so i changed to a copper radiator, it's great. No friggin neck for the heater valve, no biggie do the bypass. Well the goddamn aluminum sob plug shredded like nothing trying to remove it from waterpump. At this point do I have to buy matching radiator for the hell forsaken heater valve or a new sob waterpump. It's my understanding the older style pumps wont work on serpentine belt set up. 91 LO3

 

bump bump bump

 

correct serpentine W/P are reverse rotation. Pumps for V belt engines are different

I do believe the plug you are trying to get out uses a allen wrench, take a torx bit (tight fit) and drive it into the plug and put some heat on it, you shouldn't need cherry red but nice and toasty, with slow steady torque see if it will loosen. If you get too tough with it the torx can break or round out the plug worse than it is already. I have had more success than not, doing this on any size allen head. You want to HAVE to drive in the torx not a slip fit.

Don't let it mess with your head, even though it is a third gen and they do have a personality it is still a man made machine.

 

If you use a torx, AND use it on an impact gun, that should hammer it out. I have a set of impact gun torx bits for 1/2" drive, that come in handy for this.

 

Do not use an impact you will make things worse than you have now. HAND wrench only. You want steady torque, I tried the impact my first try.......wasn't pretty

 

I'm not sure anything will fit in it now. I mean it literally shredded. I was using the 3/8 drive ratchet and a 3 foot iron pipe. I applied slow torque and it just shredded. Little pieces of the plug everywhere. I can't believe I messed this up.
I thought about using a little propane torch. Did these plugs have loctite on them from the factory? Mine has it on there and I wasn't sure if it was from the factory

 

An impact hammer works better for these situations because shocking it out will work better than going slow.

The only other option it looks like you have is to use a cold chisel, make a burr on the edge, and use a mini sledge and the chisel to "spin" the plug out.

I'd heat it up HOT a couple times first. If what is on the plug is truly loctite, and not just thread sealant, heat will weaken it.

 

Sometimes finesse works better than brute force.

Heat is you friend when it comes to aluminum on steel.