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Soliciting suggestions - removing corroded light-bulb access cover plate screws
Rick Law:
I am hoping for some suggestion... I am trying to remove a downward facing access-opening cover plate screws to change a light bulb. The light bulb access cover plate faces the ground, held by four screws that screw in upward. Three of four screws are very corroded and seem very firmly affixed to the cover plate.
My go-to solutions for these kinds of problem are screw-remover bits and if that doesn't work or doesn't fit, WD-40.
The screw remover bits never failed me before. It just bites into the screw-head gripping it enough to unscrew. But this time, the screws are so corroded it is firmly "glued" in place. The screw-remover bit merely cuts a smooth and shinny small pit on the screw-head as I turn.
So, WD-40... Well, the screws go in upward, that means the head faces down. However much I spray the WD40, it just drips away and dries out in moments. The lights bulbs are car license plate/tag lights, and the access-cover is screwed on to the car. So, turning it over so that the screw-head faces is not an option
My last-resort solution is to drill the screws out. But before I do something as drastic as giving my car a drilling, I like to see if there are solutions that I missed...
Any suggestions are appreciated and welcomed.
Thanks.
Cyberdragon:
Take a small dremel and cut slots into the screws.
Alti:
Screws are usually driven into plastic so I am not sure if this method applies here:
If the screws are mild steel (I guess they are if corroded) and if there are no plactic things in proximity that you care about, you could take a mild steel non-galvanized nut and weld the head of the screw through the hole in nut. I use regular stick welder, 1.6mm (1/16") rod. Mind that I have never done that with screws but with rusted or twisted bolts this is super easy and worked every time for me. Last month I was removing rusted M6 seized in rivnut.
Remember to replace the screws with brass ones.
SeanB:
Likely the lights are using self tapping screws that are going into clip on locking plates in the inside of the vehicle. If you can get access to the interior there you can see them, and then you can try using a pair of vice grips to turn the screw loose from the inside. Failing that you are left with drilling them out, and using new fasteners into the body, hopefully this time with a nice coating of heavy grease on the threads to keep them from corroding fast.
Failing that try heat, either using a soldering gun to heat up just the screw, using a 100W plus soldering gun, or a hot air paint stripping gun, though if there is plastic around you will melt it. WD 40 on the screw head on a small pad will hold it there, giving time for it to wick up into the gaps, though your chances of it working with it already not budging to gentle force you will probably have to be less gentle, and accept that you will probably be buying 2 new light assemblies, after butchering the existing ones to avoid damaging the rest of the car.
David Hess:
I have done what Cyberdragon suggests before; use a Dremel to cut slots into the screws so that a flat head driver can be used. Now I also use an impact driver instead of a manual screwdriver because it is less likely to allow the driver bit to strip out of the screw. I did this last year to remove the very rusted screws holding a garbage disposal in place.
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