Hurley's Gold

Ugh stuck screw.

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  • Joat

    Active Member
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Apr 28, 2008
    381
    11
    Kenefick, TX
    Try a ball end wrench. Specifically one with the screwdriver type handle. These let you apply torque without having to be directly in line with the screw.

    Something like this:
    Bondhus 10603 1/16" Ball End Screwdriver. Available online

    Blue Locktite is not that strong. It is to stop screws from vibrating out, not glue them in place. More probable is the screw was cross threaded when installed due to side pressure from the bolt latch.

    The heat/freeze approach will only work if you have broken the chemical (Locktite) bond and it is the Locktite holding it in place.
    Approximately 300+ degrees or soak the screw in acetone (if your finish will handle it) will release the Locktite..

    Joat
     

    chubbs

    New Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 26, 2019
    45
    11
    dfw
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    hey all:

    i finally got that ar10 bolt catch screw “removed”

    it was unbelievably difficult.
    1st, the 1/4 drive torx bit we used to try and loosen the screw snapped off flush with the recessed socket head. it took me about 3-weeks to get that piece of the driver removed from the screw which is only a 1/16 hex

    2nd, i went & ordered a custom drill bit - left handed (reverse) pitch x6” long. there was a +4 week lead time on the manufacturing and after 5-weeks i came to find that it was never produced due to miscommunication in the email.

    so i once again orders the custom drill bits: a min order of (3) 5/64, left handed, 6” long total of about $40 after freight.

    5-weeks later (last week) my 3 drill bits arrived and after looking at it for 2-days i set to work. i drilled on it a little at a time over 2 days and when i knew i drilled beyond the threaded portion & into the pin that actually goes thru the bolt catch lever, it became apparent that the magic trick of a reverse drill bit backing out the screw was never going to happen.

    at that point i carefully selected 1 of the dozen or so extractors i had been acquiring over the past several months. i just went it with it a little, backed it out with some pieces of the screw. i did this over & over, little by little using extra caution that i didn’t drive the extractor into the female threading of the lower receiver, itself. finally, the last chunk and largest bit of the upper-threaded piece of the screw left down toward the bottom broke loose and that came on out.

    from there, i flipped the receiver over with that bolt catch screw facing down, jiggled the bolt catch release and the remaining pin/screw shaft fell out.

    from there i had another task getting the bolt catch release plunger & spring removed. it was compressed in there. hence the bolt catch release dangling freely, without pressure and the need for removing the stuck screw and bolt catch in the 1st place.

    i had to take a punch to the plunger so that i could get a drill bit started and make a hole. from there i got a pick or whatever and pulled that stupid plunger out. somehow the plunger swelled larger than the bore it rides in.

    i made sure to lube the new plunger. then i ran a new bolt catch screw through the receiver to make sure the threads weren’t all smurfed. i just went all the way in & out with the screw a few times, blowing out the threads & tap with compressed air until it was good as new. stuck my old bolt catch back in place, compressed air the new bolt catch screw AGAIN, lubed, threaded her right on in, slightly torqued, no glue, no thread locker, i didn’t even use clear nail polish. just some lube and that’s it. works like it should, everything. i was quite please that i didn’t completely F*** up the threaded portion of the lower receiver but with Gods help and taking my time, my baby is good to go again. i haven’t been able to put it down since.
     

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    zaitcev

    Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Sep 24, 2019
    121
    11
    Austin, Texas, U.S.A.
    I want to change the red dot sight on my TP9SFX but one screw will not turn. I tapped down the 2mm hex 1st and turned it the hex stripped. Only had blue loctite on it. The other screw came out just fine. I don’t want to damage sight or mount plate. Any suggestions????
    I was installing RMR on my Brownells slide (direct RMR cut, no MOS or other plate), which uses torx head screws. A tip of my torx broke off and remained in the screw. Screw removal tools would not work because of the stuck tip. So, I used my drill press to drill 2 small holes in the top of the screw (like literally 3/64 or something). Then, I used Dremel with a conical carbide cutter to make a slot between the two holes. Carbide can deal with the stuck tip. And finally, I used a narrow slot screwdriver to unscrew the screw. Of course, I didn't re-use the screw after that.
     

    candcallen

    Crotchety, Snarky, Truthful. You'll get over it.
    Emeritus - "Texas Proud"
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Jul 23, 2011
    21,358
    96
    Little Elm
    Put heat on it and pound a torque bit into it . Left handed drill bits will be next
    For god sakes, for the love of all that's holy, atleast read the dead threads you're bumping before responding. Then the frivolous running up the post count wont seem as stupid.

    I hope you're selling a shitload of primers cheap cause you're filling the new posts page with a shit ton of crap posts.

    Happy new year.
     
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