Broken fin clamp screw possibly stripped. Help?!

[KcSwerver]

A month ago a friend at our lake set my ski to stock. He losend all the screws and set it up. When he tightened the clamping screws he noted that the screw closest to the tail was extremely hard to turn. Today I decided to replace the screws. When I went to undo the tight screw the hex head popped right off. Now I am stuck with a body of a screw that is possibly stripped (or the fin block could be) are there any words of wisdom for removing it? I'm calling goode in the morning for advice and going to the hardware store to see if they can extract it.

Bottom line I want to get this screw out to see what is going on. Before I buy an $85 fin block.

[liquid d]

it isn't stripped if it is not turning. they sell screw extractor at local hardware store. Go to Ace and they'll even show you how to use it. Pretty simple job with the right tool. The block is probably fine.

[Waternut]

Screw extractors and EZ outs are the worst tools known to man. I'm 32 years old and I've never known a single person to have used one successfully. About 25% failed and it didn't work. The other 75% of people have broken the EZ out inside what they were trying to remove making the problem 10x worse since you now have a hardened steel tool inside the steel screw. If you use a screw extractor my guess is, you'll spend $5 on the extractor, $5 on a nice metal drill bit, and $85 on a new fin block when it fails.

 

Wait to hear what Goode has to say. If they won't send you another one or give you a better recommendation, just buy a new one.

[BG1]

Aluminum tends to “bond” with other metals under pressure and friction. It can be drilled out and re-tapped by a skilled machinist on a milling machine. Some may charge as much as the new fin clamp. If you have a friend to do it then maybe you could get it done for free. Screw extractor is of no use in this case and in most others.

[A_B]

Is it an old style Goode block in two separate sides? If not, probably will not be successful. I tried drilling out a bolt once and they are so hard, I broke several small drill bits. Any small slip and the aluminum fin block cuts very fast vs the bolts. I think a commercial drill press and carbide bits might work, but not the simple press and bits that I used.

 

If it is an old style two piece block, you could unbolt everything except the frozen bolt, and then twist the fin blocks in opposite directions.

[Killer]

If you have an accurate drill press you can drill a pilot hole for the extractor. There should be enough room. Experienced machinist would be able to drill it out but might not be worth the hassle.

[Horton]

Take the block off the ski. Take out the fin. take out the other bolts. Twist the two sides of the bock.... Wait is that a one piece block? Go get a case of beer and go to the lake.

[eleeski]

@Horton has the right idea. If it's not a two piece fin block, break out the Dremel and make it a two piece fin block. With a broken screw, the fin block is shot unless your desperate actions salvage it. Work it apart so you can get visegrips on the bit of the screw that is sticking up. Before you try to remove the screw, soak it in penetrating oil. Real penetrating oil like Kroil is best but WD40 is OK if you have only that. Then add heat - hot heat! Be careful not to start a fire with the torch or heat gun. If you're lucky the screw will back out before the visegrips ruin what's left.

 

EZouts are difficult to make work but can work if you're careful. If you buggered the screw with visegrips or the break wasn't clean, you will need to grind it flat. Start with a small bit perfectly centered in the screw. A drill press gives you a chance. Folow with bigger bits. Make the hole as big in the screw as possible before even trying the EZout. Often the drill will heat up things enough to loosen it or you will have removed enough of the screw to soften things. If all else fails, you can drill the old screw completely out. But that is quite difficult and you will need to retap larger or install a helicoil insert.

 

Or you can just use a couple pieces of aluminum angle with the holes drilled and/or tapped in the right places - like I do. Spend the $80 on beer.

 

Antisieze would have prevented all this. Get it and use it.

 

Eric

[mwetskier]

soak the screw hole with penetrating oil for a day or so. this is the best ive ever found

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/wurth-rost-off-extra.html

if you cant find that then this will also work

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Blaster-11-oz-Penetrating-Catalyst-Lubricant-16PB-THD/202597469#.Ue99HKxWmN4

then go in the side opposite where the broke off head was and drill into the screw with a very small bit like 1/16. try to drill all the way through. now do the same with a bit thats a slightly larger. continue to increase bit size til one of the bits finally binds up and unscrews the bolt out the other side or til the only the threads of the bolt remain and can be picked out with a large needle.

 

this aproach worked good for me when ive had a stainless screw bind up in an aluminum brace frame. i think stainless has a tendency to do this with aluminum so i now always use an anti seize compound when putting stainless screws in aluminum. i use this one from auto zone

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/AGS-14-oz-4-g-Thread-Magic-anti-seize/_/N-25qx?itemIdentifier=196158_0_0_

[teammalibu]

Sometimes its not the tool but the tool using the tool! Send it to me and ill fix it for free!

[ForrestGump]

Or if you can't wait for it to be shipped to Erb, find a friend locally with a drill press where you can clamp it and drill straight into it, drill it out, and retap it.

[Horton]

@KcSwerver

as long as there is not tequila involved you can trust teammalibu

[Wish]

@BG1 if the metals tend to "bond", is there a preventative product that can be applied to avoid this problem. It happened to me on an old Goode.

[teammalibu]

Bad Tequila makes good penetrating oil! I usualy put a dab of no sieze on all my fin clamp bolts on any ski I am riding!

 

[BG1]

@Wish Any of the products listed in the posts above will work. Even just a drop of oil is better than nothing.

[Waternut]

@Wish It's not really that the metals "bond" per say. It's really galvanic corrosion which is caused by dissimilar metals like steel and aluminum. The two metals literally start to eat each other when in contact. If you've ever pulled a screw out and seen white dust, that's what it is. You can put anti-seize on the threads which is a fancy grease to help prevent it or you can just use grease. A very weak adhesive like RTV will work as well and won't wear off over time like grease and anti-seize.

[KcSwerver]

Tried all day yesterday to get it out with no luck. New fin block is ordered and on the way. Hope it's here by tomorrow as promised!

 

This is a 9900 fin block that is in one solid piece of aluminum, do you think if we cut it into two pieces, and got the bolt out using pliars, it could still be usable in two pieces instead of one?

[DW]

Can you center a drill bit on the set screw? If yes, I would try to drill ou the set screw, you can start small to get a good hole in the screw. Drill it out to pretty much the diameter of the set screw and you will then have 2 options. If really lucky, you will be able to knock out the remaining strands of the set screw or more likely, you will drill a hole in the fin block and then either heli coil or retap the threads in the fin block for a new set screw. Good luck.

[gregy]

@kcswerver a screw that small your pretty much going to need an end mill on a milling machine. I deal with this kind of stuff on a daily basis. If you guys want a grease that will hold up use a silicone grease, its the only thing weve found where I work that holds up over time in a harsh environment. But really any thing that forms a layer between the aluminum and stainless will work.

[eleeski]

@KCswerver Absolutely cut the fin block. The new one is on the way so what do you have to lose? Vise grips might be better than pliers. Use some heat and penetrating oil. Good luck.

Eric