Looks like a large size allen wrench. TIA

17mm

What he said. Bug shop or import auto parts house will have a reasonably priced one.

Some people on this forum has mention this before. Make sure you remove the top plug first because if you can't and you drain the gear oil, you might be screwed.

If you don't want to get a allen wrench I've taken a bolt that takes a 17mm wrench and used vise grips to remove it.

Someone used an air wrench on mine. It took a breaker bar to get it off. Check the spec. The torque should not be high on the plug.

As with most pipe plugs, it is a tapered thread plug. . If you overtighten, it acts as a wedge and the internal force can crack the trans casting in extreme cases. .

Harbor Freight has an allen metric socket set for $13.99 that included an 17mm. .
Use their 20% and get it for $11
http://www.harborfreight.com/9-piece-38-an...-set-67880.html

Use one of your lug bolts in a pair of vise grips if you don't feel like buying the big honking allen wrench.

lug bolts are usually 19mm.

VW lug bolts are 17.

The original lug bolts were 19mm. Some of the common replacement ones are 17mm. I do not recommend using a bolt as an Allen wrench. Just get the right tool; it isn't that expensive.

--DD

I bought a tool from Pelican Parts that works great. I tried the bolt method but my plug was so tight I couldn't get it to budge. The tool fits a 3/8 drive breaker bar or ratchet and with a breaker bar mine came out pretty easy. Pelican part #
005773-0-m84. Good luck.

OR - You COULD use a bolt.
Costs almost nothing, is smaller than the big allen, and weighs less for the track tool kit, and works perfectly:


I actually bought this one at a FLAPS just for this purpose.
It was like $1.50 while the 17mm Allen socket was like $20.

Any AC VW bug shop will have one and they are cheap.
http://www2.cip1.com/SearchResults.asp?sea...w=25&page=1

I replaced mine with plugs from a 901/911 tranny, they have a standard 17mm bolt head.