I'm trying to remove my tail light lenses and am having a heck of a time with the screws that hold the lenses in. All but the bottom two come out pretty easily, but those last two won't budge. They are phillips screws, but have had the slots stripped out and I'm afraid of pushing the screwdriver in and having it slip and breaking the lens. Anybody have any ideas on how I might be able to get these out, without damaging my lens? I seem to remember seeing a tool with teeth that would dig into the screw as it was turned counter clock wise, and remove it, but I can't find it at the sites that I've been to, and can't remember what it was called. Thanks, Scott
oh, I should also let you know it doesn't always work,maybe 80% of the time. had to use it the other day and it wouldn't work, screw was to soft. ended up drilling it out.
Thanks, I might end up drilling out the head and trying to get the rest out once I get the lens off. If I can drill just enough to remove the head and get the lens off, it will give me some more room to maneuver something like some vice grips and get the rest out. I don't what I was thinking when I posted, I knew that easy outs might work, but I couldn't think of the words "screw extractor" to save my life, so I could search online for a set. ou: Scott
impact screwdriver impact screwdrivers are very very handy. they come in a kit with two philips and two slotted bits. Sears sells them. Hit it with a hammer and 99% of all screws come out. Your case may be a little risky with the plastic...depends on how good an aim you have! :eek2: certainly no more risky then drilling next to the plastic... - Bill
if its not to sripped out, sometimes valve lapping compound works. i guess its the grit in the compound that gives it the extra bite.
I always keep one new phillips screw driver in my toolbox just for cracking loose stuck screws. Once you round out the head with a dull screwdriver, it's toast. I have found that Sears will exchange a dull craftsman screwdriver for a new one without an arguement, so I have 3 of them and at least one of them is new at all times just for this purpose. :bglasses:
If you are going to drill out the head, try a left handed drill in a reversible drill, drilling counter clockwise. This will drill out head and getting the screw hot may just bring it out very easy. I think you will find these drill bits in Eastwood catalog or Harbor freight catalogs. They do work and you may save the lense. Jim Schilf palbuick@aol.com
screw This worked for me on a striped screw . I cut off two sides with a dremel tool cutting wheel. Made a rectangle sort of and put a needle nose vise grip on it . It worked.
Sorry I just re-read tail lens. See if you can get to them from behind . Spray good amounts of oil and grab the back side of the screw with vise grips and turn them out from behind. Once again worked for me.
Well I finally got the screws out. I sprayed one with WD40 a couple of days ago and it came right out. The other was a bit more stubborn. I drilled it with a 5/64 drill bit and used a screw extractor that I got at Home Depot and it finally let loose. It grabbed the outer wall of what was left of the screw and it came out. The inside of the light housing was NASTY!!!! Most of the paint had flaked off, so I cleaned it with some cleaner and roughed it up with Scotch Bright and painted the inside where the lamps go, with Duplicolor Chrome paint, and it looks fantastic now. The lights all got replaced and it looks 1000% better than it did. The lights have something to reflect off now, with the new paint, and they are really bright and easy to see. 1 project down, about 10,000 more to go. p Scott
