Lot's of conversation on this topic, especially about stripping them out. I too am a member of that club now. I have a Takeuchi TB016 and cannot get the "level" allen out. Will it damage anything inside if I apply heat to the allen head? Not looking to make the entire drive glowing red so please don't attack me. Thanks.
Isn't that an o-ring plug? If so I'm not sure if heat will help like it might with pipe thread.
Try a good whack with a 48 ounce hammer first.
I use a bolt breaker stem with an allen socket in my air hammer, turning it with a 3/4 wrench, to break them loose. If you've already stripped it, heat it up a bit, drive a torx bit into it and try to spin it out.
if there is enough meat I walk them out with a very sharp air hammer chisel
You can always drive something in a stripped Allen that you can something on. Harbor Freight is full of that stuff.
I normally use a ball end of a hammer and smack the snot out of it using a larger 4 pound or bigger hammer face to face. This will drive the allen portion of the plug into itself, then you can knock an allen socket into it with a hammer then loosen with ratchet.
As above, a good Wack with a hammer. Then hit allen key socket in. Hold weight with Tbar and use a length of pipe and hit the sliding block of Tbar with hammer. The pipe will stop the jar through you hand when it lets go like a gunshot. What happens is, (in my experience anyway) if you do the plug up when the final drive is hot, the metal expands. As it cools it contracts and becomes super tight. A good shock will usually undo them.
I appreciate all the suggestions. It finally released.
great! Now do not tighten it crazy tight. it is just atmospheric pressure on gear grease and if it drips a bit, no big deal. I've never had one back out ever. Nor loosen.
So who’s method worked for you? The competition between us members is fierce! LOL
My guess whacking it with hammer, works every time I try it on plugs like that. That's the first thing I do before I even stick a hex key in the hole.