Tight screws

[donandmax]

Who ever owned my rv before must have used epoxy or that red lock tite on the 4 screws that hold the a/c cover on because I used a big phillips head screw driver and cant budge them. I mean I have never in my life seen screws that were put on so tight. I'm not a weak guy but I swear I cant budge these things. I mean work up a sweat trying to turn these bas****s could they be rusted on there ? dont see any rust. and dont see anyplace to drip some rust dissolving solution or oil on them. Anybody got any ideas how I can get these devils loose ? I would like to install some quick start capasitors but cant even get the cover off to do so..

[donandmax]

OhhWell wrote:
Great. That's about the best possible outcome. Thank goodness for the sacrificial washer.

Amen to that OhhWell
Happyl Trails my friend....

[wa8yxm]

Often once you release the tension the screw is easier to get out (You destroyed the plastic washers)

I found my screw extractors yesterday.

[OhhWell]

Great. That's about the best possible outcome. Thank goodness for the sacrificial washer.

[donandmax]

Ok sorry for not answering sooner. Heres what I did.. Under the stainless screws was a rubber (?) maybe plastic washer I put a screw driver under those and lifted them up until I could grab them with vise grips., tore them off so I could get to the head of the screw. Tightend around the head and just un screwed them. Simple procedure. I couldnt have done it any other way. I tried all those "rust busting" sprays. Even one called "freeze your nuts" (really) My local repair shop lent me a can.It takes care of the rust and freezes the screw or nut. to shrink it. Nope didnt work. Their was nothing wrong with anything, no rust (they are stainless screws) So I put some anti seize grease on them reused them and I'm good to go.And yes I tightned them down as tightly as I safely could.. Thanks guys for all your suggestions.

[sssooo]

try to tighten them then try to lossen them this has worked for me with tight bolts and screws sounds strange but has worked for me.

[Lobstah]

Use some AeroKroil.
Best penetrant out there, and yes, will work horizontally.

Jim

[Pop-Pop_C]

RV may have been on the coast. Fl, RGV, CAL..
salt air will hav a affect. , I agre WD-40 / and the tightening !

[Passin_Thru]

If you get a Snapon screwdriver it has a shank which will take a 3/8 in box end and you can use it and pressure on the driver to remove the screw. You can also drill out the screw with a bit large enough to fit inside the OD of the screw and use an ez out to back out the screw. That is an approved method used by aircraft mechanics and works well.

[OhhWell]

Gjac wrote:
My approach for screws that won't budge is as as follows. First try a screw diver with a wise grip or wrench for added leverage. If the screw driver tip comes out of the slots with the added torque I spray Kroil oil and let it sit over night and capillary action will allow the oil to penetrate on horizontal screws . You can put plastic under the screws to protect the rubber roof. If they still don't budge I use Matt's approach with heat except I don't have a high wattage iron so I heat the shank of an old screw driver with a propane torch and let the heat transfer to the screw. The glass transition temperature for most epoxies and polyesters is 350 degrees or less. As Matt said it does not take a lot of heat to break them free. They are only threaded into a piece of sht mtl that is .030 to .050 thick so there is not a lot of surface area to hold that screw into. Let us know how you are making out.

I usually have good luck with a screwdriver and channel locks. You can put a ton or force on the top of the screw driver to keep the head in the grooves on the screw and then apply torque using the vice grips to turn the screwdriver. If that doesn't work, you are going to have to try heat then drilling the darn things.

If you have a good soldering iron, you can set the temperature. Even if you go a little too hot, you are just going to have a little deformation on the shroud. That is if you are careful and pay attention to what is going on.

In any case, it looks like the OP has moved well on so... whatever.

[trpwire]

Heat will soften "Locktite", but you have to be careful not to melt the A/C cover (heat gun or hair dryer).


Wally C.

donandmax wrote:
Who ever owned my rv before must have used epoxy or that red lock tite on the 4 screws that hold the a/c cover on because I used a big phillips head screw driver and cant budge them. I mean I have never in my life seen screws that were put on so tight. I'm not a weak guy but I swear I cant budge these things. I mean work up a sweat trying to turn these bas****s could they be rusted on there ? dont see any rust. and dont see anyplace to drip some rust dissolving solution or oil on them. Anybody got any ideas how I can get these devils loose ? I would like to install some quick start capasitors but cant even get the cover off to do so..

[Gjac]

My approach for screws that won't budge is as as follows. First try a screw diver with a wise grip or wrench for added leverage. If the screw driver tip comes out of the slots with the added torque I spray Kroil oil and let it sit over night and capillary action will allow the oil to penetrate on horizontal screws . You can put plastic under the screws to protect the rubber roof. If they still don't budge I use Matt's approach with heat except I don't have a high wattage iron so I heat the shank of an old screw driver with a propane torch and let the heat transfer to the screw. The glass transition temperature for most epoxies and polyesters is 350 degrees or less. As Matt said it does not take a lot of heat to break them free. They are only threaded into a piece of sht mtl that is .030 to .050 thick so there is not a lot of surface area to hold that screw into. Let us know how you are making out.

[popeyemth]

I'd like to hear back from the OP
They have not responded to any post.

[VinCee]

I have used an 18V cordless drill set on its highest torque setting with a good screw driver bit on screws that I could not loosen by hand. Drill has much more "immediate" torque than can be applied by hand.

[rgatijnet1]

Matt_Colie wrote:
You can believe it or don't, I don't actually care. I did work on other people's expensive boats for years before the depression. I did this all the time with screws that were stuck in fiber glass. sometimes some yahoo had used "thread restorer" and other times is was epoxy - even JB-Weld. Heat will make it loose its grip and the screws same screws can be put back in the same holes when you are finished. It only takes about 300°F to get them loose. This is why I specifically said to heat the fastener. I didn't think I would have to say heat only the fastener. That is why a torch won't do the job.

If by the same token, you drill the heads through (on something like a A/C cover) you will not have enough left to grab with vice grips once your pry the cover off. Then you will have unstable parts to try to drill out and you will have to think of some way to replace the threads you destroyed in the process. erial.

Do as you please, as long as I'm not paying for the job, I don't care.

Matt

The main problem with your method is that the covers are NOT fiberglass. Fiberglass can withstand quite a bit of heat. These covers are made from heat formed polymer plastic and will soften and deform with heat.
These are sheet metal screws and that although you may not have much left of the heads, once the cover is removed by cutting off the screw heads, the threaded portion of the screw, that sticks through the sheet metal base is easy to grip with pliers to remove the complete screw. No need to drill them out and damage the threads. Once the cover is removed there will probably be 1/2" of the screw thread to grip with pliers that is sticking through the metal base.