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Stuck Screw

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Mad Dog Jim

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Well I think I mentioned before that I snapped off two screws on my points cover... just bought a new cam cover after fighting with it and snapping off the cheap little ez-out. AND... just stripped the head out of one of my clutch cover screws. The torx socket hole is not deep enough to get an ez-out to grab. So, I read HDT's tip on broken studs. Called the parts store and they have a few lefty drill bits. Too late tonight but will be picking one up after work tomorrow and give it a shot. Wish me luck. Primary covers are not a cheap as a cam cover!
 
Good luck with the lefty drill. Often when you drill the head off the scree the screww will turn out. The bottom of the heads will seize against the surface as well as the threads.
kemo
 
if you find you are stripping torx screw heads , check to make sure you have the proper torx bit - some have a square cut edge & some have rounded edges - the round cut will strip a square but the square doesn`t fit the round.
just a thought
 
Bull Dog Jim said:
Well I think I mentioned before that I snapped off two screws on my points cover... just bought a new cam cover after fighting with it and snapping off the cheap little ez-out. AND... just stripped the head out of one of my clutch cover screws. The torx socket hole is not deep enough to get an ez-out to grab. So, I read HDT's tip on broken studs. Called the parts store and they have a few lefty drill bits. Too late tonight but will be picking one up after work tomorrow and give it a shot. Wish me luck. Primary covers are not a cheap as a cam cover!
Click to expand...

The one thing that has always worked for me is a Snap-on impact driver, I use many Sears tools and they work, but there is a world of difference between impact drivers. One wack with a hammer driving the torx in and twisting at the same time breaks them loose everytime for me.
 
Chop has you covered...impact tool usually comes with hardened bits in Allen and Hex. Also make sure the end is "square" so you get the full length of the tool engaged in the hole...if you choose to "square up" the tool, do not overheat by grinding, use a file and go easy to not remove the "temper".

Make sure the fit is SNUG before you decide to use the impact/twist feature. Funny thing also, sometimes you wil find a mix of metric and english fasteners that may come in 1/2 sizes, like 2.5mm and such which will make your life miserable if you select the wrong size.

SnapOn makes great tools, but the key is to get high quality, tight fitting BITS. :s

http://www.hdtimeline.com/chassis_suspension_and_front_end/10500-impact_driver.html
 
Something to think about: Replacing the torx head with an allen head.

Torx was designed for speed of assembly and "cam-ing" issues. Not bad if you maintain the threads and it is something that is removed regularly (like the clutch cover), in my opinion. Water, minerals, heat, dirt, etc can make threads a mess and it only takes one to make your day much longer.

In any event, remember to clean out the holes and threads before you put 'em back in...

I have the Sears brand impact hammer. I had never heard of or used one before this board and got it to remove the giant Philips head screw, draining the shock oil. Worth every penny.
 
All great stuff guys! Thanks. I'm leery of the impact at this point because I dont want to crack my primary cover. Also, 99% of my torz stuff is gone. Replacing everything with shiny new allens. Frequently removed screws get anti-seize, stay put screws get blue locktite. At least I didn't force a bad position this time and snap it off, right?

I'll let you know how the lefty bit works tonight.
 
The impact driver won't crack the primary cover. It will just crack the screw loose.
 
Right on. I just don't have one yet. LOL

But that is on my tool list. On this project I had to play go along to get along. But I'm outfitting my shop this year little by little. Wiring 220 for a compressor and MIG. Getting a decent stand and jack. A getting a rollaway and filling it with Snap-on. (That might take a while though)
 
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