Loosening stubborn screw on Royal

[97widerider]

Trying to disassemble my 1999 Royal 4000 just for inspection, thorough cleaning etc. Stripped a phillips screw on rear housing and have converted it to a flat head screw with help of dremel tool. I have applied PB Blaster and still can not get it loose.

My next option is to apply heat with a propane torch. My local vacuum guy recommended it but will this really work? Since the screw isn't fastened by a nut on the back side but is threaded into the cast aluminum housing, will it really work. How much heat can the screw and housing take before it damages it?

Anyone have to try this? Not getting this one screw out will basically render my vacuum unserviceable.

 

[electroluxxxx]

Yes it will work. I’d say keep the torch on the screw and housing for about 10-15 secs and GENTLY turn it using some strength and it should come out. If that doesn’t work then the final option would be to drill it out. By that point you will need to “re-thread” the hole with another screw.

 

[scudo]

In the past when I have had to drill out a screw as a last option if you can carefully drill a pilot hole down the centre and then a slightly bigger hole to the point it is as wide a hole as you can drill without touching the wall threads then the screw more or less collapses on itself and can be easily taken out.

 

[lesinutah]

Hey

On my heritage 2 13 I had 2 bolts were positive. I jarred one lose using like torque screw driver. The other drilled mostly out.
Once it came apart from body I used vice grips not ruining any threads.
If any amount of screw is accessible I have a few pairs of vice grips saved s few screws.
Hood luck. I'm about to put mine together
Les

 

[huskyvacs]

Get a stripped screw remover.

https://www.amazon.com/Damaged-Screw-Remover-Extractor-EasyOut/dp/B07HGSPQDV

 

[texaskirbyguy]

If drilling it out, I highly suggest using left-handed drill bits. They turn CCW to drill and may just grab hold of the screw and back it out while drilling. You just have to run your drill in reverse and a non reversible drill will not work with them.
Harbor freight has a cheap set of them - I used them many times and are okay for limited use.

 

[lesinutah]

Hey

That screw extractor is a piece of shiz. I bought a few. They strip screw into there circular shape.
Les

 

[97widerider]

Heat did it.

I agree with Les, the screw extractors are junk. Never had one work for me.

 

[madman]

Heat usually does it. :3