[curios_observer]

Title.

Was at the junkyard today, I'm looking for a new transmission fluid pan since mine is dented up (but not leaking thankfully)

I noticed most of the Cobalts in the yard seemed to have this strange "rubber grommet" drain plug I have never seen before?

Here's what it looks like:

Any ideas how you get it out?

I tried pinching it off with a pair of pliers, but the rubber is super slippery and I couldn't get a good grip on it.

It's unclear what "socket" is used for this thing, since most of the how-to Youtube videos show Cobalts with a nice-and-easy hex transmission drain plug that "comes right out" with a simple hex socket (14 mm I think?)

I went home empty-handed since I was getting messy under there/ATF was getting all over my tools

Next time I go back I would like to know how to get this strange "rubber grommet" drain plug out so it can properly drain onto the ground and I can have a nice/clean removal once the fluid is properly drained

 

[Oldslowandugly]

It looks a lot like the 'oil drain plug repair' that was available many moons go. When you stripped the drain plug threads you inserted this rubber bullet and it sealed it up. It is installed/removed by shoving something blunt up into it to stretch it enough to slide in or out. It came with a green plastic 'tool' that was nothing more than a plastic blunt shaft. A smooth ended phillips screwdriver works well. Since there is no handy drain on a Cobalt [and most other] transmission drain pans I think that was installed to make oil changes easy. It doesn't hurt the pan besides there being a hole in it. You can just weld it closed.