Rotor set screws stripped... Help?

[silversleeper]

So Im pulling the cap and rotor off and I insert my 3mm allen key and the screw head gets stripped! I am looking for help, workarounds, anything! I just got my MarkD chip in and cant wait to take her out for a spin, but this is ruining my whole day. Can you guys help me out with words of wisdom from your own experience?

[Tangent]

I had that happen to me with a rotor... If you have a replacement rotor you use do the rather brutal method I used: Break the rotor apart until you can get a good grip on the screws with a pair of vice-grips and remove it that way.

[nando]

this is why you put them on finger tight.. they aren't holding on a wheel or anything! :(

[mattdk318i]

Visegrips.......

[silversleeper]

this is why you put them on finger tight.. they aren't holding on a wheel or anything! :(

First time removing these since p/o had the car... first time timing belt change AFAIK too! 73k miles, i hope i dont fuck something up. :D

[Adrian_Visser]

so the heads of the allen head screws are stripped right?

have no fear just get an "easy out" thats the right size no need to break anything!

go to your local hardware store pickup a set. the real good ones are $$$$ but you should be able to get a smaller diameter set for cheaper (the small ones are wat you want anyways)

just drill out the right size hole in the head of the screw and insert the easy out, crank it in a socket or wrench to loosen,

allen head screws/bolts SUCK its gotta be the stupidest design ever IMo
so easy to strip them if the allen key isnt inserted all the way into the head

torx are way better

[fretburnr]

ez-out extractors are handy - i had to go buy a set for just the same purpose - a little care and they'll help.

you bet i anti-seized the crap out of the new ones too ;)

[Simon S]

I ended up using a dremel tool with cut-off wheel attachment.

Dremel’d a slot in rotor screw.

Heated slotted screw with torch.

Soaked with PB blaster.

Then used an impact driver with a flat-blade screwdriver tip to remove screw via dremel’d slot.

.

[DoriftuEvo]

Got mine out by drilling increasingly larger holes through it until it fell out. Didn't hurt anything except the screw and took about 5 minutes.

[Rigmaster]

You guys (the last ~4 posters) seemed to miss the point that he said the IGNITION rotor screw was stripped- NOT the brake rotor. There's not enough room in there to use many of the methods that you guys talked about. Screw extractors universally suck in this type situation- the bolt in question is way too small to use one of those on it anyway. I don't think you could get a drill in there- the radiator + rad support are in the way. The dremel tool method *might* work, but again- not enough room to get an impact driver in there AND get a good whack on it with a hammer.


If you really just can't get that bolt loose by any other means- you can just destroy the rotor (you're replacing it anyway, right??). Use a prybar or a screwdriver or a dremel tool or whatever you can get in that space and just break it apart. The bolts may resist and stay stuck to the metal piece that holds the rotor. In that case- once you break out the center of the rotor- you should be able to use a large torx bit to remove the metal piece that holds the rotor to the end of the camshaft. Then you can get it on a workbench or in a vise where you can get the bolt out.


Bret.

[RobertK]

I would use the Dremel slot method.

I can't remember correctly but if the rotor screw sticks out far enough you can get ahold of it with a bolt out kit.

[silversleeper]

I have taken my dremel with the cutoff and cut slots in it, but no luck yet. I need to pick up a can of PB Blaster though, hopefully thatll work. If all else fails, I will remove the radiator and all. But I do appreciate all the helpful ideas you guys posted. I will get back to you with my results. My first plan of action will be the PB spray down followed by vise grips. Its a tight squeeze in there and the dremel can only cut so deep a groove for a stubby flat head.