Bolt welded in transfer case fill plug

[06TJRubi]

2006 TJ Rubicon Manual.. yes this is a NP231J pared with my NSG370 and I was about to change my T-Case oil with Redline, however, I noticed the previous owner must have welded a Huge bolt in the fill plug location.

Assuming they must have stripped the OEM bolt..

I definitely don’t want to buy a new T-Case..

Am I doing more harm if I try to remove it and replace the fluid?

140K miles.

Thanks!

 

[BlueC]

Am I doing more harm if I try to remove it and replace the fluid?

Clean it off and see what you're actually working with, it doesn't look like weld to me, but I'd expect this to be a big, pain-in-the-ass job. If it turns out to be simple, be relieved.

 

[TheBoogieman]

2006 TJ Rubicon Manual.. yes this is a NP231J

Story please.

 

[B1Toad]

It looks like they welded a bolt into the plug because the plug hole was stripped. It might just crank out.

 

[WestCoastDan]

The subject of this post should be "How the previous owner ruined a transfer case in 1 easy step"...

I hope that case isn't trashed.
Can you clean it off and then maybe use a cutting wheel to grind off the weld?
If not, you may be better off building a new on on the bench to swap it out.

 

[sab]

2006 TJ Rubicon Manual.. yes this is a NP231J

Story please.

Agreed. A Rubicon with an NP231? Either it's not a Rubicon, or a previous owner replaced the NP241OR with an NP231...

Edit: I just found this which explains it:

Thread 'Is the 241 transfer-case sensor swappable with the 231 transfer-case sensor?'

Jul 23, 2024

Is the 241 T-case Sensor swappable with the 231 T-case Sensor?

Found out today my 2006 TJ Rubicon (which I bought used) has a 231 in it .. must have been the previous owner that swapped it out.. I’m assuming.

Any way, can I purchase the 241 sensor, and install it in my 231 so the 4x4 dash light can illuminate?

• 06TJRubi
• Replies: 1
• Forum: TJ General Discussion

 

[hear]

Yall ain't gonna believe what is welded onto my 02's drain plug. I can't believe I've never shared it here. BRB.

 

[hear]

My bad, it’s on the fill plug. Bad lighting, but it sticks out a good 6 inches.

 

[Rickyd]

It's leaking. Better do something about it before the case runs dry. If you can't save the threads tap it to the closest npt thread and get a plumbing plug

 

[gasiorv]

Assuming they got a good weld on that bolt; I would pull it out, wrap some teflon tape around the the threads, and reinstall without worrying about it. Internal wrenching plugs strip all the time, you can find them on Amazon and even at your local O'reily's, etc... if you want to replace it.

 

[Danarch]

As someone else said, clean it up and see what is there. It may simply be a bolt welded to plug, hard to say. Spray some degreaser on it, wire brush (probably a brass one) and clean it. Then I’d spray penetrating oil on it and let it set for a few and repeat.

 

[machoheadgames]

Try to remove it, if it doesn’t work then get a new rear case half for cheap.

 

[macleanflood]

Looking at it from a redneck logic perspective... someone might have used a long bolt to make unbolting it easier. See how close the head is to the edge of the skid plate?

Definitely not right...but I can see the wheels turning for someone solving a non existent problem with a worse solution.

Worst case you need to retap threads or make a larger fill hole.

Temporary solution too is fill the case through the speedo sensor gear hole

-Mac

 

[BlueC]

Guys, I'm disappointed. No one has mentioned another solution is to switch to an Atlas.

 

[B1Toad]

Looking at it from a redneck logic perspective... someone might have used a long bolt to make unbolting it easier. See how close the head is to the edge of the skid plate?

Definitely not right...but I can see the wheels turning for someone solving a non existent problem with a worse solution.

Worst case you need to retap threads or make a larger fill hole.

Temporary solution too is fill the case through the speedo sensor gear hole

-Mac

Good point, maybe it was a leaker and the owner made that extension to make topping off easier with the skid in place

 

[hear]

Guys, I'm disappointed. No one has mentioned another solution is to switch to an Atlas.

Maybe if it was made by Mopar...

 

[Link]

My transfer case had a stripped fill plug when I bought it. I welded a bolt into it and it twisted right out. Had a new fill plug on hand already so that's what's in there now.

 

[06TJRubi]

UPDATE: As I was at work all day, I was dying to get home so I could unscrew the damn bolt.. So, after spraying some brake cleaner on it, it looks like the previous owner stripped the T-Case Fill Plug, and tried to weld a bolt on top of it .. Except when I unscrewed the bolt, it just SNAPPED off LOL..

 

[macleanflood]

Chapter 1 - previous owner chicanery...Now chapter 2...advanced bolt extraction.

Heat will probably be your friend... it's been soaking in ATF forever...so how stuck can it be?

-Mac

 

[06TJRubi]

Chapter 1 - previous owner chicanery...Now chapter 2...advanced bolt extraction.

Heat will probably be your friend... it's been soaking in ATF forever...so how stuck can it be?

-Mac

HAHA I will say, I had a heck of a time unscrewing "breaking" this bolt .. I had to use an extension and a leverage bar with about 75% strength, and the bolt just broke the weld.