Ahhh! Stripped intake manifold screw!

[C.V.]

CRAP! 7 of the 8 screws came out great...

1979 GS850

replacing manifold o rings, used impact driver (the best i could given space) and copious amounts of PB blaster, but the philips head on the bottom screw of manifold 3 mushed out pretty badly. I have some ideas (cut a slot in the head, file some flats, etc.) but i wanted to see what the collective mind here thinks before I really booger this up. Please, help me out with ANY suggestions. I have never had good luck with cutting new slots in screws, and I am panicking that this will end up a worse case scenario (trucking the d*mn thing to the machine shop?)

I have new allen head screws to replace the old junk with, just need the one screw out. HELP!

Thanks!

[lurch12_2000]

I had a couple of tough screws when taking my intakes off my GS1100G. I carefully put a wooden block against the side of the troubled intake boot and tapped with a hammer in a counter-clockwise direction. This broke the screw free and then I was able to tap a few times with the impact driver to be sure it was free. They screwed right out and I replaced with the allen bolts provided by R. Barr with the new o-rings.

[lordcannon88]

i ran into the same situation about 4 months ago. the problem with hack sawing a slot is they are very narrow. if you could find a hacksaw with a blade that is about 2x wider than the hacksaw blade then use a huge flathead to get it out. worked for me! lately i have been using an electric reciprocating saw with a blade for heavy metal. if the screw you are cutting a slot into is somewhat accessible this is the best method i have found. takes around 4 seconds. lol

[lurch12_2000]

i ran into the same situation about 4 months ago. the problem with hack sawing a slot is they are very narrow. if you could find a hacksaw with a blade that is about 2x wider than the hacksaw blade then use a huge flathead to get it out. worked for me! lately i have been using an electric reciprocating saw with a blade for heavy metal. if the screw you are cutting a slot into is somewhat accessible this is the best method i have found. takes around 4 seconds. lol

No doubt you got this to work, but I would be real careful with a sawsall...better to use or borrow a dremmel tool. Minimizes collateral damage!!!!

[Tom MLC]

CRAP! 7 of the 8 screws came out great...

1979 GS850

replacing manifold o rings, used impact driver (the best i could given space) and copious amounts of PB blaster, but the philips head on the bottom screw of manifold 3 mushed out pretty badly. I have some ideas (cut a slot in the head, file some flats, etc.) but i wanted to see what the collective mind here thinks before I really booger this up. Please, help me out with ANY suggestions. I have never had good luck with cutting new slots in screws, and I am panicking that this will end up a worse case scenario (trucking the d*mn thing to the machine shop?)

I have new allen head screws to replace the old junk with, just need the one screw out. HELP!

Thanks!

Out of despiration I would suggest....

Cutting the intake manifold off to get it out of the way. Then you could probably get vice grips to grab that stripped screw. Of course, you would need to buy a new intake manifold. But they're still available.

Otherwise, I have a truck you could borrow.

[C.V.]

I had a couple of tough screws when taking my intakes off my GS1100G. I carefully put a wooden block against the side of the troubled intake boot and tapped with a hammer in a counter-clockwise direction. This broke the screw free and then I was able to tap a few times with the impact driver to be sure it was free. They screwed right out and I replaced with the allen bolts provided by R. Barr with the new o-rings.

I considered this, but isn't there a pretty great risk of breaking the flange where the manifold mounts?

[Nessism]

I’ve had some success with spinning the manifold as well – works about ½ of the time in my experience. Even if the screw doesn’t crack loose, it helps to get the manifold out of the way so you can try to reach the screw with some vice grips or a dremmel tool to cut a slot.

[C.V.]

I’ve had some success with spinning the manifold as well – works about ½ of the time in my experience. Even if the screw doesn’t crack loose, it helps to get the manifold out of the way so you can try to reach the screw with some vice grips or a dremmel tool to cut a slot.

OK, I'm thinking i'll try this, but i am still kinda worried about breaking the flange (off the engine, not the manifold), am I just being paranoid? Have you ever seen one broken this way? Sorry for the dumb questions, i just don't want to make things worse.

[renobruce]

I had a couple of tough screws when taking my intakes off my GS1100G. I carefully put a wooden block against the side of the troubled intake boot and tapped with a hammer in a counter-clockwise direction. This broke the screw free and then I was able to tap a few times with the impact driver to be sure it was free. They screwed right out and I replaced with the allen bolts provided by R. Barr with the new o-rings.

I did the same thing. A few screws on my bike were impossible to get to with an impact. I took off the screw I could reach, then tapped the boot counter clockwise.

[lurch12_2000]

OK, I'm thinking i'll try this, but i am still kinda worried about breaking the flange (off the engine, not the manifold), am I just being paranoid? Have you ever seen one broken this way? Sorry for the dumb questions, i just don't want to make things worse.

Just to follow up...this is assuming there is only 1 stuck screw as obviously the same boot is not going to pivot with 2 stuck screws.
Also, tap it very carefully so the blow is not angled into the head so as to not stress the mounting point. You may want to squirt penetrating oil along the mating surface of the boot and the head and let sit for a little while to help it slide or break free. Those heads are fairly strong as long as you don't strike the head itself. That's why I use the wooden block. It worked on 2 of my boots, so good luck.

[Agemax]

if you can rotate the boot to get access, a gentle few taps with a toffee hammer on the head of the screw can also "shock" the seal and break it free. make sure you hit it square on the head, using a small drift if needed

[C.V.]

Thanks all, as usual the GSR comes to the rescue. I will try rotating the manifold when i get home and see if that does it. I'll get back to you with the results. Thanks again guys, you rock!

[Suzuki mad]

What tools do you have at home? Fully equiped workshop or just a few odd this liying around?

Have you tried heating up the area to break the philips free? Run the engine and get it all hot them try and remove it.

Having been in the same position and had to pay a bloke £50 to drill and tap the threads out be very carefull. The flange of the rubber intake boot is metal. One option is to cut the boot off and leave the metal flange in place, then weld the metal flange to the bolt giving you more leverage. You could also cut just the head off the stud and run a die down the thread to then put a nut (12 or 13mm) onto the stud. Then weld it in place and undo the nut which will bring out the remaining stud.

Cutting the screw flush with the head must be last resort for you.

[CCMcC]

Vice grips worked for me

Hi. I just replaced all four boots. I wound up using small Vicegrips squeezed onto the head of the one recalcitrant screw and slowly turning it counter-clockwise. This was enough to get it loose so it could be removed.

There isn't much room to strike the impact wrench squarely (like not at all). I stripped the screw head and then failed in trying to drill and back it out.

I replaced the screws with allen bolts (much nicer).

[C.V.]

Success

Got it using the wood block-smack it and rotate the manifold and break the f*cker free method. Worked like a charm! Thanks for all the help gang!