Have you opened your NATO plug cap?

[grnamin]

Have you opened your cap? Any special way to do it? Mine won't budge. I don't know of a strap wrench would be of use due to the metal flange that wraps around the cap. Any ideas?

 

[Tazzieman]

View attachment 7851348
Have you opened your cap? Any special way to do it? Mine won't budge. I don't know of a strap wrench would be of use due to the metal flange that wraps around the cap. Any ideas?

Give it some boonty
Find a grandad. Old man strength (finger/wrist) is a real thing.
Pure hate sometimes works.

 

[grnamin]

Give it some boonty
Find a grandad. Old man strength (finger/wrist) is a real thing.
Pure hate sometimes works.

I'm grandad age. Putting myself to shame. Where's that GI Joe with kung fu grip?!

 

[Tazzieman]

I'm grandad age. Putting myself to shame. Where's that GI Joe with kung fu grip?!

I'm also a grandad. Sometimes when I can't conjure up enough hate , I defer to my wife's methodical nature
Try padding the jaws of a vice grip tool and carefully adjusting the pressure so as not to crush the cap.
And when you do finally loosen it , clean the threads with a fine wire brush and some WD40

 

[Cheshire cat]

Plus 1 for Grandad age. Fortunately my Grenadier makes me feel much younger.

 

[Tazzieman]

One other thing , given the soft threads it can be tricky getting it seated correctly before screwing the cap on.
I marked the 12 o'clock point after finding the sweet spot, so I know it will start in the groove every time.

 

[grnamin]

Plus 1 for Grandad age. Fortunately my Grenadier makes me feel much younger.

Whose Grenadier doesn't make them feel younger anyway?

 

[MTNDOG]

I tried mine tonight and it opened with no issue. Is anti seize on the threads a good idea?

 

[Les]

Just picked mine up (only 15 months )it’s a late MY23 and no NATO plug to be seen? Drives really well and yes well worth the wait

 

[Tazzieman]

I tried mine tonight and it opened with no issue. Is anti seize on the threads a good idea?

Yes and no. If you use that socket for a cable to a trailer , the cap will be open to the elements, grit, sand will stick.
My approach : clean the threads with a brass wire brush , add some silicone spray.

 

[grnamin]

Finally got the cap unscrewed with large taped up channel lock pliers. Some clear liquid spilled out. Couldn't tell what it was. Might have been water. It dried up quickly on the warm driveway. I put anti-seize copper on the threads and put the cap back on, hand tight. Thinking of sealing the cap with a rubber o-ring.

 

[Tazzieman]

Finally got the cap unscrewed with large taped up channel lock pliers. Some clear liquid spilled out. Couldn't tell what it was.

Electrons

 

[Tazzieman]

Thinking of sealing the cap with a rubber o-ring.

The cap has a rubber seal already. Well , mine does.

 

[GrenADV]

I need help - I can't seem to get the cap to open on mine. It doesn't budge, even after eating a bowl of Wheaties for breakfast. Plus, my wrenches are butchering the cap (even though I've taped the teeth with gorilla tape).

Stupid Questions - thanks in advance for humoring me:
-The cap should loosen with a counter-clockwise turn - correct?
-Which type of wrench did you use and how big?

Grateful for any other advice - as I'd like to put the NATO socket to use with my portable ARB twin air compressor.

Thanks!!

 

[grnamin]

I need help - I can't seem to get the cap to open on mine. It doesn't budge, even after eating a bowl of Wheaties for breakfast. Plus, my wrenches are butchering the cap (even though I've taped the teeth with gorilla tape).

Stupid Questions - thanks in advance for humoring me:
-The cap should loosen with a counter-clockwise turn - correct?
-Which type of wrench did you use and how big?

Grateful for any other advice - as I'd like to put the NATO socket to use with my portable ARB twin air compressor.

Thanks!!

I use large channel lock pliers...

 

[Cheshire cat]

I need help - I can't seem to get the cap to open on mine. It doesn't budge, even after eating a bowl of Wheaties for breakfast. Plus, my wrenches are butchering the cap (even though I've taped the teeth with gorilla tape).

Stupid Questions - thanks in advance for humoring me:
-The cap should loosen with a counter-clockwise turn - correct?
-Which type of wrench did you use and how big?

Grateful for any other advice - as I'd like to put the NATO socket to use with my portable ARB twin air compressor.

Thanks!!

CCW as you thought, although sometimes, just a tweak clockwise might help break the bond.. Have you tried dousing the thread as best you can with Plus Gas or similar? Even a little diesel might help. Not wanting to be pedantic, but you are applying the pliers for maximum leverage in a clockwise direction, looking at your photograph.

 

[GrenADV]

I use large channel lock pliers...

Super helpful - thank you. I think I need to make a trip to the hardware store to purchase some larger channel locks.

 

[GrenADV]

CCW as you thought, although sometimes, just a tweak clockwise might help break the bond.. Have you tried dousing the thread as best you can with Plus Gas or similar? Even a little diesel might help. Not wanting to be pedantic, but you are applying the pliers for maximum leverage in a clockwise direction, looking at your photograph.

Thank you! I'll give this a go as soon as I get some bigger channel locks. It's been since December when I received my Grenadier and only got access to the NATO socket in May when the dealer removed the plastic cover and reinstalled the hitch receiver - so I'm positive the threads are just seized up.

One other question: what brand of anti-seize is recommended once I do get it opened?

 

[grnamin]

I carry the channel locks in my Gren. The NATO cap seizes up every time no matter what lube I put. Maybe I'll look for a tubular o-ring to replace the flat rubber washer inside the cap. Maybe that's the key, @GrenADV . I'll try anti-seize. Got this from Amazon for my rock slider steps bolts:
Permatex 09128 Copper Anti-Seize Lubricant, 8 oz. https://a.co/d/0fginRvO

 

[GrenADV]

I carry the channel locks in my Gren. The NATO cap seizes up every time no matter what lube I put. Maybe I'll look for a tubular o-ring to replace the flat rubber washer inside the cap. Maybe that's the key, @GrenADV . I'll try anti-seize. Got this from Amazon for my rock slider steps bolts:
Permatex 09128 Copper Anti-Seize Lubricant, 8 oz. https://a.co/d/0fginRvO

Awesome - thanks for this info. Not good that it seizes up every time - I'll be interested to see if there's a good fix for this. Just ordered the anti-seize as well. Thanks for your help, @grnamin!