Extracting a very recessed screw - completed!

[Kiwi_Roy]

Trying to drill one out of the sump of the California II I ruined a couple of drill bits.
It turned out I was running the drill too fast, slowed it down to a crawl and it chewed through the head in no time.

[ITSec]

Trying to drill one out of the sump of the California II I ruined a couple of drill bits.
It turned out I was running the drill too fast, slowed it down to a crawl and it chewed through the head in no time.

Good tip. I'll have to be careful, since my right-angle drill is a single-speed, though slower than the top speed of my regular drill. I am still going to try the Torx trick first, as well as one I haven't seen posted yet (found it on another site). If the new trick works, I'll post it, but if it doesn't there's no point leading people to a blind alley.

[Idontwantapickle]

Nope, put a drill in you chuck backwards. Spin it in reverse and watch the flutes go down into the hole

Seriously? If that were true then cutting the head off of a bolt and flipping it over would make a left hand threaded stud. It just ain't so.
Spinning a drill bit backwards just makes a sharp bit dull.

[ITSec]

I am still going to try the Torx trick first, as well as one I haven't seen posted yet (found it on another site). If the new trick works, I'll post it, but if it doesn't there's no point leading people to a blind alley.

Well, since the Torx set still hasn't arrived, I tried the new trick - and it worked.

First, I took a long awl-tip tool and thoroughly cleaned the recess of the hex. I had previously sprayed it with solvent to ease this process. Next, I wrapped a small amount of aluminum foil around the tip of a long 5mm hex socket. I used enough to make the fit as snug as I could while still allowing the tool tip to bottom in the socket; the foil was ONLY on the side, BTW. This, combined with the cleaning, the solvent, and a careful hand on the wrench broke the screw free.

I saw a couple of variations on this method, using foil, rubber bands or cling wrap to fill the gap between the tool tip and the rounded head. It's a variation on the Torx approach, but it may be worth trying before sacrificing a tool or filling the hole with JB or other glues. It has the advantage of leaving all the other options open if it doesn't work.

Now to clean it and put it all together! Oh, and I didn't have to turn the bike over... 

[cruzziguzzi]

Well, since the Torx set still hasn't arrived, I tried the new trick - and it worked.

First, I took a long awl-tip tool and thoroughly cleaned the recess of the hex. I had previously sprayed it with solvent to ease this process. Next, I wrapped a small amount of aluminum foil around the tip of a long 5mm hex socket. I used enough to make the fit as snug as I could while still allowing the tool tip to bottom in the socket; the foil was ONLY on the side, BTW. This, combined with the cleaning, the solvent, and a careful hand on the wrench broke the screw free.

I saw a couple of variations on this method, using foil, rubber bands or cling wrap to fill the gap between the tool tip and the rounded head. It's a variation on the Torx approach, but it may be worth trying before sacrificing a tool or filling the hole with JB or other glues. It has the advantage of leaving all the other options open if it doesn't work.

Now to clean it and put it all together! Oh, and I didn't have to turn the bike over... 

NICE!


Todd.

[rodekyll]

I'm disappointed.  We give you two pages of ideas, and you find something that works without our tender attentions.   

Wait -- I meant goodonya!   

Now you have to get those screws back up in the well.  I think that getting the pan back on was the longest operation of my entire engine swap.

[Chesterfield]

Seriously? If that were true then cutting the head off of a bolt and flipping it over would make a left hand threaded stud. It just ain't so.
Spinning a drill bit backwards just makes a sharp bit dull.

I think what I am trying to explain is it will grab the screw if you make the outside points sharp with no center point, it not drill a hole. It`s not ideal, but has worked for me.  You don`t have to flip, it just makes it easier to get sharp points when I do.

[Adk.IBO]

Good job !!

[centauro]

And now, when it all goes back together, don't forget to use some anti-seize on each screw, so this won't happen again.....

BTDT......

[not-fishing]

Also on the stubborn screws, after I get them out I've been visiting my local Ace Hardware, buy the right size tap and chasing the holes.

Yes it's a belt and red suspenders sort of thing.

Mark

[Chuck in Indiana]

Also on the stubborn screws, after I get them out I've been visiting my local Ace Hardware, buy the right size tap and chasing the holes.

Yes it's a belt and red suspenders sort of thing.

Mark

Just good shop practice..

[Sasquatch Jim]

 1 If using a hand lock chuck on your drill motor, it is likely it will let go the drill when you try to use it with a reverse drill
 use an old fashioned chuck tightened with a key.
  2  learn to type in the width of your page so the rest of us don't have to scroll back and forth to read it.

[rodekyll]

Jim, the page width thing is your computer.  The screen resolution and zoom aren't set.  Assuming you're on a PC, use <ctrl - >(control and minus key) a tap or two to make it better.  If you make it too much better, the <ctrl + > will get you back.

[ITSec]

Jim, the page width thing is your computer.  The screen resolution and zoom aren't set.  Assuming you're on a PC, use <ctrl - >(control and minus key) a tap or two to make it better.  If you make it too much better, the <ctrl + > will get you back.

Not exactly the case. There's a post on the first page of this thread that forces the page past normal limits, and as soon as you move away from that page it returns to normal. I haven't spent the time to figure out which post it is, but there's one there that has a forced arbitrary width attached.

[rodekyll]

OK, I'll buy that.  I've been fixing it with the zoom, thinking it was the video driver.

Sorry, Jim.  It's not your set.  But the fix is still good.