What is the easiest way to remove a 3/8-16 button head socket cap screw, that normally takes a 5mm allen wrench, but the head is now stripped?
Need help with stripped screw head
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Originally Posted By: paul246
Take a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel and make a slot across the screw head, then back it out with a standard screw driver.
Good idea. A guy here in our machine shop just loaned me an "ease-out" set. If that doesn't work, I'll try your idea.
Take a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel and make a slot across the screw head, then back it out with a standard screw driver.
Good idea. A guy here in our machine shop just loaned me an "ease-out" set. If that doesn't work, I'll try your idea.
If you try the slot trick but can't get enough torque on the screwdriver to remove the screw, try a hand impact driver with a slotted bit.
If that doesn't work you can use a punch in the slot to try to get the screw to rotate slightly. Even a small bit of rotation and you might be able to then turn it out with a screwdriver.
Any way that you can heat up the part that the screw is threaded into? That would help.
The easyout set you got will probably require a hole drilled into the screw. I'd try the other things first.
If that doesn't work you can use a punch in the slot to try to get the screw to rotate slightly. Even a small bit of rotation and you might be able to then turn it out with a screwdriver.
Any way that you can heat up the part that the screw is threaded into? That would help.
The easyout set you got will probably require a hole drilled into the screw. I'd try the other things first.
Yeah an easy out just doesn't seem like the correct tool at this point.
How "stripped" is the hex hole? IMHO it's usually just at the top of the hole. Maybe the previous Beelzebub used a hex ball driver (evil things). I would make an effort to clean the hole up and dig any junk out of the bottom very carefully. Then get a correct size regular (low cost) hex driver in the hole and pop it with a hammer. This should get some grip - IF the hole is not completely toast.
How tight is it????? Do the standard heating, penetrant, rapping to loosen before the above.
How "stripped" is the hex hole? IMHO it's usually just at the top of the hole. Maybe the previous Beelzebub used a hex ball driver (evil things). I would make an effort to clean the hole up and dig any junk out of the bottom very carefully. Then get a correct size regular (low cost) hex driver in the hole and pop it with a hammer. This should get some grip - IF the hole is not completely toast.
How tight is it????? Do the standard heating, penetrant, rapping to loosen before the above.
Pablo,
I'm the Beelzebub who stripped it. It is a bolt on my broken mountain bike frame that holds part of the linkage together. The hole is pretty much toast. When trying to loosen it last night, the allen wrench turned 90°, but the screw didn't move. GRRRRRR!!! It's not big enough to go up to a 6mm hex, so I'm almost out of options.
If the ease-out doesn't work, I'll try the more "persuasive" methods listed.
I'm the Beelzebub who stripped it. It is a bolt on my broken mountain bike frame that holds part of the linkage together. The hole is pretty much toast. When trying to loosen it last night, the allen wrench turned 90°, but the screw didn't move. GRRRRRR!!! It's not big enough to go up to a 6mm hex, so I'm almost out of options.
If the ease-out doesn't work, I'll try the more "persuasive" methods listed.
You could get a 6mm or its english equivalent between 5 & 6 and grind the ends down in a taper, then hammer it in.
If you can get at the outside circumference of the screw head, you can grind two flats on there and go at it with an open end wrench or vise grips.
It ain't over until you snap the screw head off completely! (Even then, with clamping pressure released from the threads, you may have a new opportunity to CCW drill, etc.
If you can get at the outside circumference of the screw head, you can grind two flats on there and go at it with an open end wrench or vise grips.
It ain't over until you snap the screw head off completely! (Even then, with clamping pressure released from the threads, you may have a new opportunity to CCW drill, etc.
Originally Posted By: eljefino
You could get a 6mm or its english equivalent between 5 & 6 and grind the ends down in a taper, then hammer it in.
Good idea. Hit the head of the screw with a punch too, to "break" any corrosion apart.
Left handed drill bit could be useful, if all other solutions fail.
You could get a 6mm or its english equivalent between 5 & 6 and grind the ends down in a taper, then hammer it in.
Good idea. Hit the head of the screw with a punch too, to "break" any corrosion apart.
Left handed drill bit could be useful, if all other solutions fail.
A couple more ideas
Left hand twist drill bit, somewhat hard to find though
Hammer and cold chisel tapping it in the loosening direction
Left hand twist drill bit, somewhat hard to find though
Hammer and cold chisel tapping it in the loosening direction
Originally Posted By: NJC
eljefino said:Left handed drill bit could be useful, if all other solutions fail.
along with a left handed drill,man, you'll knock that out in no time!!!
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I think that we knew he was referring to a CCW cut drill bit
A Sears/Craftsman tool I have that you can put on a drill and run in reverse. It has the teeth to bite into the remaining rounded head and pull out the screw.
Try hammering in a 7/32 allen wrench. I have used the slot method too with varying degees of success
Originally Posted By: wavinwayne
3/8-16 button head socket cap screw, that normally takes a 5mm allen wrench
3/8" - 16 button head is 7/32" allen wrench, not 5mm. At least the 3/8" - 16 button head I have is.
3/8-16 button head socket cap screw, that normally takes a 5mm allen wrench
3/8" - 16 button head is 7/32" allen wrench, not 5mm. At least the 3/8" - 16 button head I have is.
I got the screw out. I took a 1/4" drill bit, and drilled approx. 1/4" deep into the head of the screw. Then, I hammered a 7mm hex driver into the hole. It almost stripped again, but it finally broke loose.
Next you'll be posting "How do I remove a stuck 7mm wrench from a 5mm cap screw??".
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