I tried to remove the stock plug on the back of the fuel rail in order to mount a sender, with the correct size allen wrench, mind you. No luck, it just stripped out. I bought a kit for stripped threads and all it did was act like a brass shredder. It just kept turning and made the hole bigger. I stopped before I broke through the end of the plug.

Ok, so now I try to remove the shrader valve (that I installed last year) from the front of the motor so I can at least mount the new mechanical fuel pressure gauge I just bought...same thing. I went from the exact size socket and ended up using a pipe wrench. All the wrench did was shear off layer after layer of brass.

Am I missing something ? Is that factory applied red loctite permanent ? A job that should have taken about thirty minutes was still unfinished after 2+ hours and removing the plenum (which required a previously unforseen trip to the Merc dealer for new plenum gaskets).

WTF !!!

Rock

Your gonna have to remove the rail. Get an easy-out and drill a hole in the plug. Heat the end of the rail and twist it out slowly. If needed put more heat on it. You can repaint it so don't worry about burning the paint. Of course make sure all of the fuel is blown out before you light the torch

Thanks Smitty, that's what I was afraid of. A project best set aside for when I have an entire day to devote to it. Thanks for the fix.

Rock