right tools take you orginal drain plug out.

Guess that is just the way i would roll as it would be my luck as soon as i got the new drain installed the old one would start leaking.

good luck and be careful,

the fastest way to ruin a good engine is lack of oil.

friend of mine had an old H Farmall, the oil drain plug came out and before he noticed the lack of oil pressure the engine was ruined.
 
get a chisel that is sharp. hammer groove straight in on one flat edge of plug. then take corner of chisel and catch that groove and hit it going in direction of loosening[counterclockwise]. if that corner knocks off make another one. usually it only takes two corners to get off and you have six.
 
I like that idea! I'll try that before resorting to removing the pan. I will let you guys know how it goes. I think I will go ahead and order a new plug and washer from the Steiner catalog. No one commented if the size is correct, but I think it is, just by looking at the size of the one on the tractor.
 
You make a good point. I guess taking it to a shop with the tools to remove the old plug would be the best way to go. Hopefully I can get it off by by being more stubborn than the plug.
 
I'd try welding a one end of a 6" piece of 1" flat bar to the plug then swat the bar with a good sized hammer to loosen it, the heat from welding will help loosen it. I have done this with rounded off plugs before.
 
The ABC539 and ABC540 only fit Massey Harris tractors. They do not fit Ferguson tractors. I expect to receive factory prints tomorrow for the TO-30 plug and gasket. It will take 4 - 6 weeks to build the parts after I receive the prints.

Currently the plug is obsolete at AGCO. And the gasket costs almost $15.00 depending which dealer from which you receive pricing.
 
(quoted from post at 21:28:56 07/24/12) The ABC539 and ABC540 only fit Massey Harris tractors. They do not fit Ferguson tractors. I expect to receive factory prints tomorrow for the TO-30 plug and gasket. It will take 4 - 6 weeks to build the parts after I receive the prints.

Currently the plug is obsolete at AGCO. And the gasket costs almost $15.00 depending which dealer from which you receive pricing.
Thanks for clarifying that the plug will not work. After you build the parts they will be available in your catalog?
 
You could take a file and square up the flats of the plug head down to where you can pound on a good six point impact wrench socket, then have at it with the impact wrench.

Dan
 
(quoted from post at 03:23:35 07/25/12) You could take a file and square up the flats of the plug head down to where you can pound on a good six point impact wrench socket, then have at it with the impact wrench.

Dan

Another good idea, but on the TO-30, there is very little clearance between the plug and what I am guessing is the clutch housing that hangs down right next to the oil pan. I tried to put a socket wrench on it at one point, but it wouldn't fit in there. It's just in a very awkward place that, if the bolt head is in good condition, would not present a problem, but in its current condition makes things very difficult.
 
Sorry to those that offered advice for taking months in coming back to report on my situation. I ended up trying the hammer and chisel method, trying to spin the plug or at least loosen it. It didn't work, or appeared not to.

I then, in near desperation, brought out my new, but much shorter pipe wrench. I think it's probably 10" or something, but the teeth on it are brand new. I got a good grip on the plug from the left side of the tractor and I pushed on it as hard as I could and it wouldn't budge, but nor did it lose it's grip. So, I grabbed onto the tractor with both hands while sitting down, and put a foot on the wrench handle and pushed with constant force with my leg. Well, this time the wrench went flying. So, I retrieved it, getting ready to try again, and I put it on the head of the plug, and voila, the plug was already loose.

I unscrewed it after getting a bucket under the tractor to catch the oil. The black oil began to pour out, and I inspected the threading on the plug. To my surprise, it looked fine. So, the problem must be in the threading on the oil pan. Since this plug head was obliterated, I went in search of a new plug. It turns out that not all Ferguson plugs are the same size! In the end, I used a 16 mm plug I picked up at a hardware store. It screws in just like the old plug, very tight. I did not tighten it all the way, though. No oil is leaking past the threading, so I'm not going to worry about it for now.

Thanks for your collective help.

Jason
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top