EXUP Worldwide

went to change brake fluid today you guessed it stripped a screw head. anybody ever tried the tips that are desighed to remove a screw before i go out and buy them? thanks for any info

There are a couple of ways to go about this.....
You can drill the head off then grab the shank with vise grips and turn it out.
Or you can use a left handed drill bit.these are a good idea but do not always work like they should.
Craftsman has some screw extrator sets but I never used them myself.They look like they work on tv but we know how things are in the real world........

went to change brake fluid today you guessed it stripped a screw head

The Japanese star (Philips) screw head is a different size (contour) than the standard Philips head screw. Very easy to strip unless you use the correct size screw driver.

If you have dremel and are real careful, you can cut a slot in the remainder of the head with a small cutting disc...then use a slotted driver to turn it out. Put alot of down force on the screwdriver and then tap the top of it gently with a hammer as you apply anti-clockwise force

It'll move!!

thanks for all the info. bought a bit at sears today going to try it . when i get it out going to teplace with allen heads if i can find them

used the 7.99 bit from sears took about 5 secs worth the money they come in 3 sizes.

just reading this thread, but on nuts and bolts that haven't been torqued to high heaven, the craftsman screw extractors usually work pretty well.

Hooligan wrote:just reading this thread, but on nuts and bolts that haven't been torqued to high heaven, the craftsman screw extractors usually work pretty well.

+1

If it's something that's rusty or been in there for a long time, chances are they won't work. I've had moderate success with the kit I have. Worth having around to say the least. Saved my ass a few times in the past. Anymore if I have a screw strip out and need to order a new one I pick up about 3 or 4 extra to have on hand. Sometimes it's better to replace a 20 cent screw every time to avoid the headaches.

sting wrote:If you have dremel and are real careful, you can cut a slot in the remainder of the head with a small cutting disc...then use a slotted driver to turn it out.

+1 on that as well. Biggest risk is cutting a little bit into the cap of the cylinder, but the Dremel trick does work good.

I use a 1/2" Countersink bit its the right size to take the head off and leave enough of a stud sticking up to get pliers or vice grips on most times they can be removed with your fingers after the head is off.