Screw issue

[sneakboxer]

These are all great tips. I have gotten lucky by trying to tighten the fastener just a smiggen then try all the tips already posted. Best of luck, we have all been there and I feel your pain.

Left hand drill bits are pricy but often save the day.

 

[rick benjamin]

Drill the head off.
Use a sharp (new) 1/4 inch hi speed steel bit
use some thread cutting oil such as rapid-tap.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

Ok guys. I got the pb blaster. Going to try this today after work. Wish me luck!
Really appreciate the MANLY advise.

 

[teflon6string]

I saw the title "Screw Issue" and popped in to suggest moving this to another area for taxes or gun control. But this is the right place for your topic.

I'll just lurk and learn here, having broken more than a few nuts, bolts, screws, wrenches and drivers in the half-century I've been using tools. I'd be looking for new/used doors already! Lots of creative ideas.

Good luck!

 

[tunus]

I have the GrabIt Extractor set and have 100% success rate extracting old, rusted and stripped screws and bolts. I am rebuilding an old motorcycle and have avoided a lot of frustration with this set. Highly recommended.

Alden 8530P Grabit Damaged Screw Remover 3 Piece Kit - Amazon.com

 

[KalamaMark]

Suzuki Samurai's use a ton of Phillips screws on the body, and they are a real Pain!

I've found that they use loctite on the screws, and until I started doing the below procedure I ended up with many like yours.

First, I find a cheap, large sacrificial screwdriver....the correct one always has a head larger than you would initially think. I then heat the tip and the first inch of the screwdriver red hot with a torch, then put it in the screw. I continue to heat the shank of the sacrificial screwdriver with the torch.

This transfers the heat to the screw and softens the loctite and/or the corrosion that is holding the screw without damaging the surrounding paint.

I then use an electric impact driver with the correct sized bit(larger than you would expect) and remove the screw. As some have mentioned, if it doesn't easily come out, tightening the screw an eighth of a turn sometimes helps.

On a buggered one like pictured, I'd protect the paint around it, file the top shiny, and mig weld a nut to the top and back it out with a wrench.

Good luck!!

 

[tunus]

Suzuki Samurai uses Phillips screws that require JIS Phillips screwdriver. JIS stands for Japanese Industrial Standard and the screwdriver head is very slightly different than a standard US Phillips screwdriver. Using a US Phillips screwdriver on JIS type screw almost always guarantees you a stripped screw because the screwdriver will not fully seat into the screw head due to these slight differences almost invisible to the naked eye. Your local hardware store does not carry JIS Phillips screwdrivers and most have never even heard of them. I ordered a set from Amazon and was astonished by how much difference the correct screwdrivers made - no more stripped screws.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

Well I won. I grabbed that damn screw by the short and curlys, and yanked. Drill that fetchers head off, two of them, and that freed up the threads. Thanks for the help fellow dudes.