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Stainless screws seized in aluminum mast #283197
08/03/16 09:06 AM
08/03/16 09:06 AM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 144
Near SLC, Utah
tomthouse Offline OP
member
tomthouse  Offline OP
member

Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 144
Near SLC, Utah
Subject: Stainless screws seized in aluminum mast

Does anyone have some great suggestions on how to removed stainless steel screws that are seized in my old aluminum mast.

I am finally transferring the hardware from my broken Stiletto 27 mast and installing the old pieces and parts on the new mast, which is an old 27 mast salvaged from a wrecked boat and then stripped down and repainted.

It's a great mast and beautifully painted.

I’d consider buying all new cleats and such, but the replacement mast is already drilled for the original hardware and I’m not sure where to even get replacements.

Any ideas out there ?????

Tom

-- Have You Seen This? --
Re: Stainless screws seized in aluminum mast [Re: tomthouse] #283200
08/03/16 10:35 AM
08/03/16 10:35 AM
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,969
B
brucat Offline
Carpal Tunnel
brucat  Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B

Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,969
Penetrating fluid is always a good first step, but may not break down the galvanic corrosion.

Since it's the old mast, you don't care about looks, so you could always try heat (torch).

Beyond that, an impact screwdriver is a good choice. Keep in mind that if you strip the heads, you'll need to go to the final resort: drill baby drill...

Mike

Re: Stainless screws seized in aluminum mast [Re: tomthouse] #283203
08/03/16 06:00 PM
08/03/16 06:00 PM
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,383
Kingston SE South Australia
JeffS Offline
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JeffS  Offline
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,383
Kingston SE South Australia
I've had success in the past with drilling the centre of the screw with a small blunt drill bit it heats the screw to a high temperature to release it without wrecking the head for the screwdriver


Jeff Southall
Current boats
Nacra 5.8 1703 Animal Scanning Services
Nacra 5.8 1667 Ram Raider
Nacra 18 Square
Arrow 1576
Re: Stainless screws seized in aluminum mast [Re: tomthouse] #283204
08/03/16 06:48 PM
08/03/16 06:48 PM
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,969
B
brucat Offline
Carpal Tunnel
brucat  Offline
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,969
Wow, that sounds like a very cool trick! Never heard that one before.

Mike

Re: Stainless screws seized in aluminum mast [Re: tomthouse] #283205
08/03/16 06:50 PM
08/03/16 06:50 PM
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,658
Florida Suncoast, Dunedin Caus...
catman Offline
Pooh-Bah
catman  Offline
Pooh-Bah

Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,658
Florida Suncoast, Dunedin Caus...
Do have any plans for the old mast or is it scrap?

If it's scrap I would use a chop saw or sawzall and cut the sections with the parts you need. Then cut those sections to access the back side of the screws. Grind, chisel, break or whatever works to remove the part of the screw on the inside. Take a punch and drive the screw out. For that matter you could just grind the inside surface until the part falls off or some other variation of destructive behavior.


Have Fun
Re: Stainless screws seized in aluminum mast [Re: tomthouse] #283206
08/03/16 08:24 PM
08/03/16 08:24 PM
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,969
B
brucat Offline
Carpal Tunnel
brucat  Offline
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Bonus points for creativity, not to mention stress relief...

Mike

Re: Stainless screws seized in aluminum mast [Re: brucat] #283209
08/04/16 09:19 AM
08/04/16 09:19 AM
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,590
Naples, FL
waterbug_wpb Offline
Carpal Tunnel
waterbug_wpb  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,590
Naples, FL
cut the rest of the mast into short pieces, mount on a wood pedestal, and use as regatta tropies...

I got one from Ryan's wrecked N6.0 mast at a regatta. Bonus points for "green" creativity in their awards.


Jay

Re: Stainless screws seized in aluminum mast [Re: waterbug_wpb] #283210
08/04/16 11:22 AM
08/04/16 11:22 AM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina
Jake Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Jake  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina
use an impact driver! Seriously. It will make short work of it and save the screw head.

I had a self tacker jib track from a Nacra 20 where the end of the traveler track was ripped off during a backwards pitchpole in surf (a half-gainer-pole?). The track was attached with stainless machine screws into a thick aluminum bar but the aluminum bar didn't even appear to be tapped. It looked like they just got the holes close and drove the screws into them. With absolutely no barrier between the metals, they corroded badly. I spent a month tinkering with that thing and no penetrating fluid or anything I tried would budge any of those phillips flat head screws so I shoved it on a shelf and forgot about it. Sometime later, I bought a Ridgid tool set that included an impact driver and after being pretty impressed with that thing, I came across that traveler track and I wondered how it would do. The verdict? Amazing. Every screw came out with almost no effort using the impact driver. To make sure I hadn't lost my mind, I tried a couple with a manual screw driver and had the same result - couldn't budge the screw and started to destroy the head. The impact driver immediately removed the screw right after that.

This thing has become one of my favorite tools.


[Linked Image]


Jake Kohl
Re: Stainless screws seized in aluminum mast [Re: tomthouse] #283212
08/04/16 04:41 PM
08/04/16 04:41 PM
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,403
V
Ventucky Red Offline
veteran
Ventucky Red  Offline
veteran
V

Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,403
Yeuppp the best thing since canned beer.... something every weekend warrior and pro should have... I liberated a Subaru EJ2.2 complete with ECU and wire harness out of a Legacy in about 5.5 hours using one of these... and they make easy work out of those hard to get off nuts and screws..

Quote
This is my Makita Power Driver. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

My Makita Power Driver is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life…….

My Mikita Power Driver, without me, is useless. Without my Mikita Power Driver, I am useless…..

……My Makita Power Driver is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sockets and screw bits. I will keep my Makita Power Driver clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will...

Before God, I swear this creed. My Makita Power Driver and I are the defenders of the Subaru-Vanagon conversion We are the masters of Subaru dashboard. We are the saviors of my life……….


[Linked Image]

Last edited by Ventucky Red; 08/04/16 05:23 PM.
Re: Stainless screws seized in aluminum mast [Re: Ventucky Red] #283213
08/04/16 04:59 PM
08/04/16 04:59 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina
Jake Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Jake  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina
Originally Posted by Ventucky Red
Yeuppp the best thing since canned beer.... something every weekend warrior and pro should have... I liberated a Subaru EJ2.2 complete with ECU and wire harness out of a Legacy in about 5.5 hours using one of these... and they make easy work out of those hard to get off nuts and screws..

Quote
This is my Makita Power Driver. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

My Makita Power Driver is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life…….

My Mikita Power Driver, without me, is useless. Without my Mikita Power Driver, I am useless…..

……My Makita Power Driver is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sockets and screw bits. I will keep my Makita Power Driver clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will...

Before God, I swear this creed. My Makita Power Driver and I are the defenders of the Subaru-Vanagon conversion We are the masters of Subaru dashboard. We are the saviors of my life……….




Is that an impact driver or a drill/driver? The impact is a necessity for the corroded bolts, IMHO.


Jake Kohl
Re: Stainless screws seized in aluminum mast [Re: Jake] #283214
08/04/16 05:29 PM
08/04/16 05:29 PM
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,403
V
Ventucky Red Offline
veteran
Ventucky Red  Offline
veteran
V

Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,403
Originally Posted by Jake
Originally Posted by Ventucky Red
Yeuppp the best thing since canned beer.... something every weekend warrior and pro should have... I liberated a Subaru EJ2.2 complete with ECU and wire harness out of a Legacy in about 5.5 hours using one of these... and they make easy work out of those hard to get off nuts and screws..

Quote
This is my Makita Power Driver. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

My Makita Power Driver is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life…….

My Mikita Power Driver, without me, is useless. Without my Mikita Power Driver, I am useless…..

……My Makita Power Driver is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sockets and screw bits. I will keep my Makita Power Driver clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will...

Before God, I swear this creed. My Makita Power Driver and I are the defenders of the Subaru-Vanagon conversion We are the masters of Subaru dashboard. We are the saviors of my life……….




Is that an impact driver or a drill/driver? The impact is a necessity for the corroded bolts, IMHO.


Wrong photo.... 18 volt Impact... with two batteries....




Re: Stainless screws seized in aluminum mast [Re: tomthouse] #283225
08/06/16 04:56 AM
08/06/16 04:56 AM
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,658
Florida Suncoast, Dunedin Caus...
catman Offline
Pooh-Bah
catman  Offline
Pooh-Bah

Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,658
Florida Suncoast, Dunedin Caus...
Actually, this is the best impact driver for stuck screws. It will loosen them or break the heads off. Works well on slotted heads.


Have Fun
Re: Stainless screws seized in aluminum mast [Re: catman] #283226
08/06/16 10:31 AM
08/06/16 10:31 AM
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,403
V
Ventucky Red Offline
veteran
Ventucky Red  Offline
veteran
V

Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,403
Originally Posted by catman
Actually, this is the best impact driver for stuck screws. It will loosen them or break the heads off. Works well on slotted heads.


Old School!!!! great for Yamaha, Honda, and Suzuki clutch baskets..

And as the instructions say... don't drink and operate... laugh


Re: Stainless screws seized in aluminum mast [Re: tomthouse] #283309
08/18/16 11:49 AM
08/18/16 11:49 AM
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 465
FL
sail7seas Offline
addict
sail7seas  Offline
addict

Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 465
FL
Google screw extractor?


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