I was in the process of removing the spark plug cover and stripped one of the allen screws. (Didn't apply enough torque) Does anyone have any suggestions on how to remove this? There isn't enough room to apply a vise grip and the inner walls on the screw is completely stripped. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

this might help: http://www.sears.com/sr/product/summary/pr...pid=00952156000

its the Craftsman 6 pc. Power Extractor and Damaged Screw Remover.

 

You can also take a flat-head screwdriver... and gentle (/lol) pount it in with a hammer... and then back it out. Or get a screw extractor. I'm not sure you really wanna be wacking a hammer there, but it does work.

Good luck,
Aaron

 

If you think you can keep your hand as steady as a neurosurgeon, you can take a dremel tool and grind a slit in the screw. Then use a flathead to get it out. But you'll have to be ULTRA careful not to let the tool slip (as it will want to) - you'll put a nasty scratch in your cover.

Maybe the extractor is a better choice.

 

I have stripped my hex bolt before and had to use EASY OUT to remove it. They are inexpensive and can be purchased at any auto parts store. There are 5 bits in the set and you will need to drill the hex so the easy out will fit in. I have found that if you try and remove the hex bolts while the motor is still warm you will have problems taking them out. I now wait until the engine is cool to the touch before I remove any bolts.

 

I like the idea of cutting a shallow slot in the remaining head, if it sticks up above the surrounding part a little. I've done it with a hacksaw if you don't have a Dremel. Just be very careful: mask the surrounding area first and watch the mask so you don't scar the surface around the bolt head. Then I'd use a hand impact driver with a straight screwdriver bit. This thing holds a screwdriver bit in a holder on a 3/8" or 1/2" square drive. You make sure that the thing is set to loosen, then you strike it with a hammer. The combination of shock and torque often works wonders.

I guess part of it depends on how you feel about investing $30 or so in a tool.

And as a last resort, if all else fails:

First buy the replacement bolt; you'll need it anyway. Take a drill bit just *slightly* larger than the diameter of the bolt under its head. Drill down through the center of the stripped Allen head. The head of the bolt will come off on the drill bit when you drill through it. Now remove the part (other screws out, right?). There should be a little bit of the bolt sticking up. Also, since there's no tension on the headless bolt fragment, it should turn easily.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by VtecF20
[B]I was in the process of removing the spark plug cover and stripped one of the allen screws.

 

Been there, stuffed that up. Can you believe those bolts are loctited so hard you can strip the inside of the hex head?



What you can do is drill inside the head of the bolt with a drill bit smaller than the shank of the bolt (3mm I think). Don't worry too much. Just drill in the centre (easy 'cause that's where the hole is). The edges of the bolt are hardened so the centre of it is quite soft and the drill bit will tend to go down the centre. When you get through the head of the bolt and into the shank the head will snap off (due to tension). Keep drilling about into the shank for about 4mm. Then us a hex key that fits tightly into the hole and unscrew it. It will now come out quite easily because there is no tension on it.

 

Thanks for everyone's help. I initially tried the screw remover tool but didn't succeed due to the material the screw was made of. I ended up drilling the head off and was able to remove the thread by hand. My new screw should be in tommorrow and my spark plug torque al checked out ok.