71' door sills question
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 211
Likes: 0
From: madison wi
71' door sills question
the door sills on my 71' have phillips screws in them but each of the heads on the screws are filled in with metal thus making a phillips srewdriver useless for the removal/replacement project.
Is this normal?
I'm guessing I'll need to drill the screws out with a drill bit...does that seem to be a logical solution?
Is this normal?
I'm guessing I'll need to drill the screws out with a drill bit...does that seem to be a logical solution?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,664
Likes: 1
From: Nashville TN
It might be the bubba way but I have had luck with drilling out the messed up heads of the screws and then using vice grips to screw the rest of the screw out once the trim piece is removed. If you cant grip it with the vice grips you can slot what is left of the screw and try to use a flat head screwdriver to get it out. If all else fails drill it out with the smallest possible bit and then re tap the hole for a slightly larger screw.
I would try what the others said first and only use my bubba way as a last resort. Good luck!
I would try what the others said first and only use my bubba way as a last resort. Good luck!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 1,047
Likes: 3
From: CA
Are you re-using the sills? If so that will make slotting the screws difficult without damaging the sill. If the sills are trash its easy to make a slot using a dremel set.
I find it unlikely that anyone would take the time to fill in the top of a phillips screw. Are you sure its just not full of dirt, and rust? Try letting a little wd40 dit on the head and then try scraping away the top of the screw with an awl or other sharp object to see if you can find the phillips screw head.
I find it unlikely that anyone would take the time to fill in the top of a phillips screw. Are you sure its just not full of dirt, and rust? Try letting a little wd40 dit on the head and then try scraping away the top of the screw with an awl or other sharp object to see if you can find the phillips screw head.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
From: franklin sqaureish ny
Originally Posted by jeckel
I wouldn't drill them out. I would cut a slot in them and use a flat head screw driver to take them out. The replace them with the correct screws. Makes the install a little easier imo.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
About 10 years ago one of the suppliers were shipping a drive in spiral splined son of a bit#$ to deal with stripped out holes.I had several come into the shop,had to drill and retap.Looked like a filled in phillips screw.
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Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,562
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
Use an impact screwdriver and a hammer. Even if the "metal" in the screw heads is JB Weld, the phillips head screw tip with a hammer behind it will break out the metal and locate in the screw and loosen it
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 4,135
Likes: 1
using a small ,sharp flat tipped chisel,,,peen a groove in one side of the screw,,not the top but one side,,then using a small screw driver and small hammer tap the side in the direction of rotation (counter clockwise)this will break the screw loose and after rotating it a few turns you should be able to grab the head with a pair of slip joint pliers to get them out,,,,every screw i have replaced in my car(and i think i have most of them out) has gone back in with anti-sieze on the threads..im now on my second tub of the stuff,,unless the screw is so badly rusted that its siezed in the threads,,you'll have to drill it out and clean out(chase) the threads