4 replies to this topic

[ptomacbass]

On one of my Zillions, one of the screws holding down the plate that holds the handle shaft is corroded in.  I can see the rust on the other side, and when I try to unscrew it, it doesn't budge.  Any suggestions?  It's kind of in a tight  area so I don't want to strip the head and cause a bigger problem.

[.ghoti.]

It's probably not corrosion, but the thread sealer they use on this screw. I don't know why they want this screw stuck so tight, but that's the way it is.

Two methods to try. If you have a soldering iron with a very fine tip, heat the screw to break the seal. It will come right out.

No soldering iron? Get a small screwdriver that fits the screw exactly. fit it into the screw head and tap on the screwdriver; quite firmly. Then try to remove it. You may have to rap it a couple of times.

[LgMouthGambler]

If you go to a hardware store and buy a can of Buster. Spray the screw and let it sit over night, and ttry to unscrew. This stuff for some reason will dissolve rust and corrosion like i=Ive never seen before. I use it when I work on cars with stuck parts.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

.ghoti., on February 07 2012 - 05:34 PM, said:

It's probably not corrosion, but the thread sealer they use on this screw. I don't know why they want this screw stuck so tight, but that's the way it is.

Two methods to try. If you have a soldering iron with a very fine tip, heat the screw to break the seal. It will come right out.

No soldering iron? Get a small screwdriver that fits the screw exactly. fit it into the screw head and tap on the screwdriver; quite firmly. Then try to remove it. You may have to rap it a couple of times.

x2 - The head on that screw is fine and easy to strip. Make sure you use the right size screwdriver and don't let it slip.

[.ghoti.]

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger if you booger up that screw. You will not be the first guy to do so. I totally stripped the first one i encountered.

I managed to find a screw extractor small enough to fit, and promptly broke it trying to remove that dad-blasted little &^$*&%$*&^%.

I finally got out the trusty dremel with a very thin cutting disc. These discs come in a small plastic tube; must be 15 or 20 of them in the tube. I don't know how many exactly, but I went through the entire tube getting a groove, deep enough to take a straight screwdriver, cut into the head of that screw.

I now keep a couple of replacement screws on hand.

The good news is, once you get it out the first time, subsequent removals are much easier.