Okay, I have an older board with an older style fin screw which apparently snapped at some point. Now, I’m at a loss as how I can remove this thing. I’ve tried getting pliers on it but there’s barely any leverage and no grip. Also, the tip of the fin is angled over the area where a screwdriver/drill would come in handy. Any ideas on how I can remove this thing?
I had similar situation with a fin bolt where half of the head had sheared away at the screwdriver slot. There was no way to get any leverage on the bolt. Someone suggested that I epoxy an extension onto the bolt that could then be gripped in some way to turn the bolt. I didn’t try this since I didn’t think it would work.
Instead, I used an electric drill to cut away a fair amount metal from the center of the bolt head. Then, I positioned a screwdriver horizontally at the bottom of the bolt head and gave it a good whack with mallet. This managed to split off the remaining part of the head from the shaft. I rotated the fin up and out of the way without resistance and then slid bolt/retaining plate out of the box in the normal way.
I’d take a Dremel tool and cut a slot on the top of the bolt and then use a screwdriver to remove it.
Yep, that’s exactly how I’d deal with it too.
“Slot the head” seems like a won’t fail solution, but another for similar, less slotting-friendly situations is to 1st drill a hole, then use a “screw extractor” - start fine, work up to larger diameters if small holes/extractors fail. Key wd be not to break off the extractor head in the drilled hole. One way to avoid that: use vice grips w extractor instead of screw gun
I’d definitely use a cut off wheel on a dremel, and cut a slot.
The right angle dremel tool adds a significant level ofadded control to the tool head and business end. Cutting a slot can have the wheel catch add run the tool where not intended.
Use a long flat head screwdriver whose shaft is taller than teh fin so you can get it at an 89 degree angle. Cut the slot to fit the shape of the screwdriver head.
If the plate is stripped, and one has to both twist the screw while pulling it up, grind some opposing flats on the side of the screw head, and grab it firmy with needle nose vice grips, then twist and pull.
I woulnd not want any penetrating fluid like Pb blaster or Kroil, sprayed wildly over the whole interface, but a drop or two on a q tip/cotton swab whose head is bent 90 degrees, should be able to get under the plate and lube the potential rusty threads on the bottom of the screw.
‘They’ say the best penetrating fluid is a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF, transmission fluid.
Go scrape a few drops from your tranmission dipstick, and you likely have acetone on hand…
perhaps overkill, perhaps it makes it come out with minimal effort.
Thanks for the replies. I think I’ll try the dremel and cut a notch in it.
A couple drops of wintergreen oil would help to loosen things up…
Odds are the screw is completely frozen in the plate thus the snapped off head. Odds are cutting a slot won’t work even though in theory its a great idea. I’d just carefully dremel the entire head off. Mask off the area so you don’t accidently mar the board.
I’m with Mako224 on this. If it broke off once, chances of a homebrewed slot working aren’t very good. Grind the remaining head off the screw. I have done this a couple times and it works perfectly.
However… I recently purchased a 1972 G&S, and when I went to take the plate out of the fin box, I was surprised to find that it doesn;t come out!!! I didn’t even know there was such a box, and I don’t know how in the hell they got the plate in there in the first place! Anyway, i suppose if it’s one of these, cutting the head off and removing the fin will give you an opportunity to inspect the situation, and will offer you more to grab on the screw…
The FU finbox, is made up of two parts, which are glued together. Before the bottom is attached, a screw plate is placed in the slot. This was the original assembly method. The current fin box, with interior modifications, now allows insertion of the screw plate, after assembly.
Okay, a quick update to my dilema. At first I took the dremmel and cut a slit large/deep enough for a screwdriver. And what do you know, it didn’t budge. So, I had to grind down the entire screw head until I got the fin out. Now I have the remainder screw and square nut still in the box. I think with some needlenose pliers and some fiddling, I may be able to get it out. Thanks everybody for your help.
Monk; If you still are having trouble getting the nut out, here’s what I have had to do on more than one occasion. Take a narrow chisel 1/4" size, and cut a ramp in both sides of the box. I used a modern box to reference for the location and angle. The plastic is soft enough, and if you take your time, you won’t change the value of the board. The square nut will slide up and out the ramp just like they do in modern boxes. I also have taken the square plate nut and drilled & tapped out the old screw and replaced it in the box. The screw was replaced by a brass one of the appropriate size. The softer brass is easier to work if it ever sticks again. I found that most modern stainless screws are low quality and will eventually rust too. Just my 2c…
Thanks for that. I will have to try it.
