Stuck screws

If the head is smeared, an old trick is to use a paste of Comet cleanser and water in the screw head and try again. Learned it in the Army fixing missiles. It's saved my ass numerous times in the last 40 years.
 
johnson bars are supposed to work pretty well, never used one myself, I keep some valve gring compound around for just such occasion though!
 
My two favorite stuck screw airplanes:

Cessna 750 (Citation X). The lower fuselage fairing have what seems like thousands of countersunk phillips STAINLESS machine screws that once you slip on the head with a screwgun are a PITA to get out. They are also easliy galled when a guy drives them home at warp speed leaving the next poor SOB to remove them.

The other, Dassault airplanes (Falcon) with titanium screws, not easily drilled out and easy to slip on the heads.

I always dumped them into a cup and hosed them with lube like LPS before re-installation.
 
I use a cordless impact screwgun, used gently. It taps them loose without so much damage.

Dan
 
Since buying an old hotel from flippers (who stupidly used regular steel screws, outside, on an island in the Gulf, to save a nickel) I have had to become something of an expert on removing stripped, corroded screws.

Nothing makes up for a bad screw driver. A replaceable head screwdriver, and a pocketful of new bits, make all the difference.

Pressure is your friend. I have learned to hold the driver against my chest and force my 200 lb frame into the screw while torquing. It looks odd, but works.

Sometimes it's easier to break it free by TIGHTENING it a smidge first. Counterintuitive, but sometimes it works when nothing else will.

Powered drivers do not provide enough feel, and often strip screws. Loosen by hand, then use your driver.

Vice grips are your friend. However, when used on an airplane you can easily exert too much torque and rip off the backing plate, especially on fiberglass. Ask me how I know.

I have removed hundreds of stripped/corroded screws from this property using these techniques, with drilling them out (or using an easy-out) as a last resort.

Finally -- replace everything you can with high quality (NOT hardware store) hex- or torx- head structural stainless steel screws. You won't have have to worry about them again.
 
Flood screw with Liquid Wrench for a while, then tap either with a small hammer, lightly for a while, or a rivet gun very lightly and that will almost always get those buggers loose.
 
Jay Honeck said:
Pressure is your friend. I have learned to hold the driver against my chest and force my 200 lb frame into the screw while torquing. It looks odd, but works.
Click to expand...
For leverage on the torque and pressure thing, check out photo 2 here:
Custom Driver for hard to remove wing tank screws
My neighbor put a couple of these things together for me and they worked. Not sure it would work upside down but if you can lean into it you'll get a lot of 'em.
 
Bill Watson said:
For leverage on the torque and pressure thing, check out photo 2 here:
Custom Driver for hard to remove wing tank screws
My neighbor put a couple of these things together for me and they worked. Not sure it would work upside down but if you can lean into it you'll get a lot of 'em.
Click to expand...

I love homebuilt airplane guys -- they're always coming up with shade tree solutions like that. I wish I had time to be one.
 
Bill Watson said:
For leverage on the torque and pressure thing, check out photo 2 here:
Custom Driver for hard to remove wing tank screws
My neighbor put a couple of these things together for me and they worked. Not sure it would work upside down but if you can lean into it you'll get a lot of 'em.
Click to expand...

I have something similar with ratcheting handle and replaceable bits. Works great for removing inspection panels and such. A lot easier on the hands.
 
forget all the commercial penetrating oils. Mix some ATF with acetone and let it soak a the screw a couple hours. Beats the pants off anything in a spray can on the shelf.
 
JHW said:
forget all the commercial penetrating oils. Mix some ATF with acetone and let it soak a the screw a couple hours. Beats the pants off anything in a spray can on the shelf.
Click to expand...


You can still buy acetone? {sarcasim}
 
Skylane81E said:
Suck,

That is all
Click to expand...

Yes, they do. Tons of experience on everything BUT airplanes; boats, motorcycles, cars, etc.

There are lots of techniques. Many of which I am sure that you know. I have had good luck with a handheld impact hammer on occasion.

47641.jpg


edit: LOL, I see someone mentioned that but did not embed the image so I did not notice,
 
Dan Thomas said:
That beats fragile structure downward. Not good on airplanes. Fine for bulldozers. Use this instead:

02-0296-h_milwaukee_c12id-22.jpg


Works wonders. Use impact bits, put some pressure on it. DON'T use full throttle. Just let it tap.

Dn
Click to expand...

Yes, you do not want to use a handheld driver if all you are working with is sheet metal. The handheld is good, for ex, at removing side covers off m/c engines; i.e. where you have some meat behind.
 
Left handed drill bit when it gets to that point.
Those terrible British screws on Hawker's, yuck!
Dave
 
I feel like I may have removed 1million stuck screws in my time at moody afb. c-130s, a-10s, HH-60s, makes for a lot of experience in the matter. Drill and easy out usually, if the crew chief couldn't get em with the Johnson bar. There are various methods. Just be familiar with the material of the skin/screw and aware of substructures in choosing a method.
 
JHW said:
forget all the commercial penetrating oils. Mix some ATF with acetone and let it soak a the screw a couple hours. Beats the pants off anything in a spray can on the shelf.
Click to expand...

^^^this^^^

There's actually a controlled lab test proving that this "home brew" is far better than any of the commercially available penetrating oils. The test didn't include mouse milk though...I always have mouse milk in the shop also...I like mouse milk.
 
d.grimm said:
Left handed drill bit when it gets to that point.
Those terrible British screws on Hawker's, yuck!
Dave
Click to expand...

Second the left hand bit. It is amazing how a little heat from the initial drlling will let the bit turn the screw out just like a power screw driver.
With patience you can slot a bad screw head with a dremel cutting disc and use a straight screwdriver.
 
alfadog said:
Yes, they do. Tons of experience on everything BUT airplanes; boats, motorcycles, cars, etc.

There are lots of techniques. Many of which I am sure that you know. I have had good luck with a handheld impact hammer on occasion.

47641.jpg


edit: LOL, I see someone mentioned that but did not embed the image so I did not notice,
Click to expand...

After owning several motorcycles,, A impact screwdriver is a absolute requirement..:yes::yes:.

I am not sure I would use it on a plane though..:confused:
 
Sleepingsquirrel said:
With patience you can slot a bad screw head with a dremel cutting disc and use a straight screwdriver.
Click to expand...

Except for when it's in the vicinity of fuel. Just had a stuck screw in the mounting plate pulling a fuel valve. Got lucky and was able to grab enough of the head to work it out with a very tiny pair of vice grips.

These are the things that try men's souls.
 
As mentioned above:

"A study done by Machinist's Workshop magazine in their April 2007 issue looked at different penetrating oils to see which one did the best job of removing a rusted bolt by measuring the pounds of torque required to loosen the bolt once treated. If the study was scientifically accurate, it turns out a home brew works best!
Here's the summary of the test results:

Penetrating oil ..... Average load

None ...................... 516 pounds
WD-40 ................... 238 pounds
PB Blaster .............. 214 pounds
Liquid Wrench ...... 127 pounds
Kano Kroil ............. 106 pounds
ATF-Acetone mix....53 pounds

The Automatic Transmission fluid (ATF)-Acetone mix was a "home brew" mix of 50 - 50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone."

You can read the test details here:
http://www.antiquemodeler.org/sam_new/news_letters/assets/wham_2011_07.pdf
 
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Also note that liquid wrench worked almost as well as kroil...and at a fraction of the cost...
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-impact-driver/p-00947641000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1
Click to expand...

I remember a night from hell, years ago when we used these things to loosten the bolts on DC-8 leading edge fuel tanks. It was built like a tank!

The outfit we were working for had no slings so they lowered the tank to the ground on the man lift. We were very lucky no one got hurt.

I left with my tools that night and never went back, it just wasn't worth it.

The rivet gun screw knocker is my favorite, you just have to have some sense to use it. You vibrate the screws out, not beat them out.
 
I have good luck with this little Grabbit kit I bought at Oshkosh years ago. If that doesn't work, I get the drill and the screw extractors out.
 
Clover lapping compound and a new phillips bit will work 99.9992% of the time...:yes::);)
 
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