I bought a 17mm allen socket from bavauto.com. I think it was like $20 or $25 bucks.

 

My local auto parts store sells 17mm hex drives for 1/2" drive wrenches - even with a 2' breaker bar, I had to use plenty of PB Blaster/soaking.

 

yea I bought the 17mm 1/2" drive from Pelican parts.

 

thanks for all the tips, when my new plugs come in im gonna give it another go.
a semi-related question: i ran all around town looking for redline MTL or the Swepco 201 and couldnt find either so i just bought mobil 1 75w-90. after a little research i haven't seen any good reviews about this oil. since im waiting for new drain plugs anyway is it worth it for me to order one of these oils online?

 

I think Porsche recommends 85-90W. You can orders Swepco 201 from http://www.vertexauto.com/ !

They are a site sponsor and very reasonable. My Porsche mechanic at the dealership uses this stuff rather than the stock Porsche stuff.

 

I just did this job twice in the last week - bought a half-inch drive 17mm driver from McMaster Carr - $13 and it has a replaceable tip if you ever do tweak it. Worked like a charm on two cars that had never had the plugs out........

 

i couldnt find the swepco on the site.

 

Not to hijack this thread but here is the story. You thought you have a proble with getting the tranny plug out! I have the same problem with the Tranny fillplug execpt it is "worst now".

About a week before the 944 Fest everything checked and inspected for the track day, I decided to change the tranny oil for no other reason but to change it. I bought the 17mm key from Sears woke up the plugs as best as I could. The drain plug loosened but the fill plug stripped after numerous attempts. Took it to the local VW-Porsche service center who said they had experience removing these plugs. 1 hour later,they said that they would have to remove the CV joint and muffer to get leverage to take it out. With the car already ready for the track and shifting OK I declined.

I went to the 944 Fest drove on the track, had a great time and returned home. The plug is still in there but worst part of all this that they had taken a chisel and hammered away on the edge of the plug until one side colapsed so there is no way to get a 17mm allen key to work again. The car runs and shifts OK but sooner or later I gotta revisit this nightmare again.

Any suggestions for removing the damaged plug?

 

To solve the lack of grip/not a big enough breaker bar I used a bottle jack. I picked up an allen key from sears, put the small end in the plug, and put a bottle jack under the long end.

The first few pumps started to lift my car...then there was that great tink sound and the plug came out quite easily with no effort by me at all!

 

That 'tink' sound is always the greatest... its amazing how stuck some of these bolts and screws get. Unfortunetley usually the tink sound is followed by either..

A. Me punching myself in the face accidentally
B. My knuckles smashing into the concrete
C. My hand and knuckles smashing into something sharp

 

^^^^^
Truer words have not been spoken........

 

Yep, been down that road too. I had the outer edge of the plug crack so that when I tried to remove it with the 17 mm hex key it would just spread apart and the 17 hex would just slip. I heated the plug with a little propane torch and that helped it come loose. Just out of curiousity has anyone tried ordering a new fill/drain tranny plug from Porsche? I did and they gave me a plastic plug that required a 12 or 24 point socket "can't remember" and when I questioned the plastic plug was told that the old steel hex plug was no longer available and was replaced with a plastic plug. I refused the plastic plug and said I would look for a used steel plug. Anyone use the "new" plastic plug yet?

 

www.Vertexauto.com
In the left side there is a place for an SKU#

For Swepco 201 the SKU# 4162
it cost $49 for a gallon and it takes less than one gallon to fill it. Pouring it in there with gallon jug is like F'ing with your boots on, so I would figure on maybe going to Wal-mart, Target, or Auto zone, and buying a pump.
Yea, I know sounds like a lot of money for frigg'n tranny oil change, but I would bet money that it never has been changed.

You might while you under there inspect the break lines, ball joints, controler arm bushings, sway bar bushings, and tie rod ends they are old. Like anything rubber and old it can go bad. Porsche recomends that the lines be bled every 2-3 years or 50,000 miles. I bet that has never happend too.

 

Depending on just how frugal you want to be...

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog

Actually, pretty reasonably priced, I think. Btw I own one, and think it's well worth the price.

 

I used Redline MTL in my transmission. It shifts excellently. Much better than with some of the other fluids I've tried.
Not-so-good things have been said about the Mobil 1, but if you had really dirty fluid in there before, you might as well run it for 5000 miles or so then drain it out to remove as much of the contaminated fluid and metal shavings as possible.