Phillips head screws!!

[idaho426]

I don't know why Yamaha uses cheap phillhips screws on their machines. ? Before I grew a pair and got a 426, I had a banshee with that had screws holding on the side case covers. They would strip the heads if you even looked at them funny. Now on my 426, I was trying to take the front sprocket guard off and I stripped the daaammm screws. How do I get them out now? Please help!!

[mat]

i just used vice grips after mine stripped and then replaced with hex heads

[John_Lorenz]

This might work ?

[idaho426]

Classic Ego.

That never gets old.

[YZeezee]

head to Sears, they have a few different tools made for getting out stripped screws/bolts. I think EZ Out is the name of it... You basically drill into the center of the screw just a little, put the "EZ Out" in a drill and hit it in reverse. It has reverse threads, bites inot it, and out they come. Then replace with hex heads...

[idaho426]

What size or # of screw do I look for to replace these ones? ?

[John_Lorenz]

you can get a kit from http://www.rockymountainmc.com

or your local shop / cycle parts store should have them...

[ July 24, 2002: Message edited by: E.G.O.**** ]

[edareus]

I know it sounds crazy but if the cross on the screw isn't completely rounded out, go to the auto parts store and get a tube of valve grinding compound. Put the valve grinding compound in the head of the screw and then try to get it off with a power driver, remember to push hard. I think the compound has abbrasive material in it that helps the driver grip the screw. This does work. I was told this by someone and I thought they were nuts and I have been using it now for years. Good luck.

[J.Hall]

vice grips always worked if you can get to it, on broke off bolts you can turn them out with a centerpunch but I dont know if that will work in your situation. You could carefully drill the heads off and then use the punch, but if you got the drill out anyway might as well use the easyouts.

[John_Lorenz]

A small center punch and a good hammer should break them loose: is the correct answer

[idaho426]

Common sense tells me that I would use the center punch on the side of the screw to make it turn. Is that right?

[Boit]

Idaho, good post. This is a sore spot with me as well....plus, I ran into this exact same problem. After you get those damn screws out, you might consider switching to flange head bolts. I bought an extensive kit from Racer's Toy Store that has a huge assortment of nuts, bolts, washer, and a few other fasteners(top quality, I might add). I discarded the plastic cover and kept the metal case guard piece. I see that pastic guard as having zero value and quite a bit of a nuisance. The damn thing is a mud magnet and it really protects nothing. Off the top of my head, I think the bolt size is 6mm but I don't remember what length I ended up with to make up for discarding the pastic garbage. Home Depot even carries a decent variety of metric fasteners. Take your screws along with you and match them up to get the correct size and thread pitch. Simply use their nuts and find one that fits your screw and you have your size. What I like to do is find the size bolt I want and then buy a few of several different lengths. You would be surprised how often you need that other length. If you only have bolts that are a little too long, you can stack washers underneath in a pinch until you can make the proper fit.

[PumpkinHumper]

There is one tool that you cannot be without if you own a bike.

Its a hand impact driver. The kind that you wack with a hammer. It will pop those philips head screws out no problem. I dont even reach for a philips screwdriver when working with those screws. just grab the impact and hammer it away.

If you havent used one of these before. You twist it to counterclockwise to loosten and the other way to tighten and then hit with a hammer. It has a variety of bits to fit a wide variety of fastners. I like to smack the bit into the screw to seat it and then turn the impact and wack it with the hammer.

[Shawn_Mc]

YZman400 has the hot ticket for getting those out if there is any head left at all. Also the griding compound deal works too. If you combine the two together, the grinding compound along with an impact driver, you'll get those out. I believe this to be the path of least resistance. If your still stuck, swing by Egos and pick up that flamethrower. Worst case scenario is grinding the heads off and removing the plastic and case gaurd, and you should have enough left to easily grab with the vice grips.

The do like boit says and swing by homedepot or buy one of those bitchen sets from Racers toy Store. Youll never exhaust your need for hardware. Especially nice hardware.

[dmxracing]

Just use a dremel tool with a small cutting wheel and cut a new slot for a flat head screw driver and remove the screw...

[sirthumpalot]

If you have the wrong size screwdriver then it will strip very easy. The right size screwdriver will fit very tightly with absolutely no play.

You can always replace them with alen head screws (I like these). ?

[John_Lorenz]

Wisdom aquired many years ago......

I always swap the case srews out for allen or bolt

Its a real pain in the but getting those stripped ones out....

[idaho426]

Would trying to get them out while the engine is hot help out? Maybe not since the metal is probably expanded, making things tighter.

[John_Lorenz]

No that would make things worse

DMX had a good suggest to noth it and use a flat head to break them loose.

The Visegrip is a good idea also if you can get a grip on it...

At sears instead of easy outs they have a tool that is an impact driver that is used to revearse out stripped phillips and such.. I would head to sears and look at it.

[ July 24, 2002: Message edited by: E.G.O.**** ]

[BlueBlur426]

Idaho, I have stripped off the heads on my phillips as well. Just use an impact screwdriver. I think that is what they are called. DAY 2 OF OWNING THIS AWESOME BIKE! lol....

Danny