The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk How do you get stipped screws off?

Anyone know how you get screws out that are stripped?

smitchell,

A bunch of different ways.....is it a dinky dude or a big old moose, and can you get to it?


Stuart

Yeah, I can get to them. Some are in the door panel, so its not like I can hit the srewdriver with a hammer without breaking the glass.

smitchell,

Oh no, not the door panel!! I misunderstood you I guess. The "heads" must be stripped out, but the screws/bolts are in one piece. If it is a raised head screw and you can get a nice new, sharp pair of vise grips on it, that, combined with a little heat and some PB Blaster or other penetrant sometimes works.

If it is a flat head screw, which it probably is, I would customize a screwdriver to fit the buggered up head, apply some pinpoint heat with a torch, let it cool a minute, squirt it with WD-40 and give it my best.

If there is any head left, the impact screwdriver works well, but you mentioned the fact that the glass was still in the door. Glass is pretty tough, a smack with the impact driver probably wouldn't break it...my secret is always heating the fastener red hot, let it cool a bit and shoot it with penetrant. This breaks the bond between the threads and the screw.


Stuart.

and if all else fails, do what i have to do sometimes. Drill it out and retap. Stinks, but sometimes you gotta do it.

a hand grenade.

"a hand grenade" well,yeah,but then ya have ta spend time findin' all the little parts an'try ta put 'em back tagether,'cept the scrood up screw..
Speed

When we have screws with stripped heads on our planes (Navy planes - happens very often 'cause panels get removed and re-installed a lot), we drill a small spot in the head and then tap an "EZ-out" into the hole. The EZ-out looks similar to a drill bit. When it's tapped into the drilled hole, it takes a bite and then you can use pliers, vise grips, whatever to turn the EZ-out and break screw loose. They come in different sizes and you can probably pick them up at Napa or a hardware store with good tool selection.
-David

just don't brake off the EZ out trying to remove the screw.then ya need a BFH

not tobe sarcastic but smitchell if you have that big of a problem with your ol'bolt & screws then you need to sell it to me CHHHEEEAP!

Easy there, man. Just 'cause something's elementary to you, doesn't make it so for everyone else.
Many ways to skin a cat and many ways to remove stripped screws. Let's not make anyone afraid to ask questions. That's what this place is all about, easy, advanced or otherwise. Surely, the majority on this board has more experience than I but, what better way to learn? You dig?
-David

Thanks mugsy for understanding that some of us are not only new to this website but also new to the whole restoration thing! This is my first one, and I want to take it slow and do things right and learn from the pros! I'm sure lots have made many a mistake in the restoration process and I dont want to make the same ones. I thank everyone for their patiences and advice.