Getting near the end of the season and some will need to do yearly maintenance. If you run across a cover plate screw that will not come out, I use the following method to remove it.
My personal, initial method, for removing stubborn screws involves using penetrating oil. There is a product called PB Blaster which I prefer. If it is not available where you are, most stores where automotive products are sold carry some type of penetrating oil.
Begin by cleaning the head of the stuck screw of all dirt, grit, SAND, and grime. Use a needle to dig around the perimeter of the screw's head as deep as you can. Apply a few drops of the penetrating oil when the screw head is clean and let it sit over night. Apply more penetrating oil if it soaks in.
While it is soaking, look for a screw driver that fits the screw head slot exactly. You can use a file to make fine adjustments to the screw driver tip to get a good fit. You do not want any taper to the tip of the screw driver. Make it fit into the slot as perfectly as you can or it will not bite and will cam out under heavy torque. If the screw slot has already been damaged keep reading.
Go slowly when you try to remove the screw after soaking and see if the oil has loosened it up. You may need to put a lot of downward force on the screw driver to get it to turn the screw. If no luck then you must go to more drastic measures which I will discuss next.
Sometimes it can be very difficult getting a cover plate screw out. That said, it can be done, but will take some time and patience. Here are a few suggestions before you go to war.
1. Take a magnet and check to make sure the screws are non magnetic. Sometimes I find one of the very early steel screws in a later model reel.
2. The majority of the actual Mitchell screws on a Mitchell 300 were made of chrome plated brass. With a softer metal screw your tools, which are probably made from a hardened metal, will cut into the screws. You may have to sacrifice the screw to get it out but replacements are still available on the internet for a premium price.
3. I have run into one or two cases where someone has installed a cover plate screw with thread locking compound. There are different types of thread-lock but they can be the reason a screw won't budge. Look for traces of usually red or blue dried thread lock compound around and on the screw with a magnifying glass. If you find it, try heating the screw with a hair dryer.
4. A very useful tool to remove stubborn screws is a Dremel tool which I will discuss later.
5. Get a hold of some masking tape. It is sometimes called paper tape and is normally a white color. Auto repair shops call this tape masking tape. Some types have less or a different type of adhesive on them and are blue colored. These are normally for painting but will work fine as well. I suggest you get yourself a small roll for this job.
6. Check all 3 cover plate screws to see if any can be removed. If you can get one out, look at the screw head and threads of the one(s) you can get out for clues as to why one is stuck. As I said earlier, look for traces of red and or blue thread lock. Salt water contamination is usually a whitish substance.
7. Remember if the stuck screw looks different from the other screws such as being a Phillips head screw, then someone may have installed a screw with the wrong size threads and cross threaded the replacement screw into the hole. I once had to re-tap the screw hole on the housing due to someone using this practice.
8. Keep in mind that the Mitchell cover plate screws were made of chrome plated brass and will not rust. Whatever is keeping your screw from turning is probably not due to rust. The housing where the screw hole is located, is made of an aluminum alloy. I have seen salt water, if left on the reel for very long, cause the screw or screw threads to corrode and make the screw stick.
SUPPLIES AND TOOLS USED Click on an image to enlarge it
- 01 TOOLS-edited-2.jpg (180.61 KiB) Viewed 353 times
- 03 Dremel Tool and engraver bit-edited.jpg (142.63 KiB) Viewed 353 times
- 02 Chemicals-edited-2.jpg (161.73 KiB) Viewed 353 times
(SEE Arrows in photo above)
1. PB Blaster-penetrating oil. I prefer to dispense using one of the small plastic bottles with a steel needle attached to get exact placement of the liquid. The small red cap prevents spills and evaporation of the liquid. I bought these bottles on the big auction site for about $3.00 USD each and love them.
2. Corrosion X - Anti corrosion liquid. I use this all the time instead of oil. I believe you can still find it on-line.
3. WD-40 - My favorite for cleaning greasy parts both inside and outside a reel. Will not harm Mitchell paint. Helps remove grease, grime, and the like. (Available on-line.)
CONTINUED ON NEXT POST TITLED: Mitchell 300 Stuck Cover Plate Screw Removal-PART 2