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Pays_in_snakes t1_iu507tj wrote

Reply to comment by vesati in How can I remove a headless screw from a shower valve? by foootrest

I successfully used one of these to get a broken screw out of a washing machine transmission, but I got the distinct impression that it wouldn't have worked if the screw had been rusted in there. You don't get a lot of torque on small, cheap screws before they just drill out

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vesati t1_iu518ce wrote

Oh yeah, I've been in that situation.

Ultimately, I went scorched earth on the screw, and drilled out the center of the screw with a drill bit, then kept stepping up the drill bit size bit by bit until I had literally scooped the old screw out of the hole from the inside-out.

I was victorious over the inanimate and uncaring object.

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jkool702 t1_iu7lkf4 wrote

A modified version of this approach works really well actually

  1. drill out the center of broken screw

  2. find a screw with a sharp point tip that is about the same diameter as the screw you just drilled

  3. screw this new screw into the hole you drilled into the broken screw

  4. let it sit for a few minutes. As it cools off (from the heat caused by friction from screwing in the screw) it should lock the 2 screws together

  5. slowly unscrew the new screw. The old broken one should come with it.

If this fails you can also drill it out and tap a new hole with a slightly larger thread and use a slightly larger screw. Just hope that the tap doesnt break off in the hole....getting a broken screw out is childs play compared to getting a broken tap out of a half-threaded metal hole

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