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Removal of stripped screws/bolts

W

wzellwzell@yahoo.com

New member
I have a 15 year old bike that had a couple of screws (phillips) and one hex head bolt that the heads are stripped.

I have tried to drill them out a with fluted screw extractor after spraying with WD40 to no avail.

Anyone have any ideas before I need to take it to the dealer to be charged $32,895.39 for the removal?

BTW these are on the small size with the largest 20x6mm the others hold on the body pannel.
 
I have a 15 year old bike that had a couple of screws (phillips) and one hex head bolt that the heads are stripped.

I have tried to drill them out a with fluted screw extractor after spraying with WD40 to no avail.

Anyone have any ideas before I need to take it to the dealer to be charged $32,895.39 for the removal?

BTW these are on the small size with the largest 20x6mm the others hold on the body pannel.
 
Last edited:
I've found on "stripped" phillips screws that fitting a Reed and Prince tip to an impact driver often solves the problem. The R&P tip is more "pointy" than a #2 phillips and bites better. The impact driver is always the way to go if the item the screw is stuck in is solid enough to withstand a good whack with a bfh.
 
I will get some pictures if it ever stops raining (maybe tomorrow).
The hex head may take a cut with a dremmel, however the phillips have had their heads somehow removed.

Also, I posted this in error on the gear forum. Does anyone know how I can remove it?
 
To go further-You fail to explain just why you were unable to get them out with a "fluted" extractor. A more complete notion will help just as much as a picture,i.e., were you able to drill into the center of the bolt and then the extractor was slipping,etc..
I have always preferred the type extractor that has a "twisted effect", sort of like a crude wood screw thread and am using the same set since the 1960's! Have you tried left hand drill bits? That is usually a good first tactic as they may come out that way without further ado-of course you do have the risk of ending up with a broken drill bit inside the first problem thus creating a second problem. If you have an assembly that can be removed a machine shop can burn it out with an EDM machine too. I have never udes a Dremel for such work and have yet to feel that was needed to get one out.
As stated above-send us a picture.
 
The extractor would not bite, it just kept spinning. The head of the bolt/screw is now round. I have not tried any other method, but a left hand drill bit has been mentioned. Is there any kind of prep work that needs to be done? Also Alden screw extractors.
 
Zaasu said:
Do you run these in forward or reversed?
Click to expand...

Reverse. The extractor is a two piece unit. One piece is a left handed (carbid tipped?) bit that drills the pilot hole. When the bit is deap enough the outer piece grabs the remaining wall of the screw.

1110382378_Fzf2C-O.jpg


Notice the threads on the inner piece that allow the depth of the outer piece to be changed.
 
To quote Hall and Oates, "It's a bitch"

There are as many ways and means to get those wrecked screws out as there are 'boys with opinions'.

Some will never work, some might. Your screws, you gotta decide.
IMO, never give up.
I would read everything posted, pick one that makes sense to you, and try that first. Then try everything else, then make up your own method and try that. Share what works. We are all listening.

If you take it to the dealer they may charge the $32,895.39 even if they mess up something else. I've never met an awesome dealer, doesn't mean they don't exist, just means I have no proof.

Sounds like your screws are fairly uncritical so you have time, if you get them out yourself, the experience will yank you from where you are now, to a more competent wrench.


Sorry about the rant, sincerely trying to help.
 
Can you or have you used heat? Was the extractor hole sized properly for that extractor? A recent use of my extractors was to remove the security bolts that retain the ignition switch assy. under the triple tree casting. These are loctited(from oem installation) 8x1.25 and came out easily with a shallow hole & my regular easy outs, but no corrosion was involved , but lots of torque what with blue locktite.
 
if there is enough edge to the screw/bolt head, Vise-Grips can often get things moving. Sometimes a Torx will work where an Allen no longer does (and it may be that Torx was the right tool to be used at the start)
 
Small screws can also be heated by using the tip of your soldering iron.I have had to use a small chisel and hammer on more than one stripped head in my wrenching. Ed
 
rebake said:
Small screws can also be heated by using the tip of your soldering iron.I have had to use a small chisel and hammer on more than one stripped head in my wrenching. Ed
Click to expand...
I have a lifetime supply of hardened steel needles(come from an undisclosed tire factory & are approx. 1/8" diax 8-9" long)that were/are used to pierce the uncured carcass of a green(uncured) earthmover tire in mfg process. They are great for turning out a bolt, but you cannot do that(or with a punch) unless the dia of the bolt is large enough to get an angle going to turn it.
As to a soldering iron loosening a bolt-sometimes they are hard to get out with oxy/aceteylene, so I wonder how hot your iron is. I have failed using propane in a remote attempt from shop so just don't have any experience to say that will work?
 
Serious heat does two things -

1) Differential thermal expansion between aluminum and steel will tend to crack loose any steel fastener that is in an aluminum case, and

2) It burns away any grease/oil/ and paint lubrication on both the fastener and the wrench allowing you to get a better grip with any tool bit.
 
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