will_l Posted July 2, 2016 Share Posted July 2, 2016 Hi, So I need to change over my anchor light as the current one has broken however the screws that are currently being used to hold down the current/broken light are rusted so one turn with the screwdriver has stripped them. I've tried to Dremel a line across the screws and unscrew them with a slot head driver but that hasn't worked and I'm scared I'm about to break the whole head off. The screws seem to have a sealant on the other side as well. Any help on how to get these off would be great. Thanks P.S its on a fibreglass boat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will_l Posted July 2, 2016 Author Share Posted July 2, 2016 I just got these screws removed. I gave up on using a hand screwdriver and got out our corded power drill. With low speed I pressed down hard and unscrewed. I was able to get them all out. The use of a Dremel, being able to cut slots into screws, is extremely helpful in removing any stripped screws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cargo05 Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 Good to hear that you were able to remove the rusty screws. Another method that often helps is to give the screws a good dose of CRC or similar. After letting it soak in for some time then give the screw head a good smack (or three) with a hammer. Heat is another thing that greatly improve the chances of removing rusty screws/bolts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebrewer Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 Heating them with a soldering iron is always worth a try first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antonywardle Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 Another thing you can try is to do them up harder first off. This will sometimes break the grip that they seem to develop and then you can undo them. +1 to the above too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
locodave Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 How does the soldering iron trick work? If you look on youtube there is some good methods there - dremel method is there. Glad you got it out - hate when that happens! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebrewer Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 They expand enough (hopefully) to break the bond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossfire63 Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 A good soak in Corrosion X will get most things loose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 4myson Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Are you sure that they are a screw & not a thread & nut ? You say theres silicon at the back , it might be a little nut ... If so the only option youll have is to grind the damaged head completly off & use a pin punch a drive the rest of the bolt out ... If your around Western Sydney Pm me ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will_l Posted July 6, 2016 Author Share Posted July 6, 2016 Wow thanks for that offer mate but thankfully I got them out. Cheers for all the other tips as well. Once I got them out I realised they didn't have any silicone and were rather just screwed in, however they were screwed in very tight making them hard to get out with a hand screwdriver. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now