One persons loctite on screws = my hell...help or ideas?

[kmosabi]

I have an old Homelite XL 2 that I received the other day and in the process of taking it apart to clean it up I have come to the conclusion that the 4 engine mount screws (2 on top, 2 on bottom) have had loctite or something like it put on them. I can get one out, it was crusty, like it was coated with something and it was a bear. One I cant budge and the other two have wrenched on so badly by previous people that the heads (they are "regular" head screws) are so butterflied that I will never be able to get it out with a screwdriver. It has a metal cover that basically everything is contained in. without sliding the engine out, you cant really get to any of it.

I doubt I have the right tools to do this, but how can I get these suckers out? Does anyone have any good tricks? I think I can have a pretty cool little saw if I can get it cleaned up right.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

"Melt" the Locktite. Head up a beater screw driver and place it on the head. This might take a few heatings to melt away the LT. Once you think you've melted the LT heat it up a couple more times

Have a thicker screwdriver bit setup in an impact wrench. Get a tight fit and hammer away.

If you can use an open flame without burning the saw you could set a torch to a small, fine point and melt away the LT. This would be a last resort though. Besides fire and explosions you could get things too hot and ruin the whole works.

 

[rubberducky]

Drill em, ehh.

 

[HiOctane]

Try with a drill bit about the size of the bolt head to get at least the head off if you can.When its done and you have the cover removed ,punch the center of the bolt and drill a hole smaller than the bolt itself in the center When its donel,use an extractor of the right size and try your best to get it out.You can heat the area around the bolt with a torch if you can before trying to extract it.Be sure the gas tank and wires,etc is removed before you heat.Good luck.

 

[Timberwerks]

You can also heat the screws with a solder gun. This works great because you can focus the heat where it needs to be and not harm other areas.

Dale

 

[Proj Eng]

I agree with Dunlap.
Heat lock tite to make it release
Soak with penetrating oil of your favorite kind (several times)
Then before you try to extract the screws or bolts, whichever they are, hammer on them a little with a punch or steel rod to break them free.
As a last resort I would use a screw extractor. I have broken heads off and then you have no centering hole for a pilot drill and onward operation. Or worse yet, breaking off the screw extractor in the screw or bolt!
I learned most of this from working on toyotas, famous for cancerous hardware.
If not a pan head screw, you also may want to try one of those gator grip sockets. Supposedly made for beefed up bolt heads.

 

[Al Smith]

If you have a "Weller" type,induction soldering iron,a big one,it might also work to release the loctite.When you get them out,and you will,replace them with socket head cap screws.Heat is about the only way you can release red Loctite.

 

[Fish]

Keep in mind everyone, this is a Homelite XL2.

 

[Molecule]

has anyone ever cracked or warped a case by local heating (I was thinking of using heat on the thinner walls of the sides to relax the main bearings and let the crank align itself with the crankcase in the way that least stresses the bearings... but the idea is the same ... if kmosabi overheats a corner of the casing to relax the locktite, any chance it might warp the crankcase casting?

 

[kmosabi]

Thats what I am afraid of folks, this is an older metal casing. Also, if I heat the screws, dont they expand and make it tough to get out?

Also, I can see the loctite releasing with heat, but then I have those trashed heads to try to deal with....

 

[spacemule]

Keep in mind everyone, this is a Homelite XL2.

Hey Fish, that's a great idea!! You seem to know about these xl2's, so he can just send it to you to work on.

Heat will make the bolt expand. That doesn't mean you can't use heat, but I think you'll be better off heating the area around the bolt. That will likewise cause it to expand, making more clearance for the bolt. Heat almost always helps with stubborn bolts, if applied correctly.

I've been semi-successful on some stripped heads with dremel grinding a notch across the head and using a flat blade impact screwdriver.

 

[2Coilinveins]

I've got a few ideas about making up for the trashed heads. First, find the idiot who used the locktite, and use their teeth and jaw as a pair of vice grips to remove the screws. Pay no attention to the screaming. Second, use a hacksaw to cut a slot for a straight blade screwdriver in the screws. Third, file down opposite sides of the screws to fit a (very small) wrench. Stay away from an adjustable wrench, but vice grips might work. Fourth, get a sharp straight blade screwdriver (though one you're not too fond of) and catch the edge of the screw with it, then whack the end with a hammer, driving the screw around. I've used all these methods with varying degrees of success. Good luck.

 

[Marco]

Heat will make the bolt grow but when it cools it will be the same size but in a slightly expanded hole with the loctite softened. Solder iron does sound like the best approach if you have a large one.

 

[Stumper]

I find that fishing is very therapeutic when I am frustrated. Go fishing. Use the XL12 as a boat anchor.

 

[Happyjack]

I agree with the ones who mentioned a solder iron. Put the hot Iron directly on the bolt. You must remove the bolt while it is hot. After the bolts are out, soak them in Methalyene Chloride(laquer thinner) overnight, and scrub with a brass brush. Make sure all the Gas is out of the saw and be safe.

 

[Lawn Masters]

Just drill the head off the bolts, then take the thing apart, and use the vice grips to remove the stubs of bolts from the case after heating them to melt the loctite

 

[Lobo]

Just use a butane torch with a pin point nozzle on the bolt head and all around the bolt casing, let it cool a few seconds and then try and remove it after. The loctite should have softened sufficitiently at that point to move it.

Good luck

 

[kf_tree]

"shock it" the dremel idea to shape the screw slot again is very good, heat it but don't just try and turn it. put the screw driver on the screw and wack it with a hammer a few times before trying to spin it out. the shock of beating on it usually works wonders.

years ago when i worked at a midas shop we used to remove maifold studs with an air gun. we would just heat the hell out the manifold and zip the studs out. the shock of the impact gun worked better than a hand ratchet.

 

[kmosabi]

Boy you guys are full of good ideas. I guess I need to buy a torch, a dremel, and a sodder gun, cause I dont have any of them! Oh well, you have to spend money to make money, right? wait, that isnt going to happen here.....

 

[techdave]

Hi kmosabi, try dremeling or using a piece of hacksaw blade to regroove the heads. ALWAYS put valve grinding coumpound on the tool when trying to loosen a stuck fastener. If you feel the head starting to yield, stop, and get out the VGC.

Get a helper to hold the work, and put visegrips on the shank of the screwdriver. Pushin REALLY hard, like you are trying to knock helper over and turn. Getss many lost ccauses out. HTH Dave.