Help, I was an eager beaver and used my impact driver to install drip rails. I stripped the A574 bolt that is supposed to be hand tightened into the T nuts. Who has a solution for extraction?
Not sure what the A574 bolt is, can you show a picture?
Typically, when I have stripped bolts (at my old job it was one of the many tasks others made for me) I would have to drill them out. Either drill the head off and push it through or drill the body out and peel out the threads with a pick.
You could also try to glue something in the bolt head with super glue and turn that?? Never worked for me, but my stuff was industrial.
Good luck
Hammer a slightly larger torx bit into the stripped hex
Cut a slot in the bolt head with a dremel and unscrew with a flat head
Use vice grips to grip the outer edge of the bolt and unscrew it
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Once you get them out the DripRails should be mounted in the upper track. They will catch too much wind in the lower track and will crack over time.
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OK, I see.
Likely the A574 is a manufacturer stamp for the bolt part number or for the coating, it’s not really a bolt description. The bolt is a 1/4"-20 socket head cap screw 3/8" or 1/2" long (hard for me to tell in the picture). A very standard size.
It may be a big contributor to the bolt stripping is the quality of the hex wrench you were using. Most brands are pretty soft, and the corners start rounding. I highly recommend getting a high-quality set such as Bondhus, you can find some reasonably priced sets online.
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Four suggestions.
- Try a good pair of VISE-GRIP
If that doesn’t work.
- Drill the head with a CCW drill bit and easy out.
The counterclockwise drill bit usually will extract the screw because it’s rotating the opposite direction to tightening. As it drills it heats the screw and bites the metal.
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If the CCW drill doesn’t work use the easy out.
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And finally if nothing else works driiling the head off the screw by using a bit a little large than the screws threaded part. CCW drill preferred!
PS: Just hope you didn’t tighten to where the screw went into the aluminum extrusion. That makes thing more challenging.
Good Luck!
Wera Hex-Plus keys bite into a damaged head. Knipex TwinGrip pliers will grab the exterior as well as anything, and better than most. If you have to drill it, add a little oil to the bit for better results.
Unfortunately, using an impact driver on stainless steel fasteners likely galled the threads, friction welding the parts together. Consider using some form of lubricant (oil, wax, pipe dope, mild thread locker, etc.) to prevent thread galling during fully manual reassembly. Good luck!
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What was the out come?
Were you able to extract the screws?
Thank you all for the pro tips. Love this community of smart people helping each other out. I ended up getting them out using a combination of hammering a slightly larger hex bit in and backing it out with a driver. Then had to use vice grips and willpower to get the screw off the hammered in bit itself.
Hand tightening from now on - lesson learned.
Thanks again!
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