Crank cover screws

[Kratzer]

Hey guys, I'm trying to get the crank cover off to do a stator replacement. Those screws aren't budging. I tried an impact driver and NOTHING. Just starting to strip the heads.

Who makes a good screw extractor?

What else can I try? I really want to aviod having to tap new threads. Or EDM, if thats even a possibility.

[KRISTI'SGS550]

Just curious, but did you make sure the impact driver is set to the correct direction? When I tried to take my crank cover off, the screw heads were stripping with my impact driver. I couldn't figured out what was wrong. I then double checked my impact driver and it was on tighten.....ooops. I turned it over and the screws came out like they were set in butter.

Cory

[posplayr]

You should not have to retap anything

When you drill the center of the bolt, go a little oversize of the bolt but less than the bolt head. The drill should go through the head of the bolt (and miss the case if you are on center) and then after removing all bolts/heads remove the cover and take a pair or vice grips to the shank of the drilled out bolts and turn it out. You should be able to do this without damaging the cover or the case threads; you destroy the bolt but that presumably needs to be replaced with SS anyway.

What I have found works very well before you kill the head of the bolt is to to use a socket wrench screw. You are able to much more pressure down onto the top of the bolt (axially) and the wrench does a much better job of getting radial torque. You can probably pick them up at Sears pretty cheap.

On a corroded chain drive side cover, I got every bolt out save one (drilled it) using the socket wrench. There is just much less likelihood of stripping the bolt this way.

http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/skt19737.html

Posplayr

P.S. make sure you use the right Phillips size. Usually #3 works for most of the case bolts.

[renobruce]

Good advise. I have also used needle-nosed vise grips if I have the room to work it and the screw isn't too far gone. PB Blaster is good stuff, too. Give 'em a good soak.

[Kratzer]

UPDATE: When in doubt, hit the impact harder. Frustration+Impact= Relief. The cover is off, and the screws are out.

Now, for my new bone head move. While impacting the screws, 3 of them fell out, and of course, all different lengths. Guess that will make for a fun extra 30 minutes of "match the screw".

[renobruce]

They should all stick out the same length before you start screwing them. If in doubt, go to alpha-sports.com and look at the diagram. The part numbers for the screws are "coded". The length of them is in the part number.

[Kratzer]

Fantastic- Thanks!