Frustrating stripped screw

[skyroket]

Just wanted to share my story so maybe someone else can learn from it.

Finally got up the courage to try and change my own oil and primary fluid. Got all the supplies together, even bought my first oil catch pan (yes, you can tell how much of a noob I am at this point)!

Oil change went well. No real hiccups except I wasn't prepared for my funnel to not fit between the seat and the fender, but I got it squished in there and went slow.

Onto the primary fluid. Got it all drained out and even remembered to stand the bike straight up to get it all out. Now I take off the cover so it will drain faster and put new in - problem.

One of the torx screws was in so tight that I stripped it out. Tried and tried all kinds of angles and pressures and could not get a grip on it. I had stripped it too far. Went to Ace and bought a screw extraction kit where you drill in with one end, then flip it around and it bites in with the other end. Pop! The damn extractor, tungsten hardened steel, snaps off in the screw. Shit! I tried to drill through it again with one of the bigger extractors that came with it, but hardened steel on hardened steel just doesn't work. I read you need diamond or carbide tipped bits to do that. Reading and reading and reading all kinds of different solutions. Even found a welder on Craigslist that was analyzing whether he could weld a nut on for me.

Ended up soaking it in WD-40 all night as best I could. Bought a Dremel and used the thin disc cutter blade thing to chisel a groove in the head of the screw. My original plan was to just brute force unscrew it with a standard head, but I couldn't angle the Dremel just the right way to get two grooves opposite each other. Plan B: Hammer a screwdriver. It worked! The screw slowly started unscrewing itself. Got it out!!

Got a matching screw earlier when I was at Ace so everything is great and I'm VERY relieved!

All buttoned up with a new screw

 

[BRatigan]

Way to stick with it skyrocket. WD40 can work wonders on oxidized screws that are seized. I usually heat up a spare allen wrench or screw driver or whatever the removal tool especially if its going to be sacrificed, with a torch til very hot, almost cherry or glowing then insert it into the screw or fastener and let the heat from the driver soak into the screw or fastener. Usually soak it in WD40 then repeat. This has helped remove more fasteners than I can remember. The uses of the hot wrench are many.

BR

 

[J_Undisputed]

Sometimes being stubborn is a gift. Glad you got it out. I would have probably tried an impact wrench with an adapter and the hex bit. I know the stock fasteners help keep the clean look, but I have replaced a lot of my button head bolts with hex top torque bolts just for such cases when I need that leverage. I started doing that after I stripped a heel guard bolt and wound up filing 2 sides of the head flat so I could get a pair of vice grips on it to back it out.

Also, Skyrocket... You're local auto parts place might have one of these, which could make the oil changing process run a little smoother.

 

[JohnnyD]

x2 on the funnel J recommended above. Makes changing the oil a lot easier.

 

[skyroket]

I found a hose in a drawer and cut a bit off to make the primary filling easy. I just should have done that for the engine oil.

Thanks for the suggestions. I should probably go get one of those hefty ones so I can just pour in and forget. With a small funnel (the only one that fit in the hose I found) I had to pour, watch, pour, watch, pour, watch.

 

[gtp3800]

[up] thats how you learn. Now next time you will be ready for anything. When mine started to strip I switched to stainless steal screws, and so far I havent had a problem.