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One of my upper small stainless steel machine screws of the main headlamp assembly bezel is broken off perfectly flush with the aluminum? zinc? body. It was like that before my purchase. The bezel attaches firmly with the other three fasteners.
I have broken bolt extractors, a drill press and nearly every other reasonably ordinary tool at my disposal but short of removing the entire headlamp assembly so that I can accurately drill into that fastener am at a loss regarding a relatively simple fix.
Any suggestions? My present solution is "let it be" but I'm happy to try anything that doesn't require removing the entire assembly.
I'm not sure what size the screw is but soak it with a good penetrating oil over a few days first. Center punch as close to the center as possible and heat the area around the hole gently with a small butane torch. Start drilling using a good quality drill bit (left hand if available) starting out small enough that you won't touch the threads. If the hole is large enough for an extractor use that. If not, go up one size at a time until the screw starts to fall apart. Re-tap the hole after removing all the debris. This is risky on small screws so if it doesn't bother you that much I would go with Alan's advice.
Believe I'll try some PB blaster and a very small bit followed by a slightly larger left-hand bit. If that doesn't work I'll cut off a screw head, glue it on and call it "fixed"
See Three: That's exactly what I've done with other sheared bolts but this one is not only very small (#10) but worse I risk causing significant damage with the center punch.
Oh man....I'm feeling the pain as well. I'm attempting to rebuild my headlight buckets and I'm snapping the screws off left and right. I'd really like to keep the lids as replacements are pricey. Are these size 10 screws maybe? Going to try left hand drill bit as well.
Last edited by 73BBVette; Mar 9, 2017 at 11:10 AM.
My experience: I have to get these type screws/bolts out of outboard aluminum parts/blocks all of the time. I suggest you file the remaining surface flat, center punch to keep your drill bit from walking, start with a small drill, 1/16 or 1/8 depending on screw size and then work up with larger bits until you get the hole size you want and then carefully tap to desired threads. Depending on the piece shape, you might need a second set of eyes to help watch that you are drilling at the angle you want. Hand drill always works better than a drill press for this. And rh drill bits work good, and I usually go through a few drill bits for this exercise. And finally, I never have been able to get extractors to work despite a trying a number of different kinds. The last time I tried an extractor, after swearing off of them a number of times, the extractor broke off in the hole and now I had a tempered piece of steel in my hole. Finally heated and drilled it out and then threw all of my extractors as far as I could pitch them in the backyard never to be found again (I hope). Sometimes too, I have drilled and tapped the hole oversized, installed a new aluminum bolt, then cut and filed flat and then you have a new piece/surface to drill and tap your smaller desired screw. Good luck and hope this helps, you can easily spend several hours fixing this.
Stainless steel work hardens very easily. If you have already drilled on it and used any reasonably high speed or pressure with the drill bit then it is already work hardened.
If not then when you drill use a very slow speed and not a lot of pressure. Keep the heat down so as to not work harden the stainless.
I have in the past used a welder to "stick" the rod to a bolt that broke off during installation and was able to back it out.
With your screw since you did not break it off it would be hard to say if it's tight in the hole or not.
Sticking the welding rod to it may not be a an option depending on the size and accesibility. Or surounding components that may be damaged. Just depends on how bad you want to get it out.
My experience: I have to get these type screws/bolts out of outboard aluminum parts/blocks all of the time. I suggest you file the remaining surface flat, center punch to keep your drill bit from walking, start with a small drill, 1/16 or 1/8 depending on screw size and then work up with larger bits until you get the hole size you want and then carefully tap to desired threads. Depending on the piece shape, you might need a second set of eyes to help watch that you are drilling at the angle you want. Hand drill always works better than a drill press for this. And rh drill bits work good, and I usually go through a few drill bits for this exercise. And finally, I never have been able to get extractors to work despite a trying a number of different kinds. The last time I tried an extractor, after swearing off of them a number of times, the extractor broke off in the hole and now I had a tempered piece of steel in my hole. Finally heated and drilled it out and then threw all of my extractors as far as I could pitch them in the backyard never to be found again (I hope). Sometimes too, I have drilled and tapped the hole oversized, installed a new aluminum bolt, then cut and filed flat and then you have a new piece/surface to drill and tap your smaller desired screw. Good luck and hope this helps, you can easily spend several hours fixing this.
It's always better to just center punch and drill then re-tap any screw or bolt that small . It's not enough size to have the screw extractors work properly. It will just distort the hole and make taping it difficult . Buy brand new drill bits too . They will cut a clean straight hole.
For me, I find a nut larger than the broken bolt, then weld it to the top of the remaining bolt section. The heat from welding helps free the threads and then I just back the screw out with a standard wrench. . . Food for thought for you. Most don't have good welders but this method is tried, true and very very effective.
If you don' have a welder you might remove the bucket and take it to someone that does.
The issue is the heat and the paint on top the lid but if you use a soak on it you won't have that issue either.
Willcox
Last edited by Willcox Corvette; Mar 9, 2017 at 05:22 PM.
Tommy snapped a bounting bolt on one of mine, bascially flush, i was gonna grind it smooth, soak it over a few days with heat and pb blaster type oil and try a screw extractor as its larger than the one you are fighting, i figure in the end i will have to drill and retap...or helicoil
For me, I find a nut larger than the broken bolt, then weld it to the top of the remaining bolt section. The heat from welding helps free the threads and then I just back the screw out with a standard wrench. . . Food for thought for you. Most don't have good welders but this method is tried, true and very very effective.
If you don' have a welder you might remove the bucket and take it to someone that does.
The issue is the heat and the paint on top the lid but if you use a soak on it you won't have that issue either.
Willcox
That does work if you have enough sticking up ,I've done it myself but the situation that he showed was broke off level . It would be hard if not impossible to do that without damaging the metal around the broken bolt. That's an expensive part to chance it in that situation. Easier to just drill and tap.
Stainless steel work hardens very easily. If you have already drilled on it and used any reasonably high speed or pressure with the drill bit then it is already work hardened.
If not then when you drill use a very slow speed and not a lot of pressure. Keep the heat down so as to not work harden the stainless.
I believe that and will certainly keep such in mind in the future!!!
As I was afraid to use a center punch my bit walked all over (of course) after my first attempt that seemed to catch for a moment . I was using high speed. The surrounding aluminum? housing is now slightly drilled out around the now work hardened screw.
I believe that and will certainly keep such in mind in the future!!!
As I was afraid to use a center punch my bit walked all over (of course) after my first attempt that seemed to catch for a moment . I was using high speed. The surrounding aluminum? housing is now slightly drilled out around the now work hardened screw.
Will definitely glue in a head
If you are using a high speed drill that will happen if you just rush into it . If you can't center punch it don't start the drill at full trigger. Just start and stop with a slight touch on the trigger until you have a small indentation in the center of the stud then slowly continue to drill the rest. And you are not going to work harden a stud by drilling it.
I had to do this on military aircraft, so, I'd apply some PB Blaster, let sit for a few hours, I would drill the stuck/broken screws with a left hand bit. If it doesn't come out, then you can use the EZ out. Take your time.
No offense to whoever it was that said to file the screws down flush, you don't have to, as long as you take your time, and drill straight. And, if there is enough sticking up, PB Blaster and some small needle nose vice grips and just grab on the screw and twist it out
You can also use a Dremel with a thin cutting disc and cut a [screwdriver] slot into the shank of the offending screw. It will also cut into the mating surface, but that can be filled with JB Weld epoxy, shaped, sanded & repainted.
This will only work if you can soak with penetrant and get the shank to free-up enough to back it out with a screwdriver.
Sheared Machine Screw Removal
. Sometimes too, I have drilled and tapped the hole oversized, installed a new aluminum bolt, then cut and filed flat and then you have a new piece/surface to drill and tap your smaller desired screw. Good luck and hope this helps, you can easily spend several hours fixing this.
It's always better to just center punch and drill then re-tap any screw or bolt that small . It's not enough size to have the screw extractors work properly. It will just distort the hole and make taping it difficult . Buy brand new drill bits too . They will cut a clean straight hole.
