Technical Getting my screws loose

I admit my wife thinks I have too many screws loose but I am having trouble with one in particular. I am trying to remove a headlight bucket from my 39 Plymouth coupe to pound out some dents and one screw will not break. I have sprayed over and over but it will not budge. I cannot get vice grips on it and not really ble to get behind it to do anything but blast it. I hesitate to use heat because I want to keep the finish that is on the fenders. Looking for some tips and thanks in advance.

 

pictures help....we can't tell if it's a machine screw or sheet metal screw, or what type of head it has, if there is rear access, etc.

 

Drill it out start small diameter bit and work larger.

 

It is a machine screw. Cant get a picture until tomorrow. Flat head screw.

 

Micro torch can warm it up

 

Have you tried putting a screwdriver in the head or using a flat punch if it’s a hex bolt and giving it a really sharp rap with a hammer? Sometimes it takes a hit or two but will loosen corrosion around screw/bolt so you can turn it loose.

 

If I ever get my time machine working, I’m gonna punch the flathead screw inventor in the mouth.

 

I have rapped the screw a few times without success. As a last resort I will drill it out but I know that can be difficult as well.

 

HEAT is your friend !

 

If you have a TIG welder or know someone who does, you can add enough material to the head to grab with a pair of vise grips. MIG also works, but it's messier with the spatter. I've extracted many fasteners with both methods.

 

Pre load the screw, An hit it...
Kinda like a impact screw tool, repeat as necessary... If it breaks... It's open, possibly visegrips from there..

 

Pb blaster then heat then impact. Small battery powered impacts are great for these situations. Good luck.

 

If you're worried about ruining your fender, your using too big of a flame.
Use a 000 tip on a oxy-acet torch or get one of those micro torches. Heat just the head of the screw until it's red hot and let it cool. Don't heat the surrounding metal. Let it cool for about 30 minutes and the screw will turn out. The expansion from heating and contraction from cooling will break the bond between the screw and whatever it's screwed into.

 

As Anthony said one of theses can pinpoint heat. You can get them starting about ten bucks. Handy to have around shop.

 

What has worked best for me as explained previously , weld a nut to the head . Heating from welding will free it up and you have a hex nut instead of a slotted head screw .

 

Phillips or slotted head? Is the screwdriver slipping? Valve grinding compound on the screwdriver will help grip the screw...

 

I have had a lot of success using an impact screw driver on stuck screws.

 

Sometimes you can break the bond by trying to tighten the screw first, just enough to get it to move, then they often come out.
If that doesn't work, I cut the head off with a die grinder and pull everything apart. Once everything is apart, you can usually grab the remains with vice grips.

On my 49 Dodge truck, none of the screws came out. I ended up cutting the heads off, then cutting them down flush and drilling new holes. Gene

 

See post above ^^^^ impact driver

 

I’m with death row Dave on this, if it’s in a spot you can get to. I’ve gotten plenty of rusty stuck screws out by welding through a nut to the head of the screw.

 

If its countersink that may be a little difficult...Dome head yes...

 

This is actually an amazing tool and comes in different sizes...One must be very careful with areas of use...

I have visions of a caved in fender...

One thing of note is I snooped and the headlight trim is diecast so tougher that Stainless but fragile none the less...

 

As has been suggested I would use a brand new good quality drill bit perhaps a 1/8" or #30 and carefully drill dead center to just till the outer edges are near below the head...and stop as the trick is to weaken the material where the head meets the shank...

It does help to know what size the machine screw is as you may go up a size or two and the head many times pops right off or you can use a pin punch that fits snuggly within the hole you drilled and with a gentle side to side rock off she comes or perhaps the Headlight ring itself if tilted forward will also achieve the fracture of the drilled head...

And yes if it's a slotted screw hold that bit tight as it will want to walk down the slot and slip into the ring...

No need to center punch...Maybe try it on a similar screw in a vice to gain the touch required...remember keep the hole centered...

You can grind a flat carefully onto a dome head and sometimes that helps skating as it reduces the slot...

 

50/50 mix of Acetone and ATF.

Paul in CT

 

After watching Matt on Iron Trap Garage, I bought one of the setups that attach to an air hammer for screw removal. Used it on my Model A windshield and it worked like a charm. However, I appear to have shot the driver bit somewhere across the shop. Luckily it uses standard screw bits.

 

If it is something that you have off the fender but can't separate it from each other, you might call some machine shops and see if they have a "disintigrator" machine. They can remove the screw without any damage to the surrounding components.
The other way is to put a nut on top of the bolt and a quick mig weld in its center to attach it to the bolt. Obviously you have to protect the surrounding area from spatter. I'd try it with a bolt in your vise and see if you can get the mig to weld it through the hole in the nut. Once you have it adjusted right, then do the real one.

 

A crack pipe torch has worked for me and a wet rag on the fender to keep it cool. Good luck.

 

I've used the smallest tip I have, to heat the head of screws and bolts. Take your time, pull the torch away every once and a while, so the flame doesn't migrate to the surrounding area(too much). Removed the countersunk screws on my 34 Ford door hinge that way. Didn't affect the paint on the hinges!

 

I had #6 flathead screws stuck in my convertible window frame. I used a Dremel and cut a new slot in he damaged head. I think a combination of the heat from cutting the new slot along with a better slot to grip the screwdriver gave me just enough advantage to get it out. I did soak with PB Blaster prior to cutting the new slot.

This is the type of bit I used.......They have a couple of different sizes........

 

I finally got the screw out. After busting two bits with an impact driver and unsuccessfully trying to drill it out I just took the grinder to it. Ground the head off took the bucket out and put vise grips on the sarcophagus and unscrewed it. Thanks for all the tips it was a progression of seceral!