Boogered Master Cylinder Screws

[Re-Vision]

What is the best way to remove boogered screws from master cylinder cover?   BDC

[kwells]

Impact driver.  I usually put a c clamp on the center of the MC cover and squeeze it down as much as possible.  Can hammer a good driver down into the chewed screws to get a better seating too if you don't have an impact.

[Brian Moffet]

I had to remove one when I rebuilt mine.  I took a drill bit the same size as the screw (not the head, but the shaft) and slowly drilled out the center.  The head popped off and I was able to remove the cover without any problems.  After that, there were plenty of threads on what was left of the screw to grab it with vice grips and unscrew it.  Go slowly, with a slow RPM.

Brian

[QBS]

Another option is to use a sharply pointed drift/punch and hammer to drive the screw head around in counter clockwise direction.  I reassembled the cover using socket head screws.

[Brian Moffet]

Have you removed the top?  I had at least a 1/8 inch available.

Brian

[Raj1988]

Drill a small hole in the head and use a screw extractor. they are reverse thread drill bits that bite into the screw and back it out. quite cheap at local store!

[tnutcher]

I had the same happen to me, not enough to grab with a vise grips, but got lucky.  Drilled out the center with a 1/16th bit, tapped down on them with a small philips screwdriver and hammer and made enough of a mark/indention to grip with the screwdriver and just screwed them out easily.  Sometimes the head is holding all the pressure and when it gets drilled off, there isn't anything forcing the screws to be stuck and you can turn them like a well lubricated screw.  Good luck
TNutcher

[Kiwi]

You could try cutting the top of what's left and using a flat head scree driver.  I found on mine that the head was what was stuck,  not the shaft of the screw

[h2olawyer]

After trying the above stuff, and if the shaft is still stuck, give it a shot of PB Blaster and let it sit an hour or so.  If it is still stuck, try applying some heat to the M/C near the screw holes - use a heat gun if you have one.  The heat might bugger the paint, but repainting a M/C isn't a big deal.  If all else fails, usable 82 M/Cs aren't difficult to find.

H₂O

[Brian Moffet]

Good ideas above, if you don't want to bugger the paint, try soaking in Pblaster, and then shoot a blast of compressed air upside down on the screw itself.  That will cool it off quickly.

Be careful though, the stuff will give you frostbite.

Brian

[Rick G]

I always replace master cylinder screws with either pan head screws or socket head (allen) screws. the counter sunk ones are nothing but trouble.  Drill the head off of the screw and remove the stub with your fingers,( after removing the cover)

[Lucky]

holler all you need to, thats why we're here! :)