So I'm getting ready to change the transmission fluid on my 08 LS with the 5-speed, when I hit a brick wall. While trying to remove the drain plug with my 8 mm hex key, it completely strips out. There is limited space to work as far as using other methods to remove the stripped plug, so I thought I might come to you guys for advice as to what to do. Surely I'm not the first person to do this, but you never know...and ideas?

 

drill and tap it out or if u know someone that can weld have them weld a bolt on the plug and use a wrench or socket to get it out. How many miles do u have to be changing it so soon because u will not notice a power increase with the fluid change.

 

great idea with welding the bolt on there...that looks to be the best solution. anyhow, I'm changing the fluid at just over 15k miles because this was my first manual trans car, and my girlfriend also learned to drive stick using the poor balt...so one can only imagine what that fluid might have in it as far as metal shavings from grinding gears. 2 quarts of DEXRON III (or IV?) ATF fluid, right? That is what the how-to suggested, but that sounds so far off what I anticipated.

 

could have been worse, you could have drained out the fluid and then stripped out the fill bolt