Thread: Stubborn screws

an impact screw driver or if you carnt get one hit the end of the screw driver

sometimes it is far easier to just drill the heads off (make sure you only drill deep enough to remove head) then remove the body section/trim that they are holding now you should be able to clamp a set of vice grips on the protruding section and slowing work backwards and foward until loose, now remove
cheers
blaze

Try using a screwdriver that has a square shaft. Put a spanner on the shaft while putting as much pressure as possible on the end of the screwdriver. If you dont have a square shaft screwdriver you can try some vice grips on the handle.

Other tricks you can try are:
- put a bit of valve grinding paste on the screwdriver tip - it helps to give the screwdriver a bit more bite in the head
- try turning slightly in a clockwise direction as sometimes it helps to "crack" it for a start before undoing it
- forget using a real screwdriver - get a nice new screwdriver bit for a hex drive. If you have a speedbrace attach the bit onto that, make a big wad of rag and put it on the top and lean onto it with your shoulder with as much body weight as you can. If you dont have a speedbrace get a long extension and a ratchet for a similar effect.
- if its not a countersunk screw, I've had success with using a sharp cold chisel on the side of the screw head to turn it (like you have to do with ignition lock screws).

When doing lots of countersunk screws on aircraft panels we used to have a tool that was like a bar with a piece of angle attached to the end. You put a bolt thru a hole in the angle and into an adjacent screw hole (that had already been removed), and used the leverage of the bar to bear down on the screw that you were trying to remove. We used a philips bit in a socket and ratchet, and the removal bar pressed on the back of the ratchet.
It relies on the adjacent structure being reasonably solid though or you just bend things.

Steve

Impact screwdriver. Loosened the exact same screws you are talking about, not three hours ago with one