crossover cap stuck

K

KempoDavid

Registered
I bought a black&decker grab-it thing to open my corssover tube - the cap was totally stripped.

It must be hella-stuck because all this tapper thing did was drill into the cap - bright metal shavings coming out... tried some rust loose spray etc, but still no good, just drilling deeper in.

what do you think? Am I using the tapper wrong, or is this thing fubar? Should I buy a new x-over tube?
 
Try a pipe-wrench. Thats the only thing that worked for me - twice. Its just hard to get on the edges of that cap, not much to grab onto!

I have not heard of it happening yet, but do it on a day that if the entire cap with spout comes off you can order one and not be stranded! Maybe its not possible, but when I did mine I was afraid it would!
 
Heat one side of the threaded portion just below the cap lid with a small propane torch.
 
I would make sure you get a new cap in your hand before you proceed so you aren't stranded.

As Driller mentioned heating up the outer tube should help by causing the outer tube to grow in size a little. I have some giant size channel lock pliers I used to grip the OD of the top of the cap I changed out.

When you install your new be sure to lube the O ring up and use anti sieze and don't over tighten.
 
Also....prior to heating it, try taping on it with a small hammer. A few good racks and mine came right off.

If you heat it, you're going to need a new O-ring too. :)
 
my father-in-law has a torch, so i can make taht happen. Are caps available at the dealer, or even the entire tube? Would the tube from any other car with same engine work (the contis or cobras for example)?

-D
 
Dealer should have caps, call Max at Five Star. I beleive our tubes are no longer in production as well, may have to call Jamie for that (so be careful heating it).
 
reviving this thread from 2008, the pipe-wrench has worked since then but now the cap is damaged, metal is stgripped along the edges, and I just can't get any grip with any wrench I have tried. The metal just shreds.

So I have purchased a new plug but I still need to get this SOB off! I don't wantto heat it up, but I will take a dremel tool to it or something. Who's got the sure-fire fool-proof method??
 
Some people have had a nut welded to the top so they can grab it with a wrench. I've got a good gen 1 tube if it ends up you need the whole thing. Also, lots of caps. ;)
 
Wait....so let me understand this. You've been using the pipe wrench for two years and never thought of replacing the cap one of those times? :D That's your car giving you karma back. Haha
 
I thought of it EVERY time! I just thought I would replace it NEXT time. But really we're talking like twice sicne 2008, it;s not like I pull my crossover cap off every month :/
 
but anyway how to get that stuck one off of there? Bearing in mind my mental limitations and bad karma as pointed out on the thread here :/
 
Visit junk yard after using your fingers to do the walking to find a Mk8 and pull the crossover tube and replace.
 
If you have a welder or know someone, I think the best route would be the welded nut. You will have to replace the o-ring but that should come with the new cap. The hammer trick works at breaking the rust free if you can still get the pipe wrench on. I would assume you used the pipe wrench to tighten it too so it's probably over tightened a bit.
 
You can't give up until you do the welded nut trick, everyone breaks when their nuts get welded! LOL
 
The only time my buddy with the welder could find to come over was 7am on Thanksgiving day. But he did it! First welded a nut onto the stuck cap, I threw a socket on it and it came off with no effort. I think the heat of the welding was enough LOL.

Then I had him weld a nut to the NEW cap I had purchased from the dealer. He filled it from the inside of the nut so it is nice and clean on the outside.

Now I just need to paint the crossover tube...

Oh yeah and replace my water pump, almost forgot about that part :/
 
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