I have a very stuck screw on my Fintec heel, suggestions?

[Erik J]

Looking to remove my Fintec heels. I have all the screws out but one.

What I have tried so far - 

PB blaster, overnight soak with multiple applications - nope

Tap a hammer onto a flathead screwdriver towards the left to loosen the screw - nope

Heat - the torch is a bit tough to get on the screw as it's recessed. I don't want to start melting plastic so nope

Tapping a screwdiver into the screw head for better grip - nope

Drilled out the screw head to insert a screw extractor -  I have good bite from the screw extractor but the screw will not spin. I don't want to break off the extractor in the screw.

I'm on the verge of going to my dads shop to put the heel under a drill press to just bore the whole thing out but that seems like damage may ensue.

Any suggestions?

 

[JRAZZ]

Ugh, that sucks.

Those screws are not easy to get to.

 

You've drilled them out but have you taken out the head? Maybe you can remove the head and then take off the heel. After that you should be able to remove the screw body with vice-grips.

[queequeg]

3 hours ago, Erik J said:

Looking to remove my Fintec heels. I have all the screws out but one.

What I have tried so far - 

PB blaster, overnight soak with multiple applications - nope

Tap a hammer onto a flathead screwdriver towards the left to loosen the screw - nope

Heat - the torch is a bit tough to get on the screw as it's recessed. I don't want to start melting plastic so nope

Tapping a screwdiver into the screw head for better grip - nope

Drilled out the screw head to insert a screw extractor -  I have good bite from the screw extractor but the screw will not spin. I don't want to break off the extractor in the screw.

I'm on the verge of going to my dads shop to put the heel under a drill press to just bore the whole thing out but that seems like damage may ensue.

Any suggestions?

 

I had a really difficult time getting my fintec heels out of my old UPZ's that I had t-nutted myself. One of the screws had basically bonded to one of the t-nuts and no amount of cajoling, convincing, sweet-talking, or violence was getting it free. I wonder if this is what you have encountered? I ended up sawing the T-nut apart with a dremel. I can't recall whether or the boots survived but I think I managed to keep them intact. They were done for anyhow so I was not too concerned about the boots. I would think you could extract them with a drill press safely if you started with a narrow bit to bore-out the middle of the screw — then at least it might be weak enough to break? You''d probably have to replace the t-nut anyhow if the rest of the screw was still stuck in there. Best of luck!

I'm wondering if you can heat the screw without using a blowtorch and risk melting the plastic? Maybe turning the boot upside down, and balancing a soldering iron tip down on the screw to transfer heat into it? That might get the screw hot enough to have some effect if you leave it on there long enough BUT: it would probably also heat up the heel and the plastic parts within it as well, which might not be so good.

[Corey]

I'd drill off the head.  You know the size of the screw from the other ones, just pick a drill bit slightly larger than the shank of the other screws.  Then stop and check often.  Eventually the head will pop off.  Then slide off the heel and hammer out the offending stub/t-nut.  

I've done this exact thing before to good success.  Any heating is going to damage the heel or shell. 

[queequeg]

32 minutes ago, Corey said:

I'd drill off the head.  You know the size of the screw from the other ones, just pick a drill bit slightly larger than the shank of the other screws.  Then stop and check often.  Eventually the head will pop off.  Then slide off the heel and hammer out the offending stub/t-nut.  

I've done this exact thing before to good success.  Any heating is going to damage the heel or shell. 

This seems like a better idea than the drill press. I wonder how extracting the remainder of the screw from the t-nut would go though. I guess you could use a pair of vice grips on what's left for greater leverage and hope it doesn't snap.

[bumpyride]

For future reference, sometimes taking a hammer and pounding down, will release the bond.  Also try tightening it slightly, before you try to loosen, and that also works.

[Pat Donnelly]

Been there several years ago, what worked for me was drilling the screw from the inside out and I recall breaking a few drill bits in the process.

I may have broken the T-Nut grip from attempting to drill and tap from the exterior so that the screw and nut were spinning so I had to apply pressure from the inside.

Replaced all the T-Nuts and screws with M5 x 20mm stainless steel socket cap bolts.

Since that experience I stick with stainless heel bolts and always use a wrap of teflon pipe thread tape.

Be careful not to over-tighten the bolts and be sure to re-check tightness after your first day of riding.

 

 

[rjnakata]

2 hours ago, Pat Donnelly said:

... I stick with stainless heel bolts and always use a wrap of teflon pipe thread tape.

Great idea!

[Corey]

12 hours ago, queequeg said:

I wonder how extracting the remainder of the screw from the t-nut would go though. 

You can put the T-nut in a vise and try to unscrew the stub. If it's seized, just replace both the T-nut and screw. My heels came with new ones so I had spares. 

This is reminding me that I usually take out my screws in the summer and check for corrosion. Better to find out at home than when you need to replace a cable in Montucky. 

Another thought; Loctite and other thread sealers eat/damage most plastics, so keep it off your boots. I'd like to use a low-strength one just to seal the joint, but I'm too worried about it getting on the plastic. Pat's suggestion of Teflon tape is a good one! 

[RobertAlexander]

Big set of Vice Grips , extremely tight onto you best screwdriver, and use the leverage of vise grips to loosen screw, all the time putting all your weight onto the screwdriver.  I had the same situation as you, and it finally loosened.   Also try a can of freeze spray, onto the head of screw and T nut area,  freeze spray will not harm anything like flame or heat will, if heat is needed, try a hot heat gun first.    You could also  flame  heat up the end of a cheap screwdriver until red and insert said hot driver into the head of screw.   Upside down flame as you go aka conduction and hold.

[Erik J]

well I got the screw out

The solution was having more than 1 drink. Also I drilled the head of the screw off as suggested. I was able to get the screw out of the boot as well with vice grips since at that point I could clamp down hard onto the screw itself.

Thanks team!

[JRAZZ]

3 hours ago, Erik J said:

The solution was having more than 1 drink.

Isn’t that always the solution?

[Beckmann AG]

EDM, FTW.

Regarding stainless fasteners, some of those are 'grade 2' soft, like a decent cheddar, so make sure to check the specs and use the tougher alloy.

Moving forward, all of you step-in enthusiasts could orchestrate a group purchase on a batch of nitrided fasteners. 

5 hours ago, erazz said:

Isn’t that always the solution?

Often it's the start of the next problem.

[snowburn]

On 9/15/2018 at 8:35 PM, Beckmann AG said:

Often it's the start of the next problem.

 but with super human strength.

[jl1]

Glad you got it apart.  For stuck/frozen bolts and screws I started using Kano Kroil-way better than PB Blaster.  A mechanic at the commercial fishing dock recommended it.  I have used it to get bolts out of salt water outboards and nothing is worse than that environment.

[lowrider]

What was the impetus to revive a 14 month old post ? I enjoyed the review just curious.

[snowburn]

20 minutes ago, lowrider said:

What was the impetus to revive a 14 month old post ? I enjoyed the review just curious.

Thanks. I just realized that I replied to a post that was linked to an older thead. I got lost in the Matrix

[carvedog]

On 11/18/2019 at 8:33 PM, snowburn said:

Thanks. I just realized that I replied to a post that was linked to an older thead. I got lost in the Matrix

Glad you did. I am about to remove some heels to try to switch over and install to some new UPZs. Haven't had New New boots since.....fack......Burton was still making them. But I have mined the depths of eBay and used here so that there are no more Fire boots in 28.5 left on this spinning stone. I have three good left boots, but no right ones.