CARC/trans plugs won't budge

New owner of a 2014 GRiSO, and looking to finish up the maintenance by changing fluids on the CARC and transmission. The drain and inspection plugs on the CARC are super stubborn and won't budge. Making me a bit more nervous is the sort-of loose fit of the metric allen key and fear of stripping the head.

Any suggestions? I was thinking of a small dab of penetrating oil overnight just to see if it helps. Zero interest in an impact wrench...

I have used valve grinding paste in sloppy allen holes with good results. The grit in it takes up the slack.

Are you using a suitable long hex socket rather than an Allen key? I'm most skilled enough with tools to be safe with allen keys

I find Hex Sockets are generally more accurately sized than Allen keys.

Top tips here, thank you. PB Blaster got the CARC plugs unstuck. The trans fill plug is still stuck, but will patiently work it out.

Thanks again, all. This community is terrific.

Refreshing my own thread -- the breather cap for the CARC is also stuck. Will try some patient PB blaster, but is it typical for this to be tough to open as well? Fluid replacement went well, and probably would have been easier with the breather open, but it filled eventually.

Leave it alone. They are prone to breaking off.

Just fill the bevel box slow...ly.

beetle wrote:

Leave it alone. They are prone to breaking off.

Just fill the bevel box slow...ly.

Noob question but does the cap unscrew from the breather plug, or is it a fixed assembly that you unscrew in total from the bevel box?

The cap pushes over the (fragile) formed breather bolt.

As Beetle said - no need to remove it

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DragonChowhound wrote:

New owner of a 2014 GRiSO, and looking to finish up the maintenance by changing fluids on the CARC and transmission.  The drain and inspection plugs on the CARC are super stubborn and won't budge.  Making me a bit more nervous is the sort-of loose fit of the metric allen key and fear of stripping the head.

Any suggestions?  I was thinking of a small dab of penetrating oil overnight just to see if it helps.  Zero interest in an impact wrench...

I have been using these and now swear by them. How they work on softened stripped Allen bolts has been a gamechanger for me. A bit pricy but what quality tool isn't?