Off Topic Forum

See my attached pics of the cutter head.
I’ve stripped it down as far as I think I need to to try and extract the broken screw in the Aluminium.
Probably my own fault. I don’t remember doing this and it’s probably just a couple of years since I must have but I’m pretty sure I must have put these in with some loctite. Idiot move.
Anyway, this one just broke the head off flush.
It’s only the guide to hold the cutter while you adjust the depth but adjusting the cutter is difficult enough without having the guide flopping around as well.
The brass screw is just in the other hole for reference.
Any thoughts on how to get this out. Haven’t tried anything yet, don’t want to make it worse.
Anyone had successfull experience with dissolving loctite?

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026-01-16 12:21 AM by sweep.

Well I'd immediateely drill it roughly in the centre, insert an EZ out, over torque the EZ out until it snaps, hope there's enough meat on the EZ out remains to attach a pair of Vice Grips so I can attempt to break it further. Then I give up, go for a beer and plan a trip to Bunnings.

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Chris Howells

1968 MGB Purchased already dis-assembled but which is largely back together so I'm a lot less ignorant.

Yup. Last time I was in Australia, went to Bunnings (impressed), and they were doing BBQ food outside (intrigued). Which was free (amazed). I figured this was a good way to get repeat custom (cynical). But the food was kinda nice (impressed), so next day when I realised I needed something else and it was near lunchtime, I headed back (won over). Not thought of that till now, they still do this or was that a one off, it was Easter, and I'm a gullible pom after all!
Edit to get back to topic, other than heat I dunno any solvent for loctite. Good stuff!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026-01-16 02:19 AM by Mick from Scotland.

Yup, heat. Be careful and don't get it too hot. Drill it first, heat then the easy out extractor.

Drilling out screws is awful. I've always found the best result doing this with a punch to get a bit started in a good centered spot, and if you insist on drilling it, use a drill press, and try to find a left twist drill bit instead. Irwin makes them in their extractor kits.

The BEST way, as a mechanic, is if you have a MIG welder, put a copper washer down, then carefully build up the nub with weld, and attach a nut, and remove it this way. I've used this in many situations, and an old man taught me a few tricks to help. Particularly heating the part carefully, then use some beeswax to melt into the threads. It'll pop right out like butter.

Hah! Yep, that’s exactly what I want to avoid.
Thought about heat. Bit worried about the Aluminium getting too hot. Don’t want to warp it and given the steel shaft appears to be imbedded in the Aluminium body, I don’t want to do anything weird to it and cause it to distort.
How does heating it up in my oven sound? I should be able to get it to about 250C. Would that be enough to get the Loctite to breakdown and loosen its grip?

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• The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.
• To the intelligent person, life appears infinitely mysterious, but the stupid have an answer for everything.
First rule of forum debate:
• My opinion becomes truth if I can find one other person, on the Internet with the same opinion. It is 'chiselled in stone" if I find two!
• War is God's way of teaching Americans geography.

I’m away from home for a few days so I’m going to just sit on this for a little while.
Keep the suggestions coming guys. I’m all ears.

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• The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.
• To the intelligent person, life appears infinitely mysterious, but the stupid have an answer for everything.
First rule of forum debate:
• My opinion becomes truth if I can find one other person, on the Internet with the same opinion. It is 'chiselled in stone" if I find two!
• War is God's way of teaching Americans geography.

The post describing the easy out breaking off is pretty typical of them. They’re pretty brittle, and the force that’s keeping the broken screw or bolt in and made it break off is nearly always also enough to snap the easy out. Then you’ve got a hardened, undrillable, oddly shaped shard in there as well. hate them.
They’re neither “easy”, nor do they ever get anything “out”.

Heat is helpful, especially since aluminum expands faster and greater than the steel the screw is made from.
I doubt you’ll get enough heat to do anything to the locktite but the aluminum expansion is a plus.

In my prior business we had to occasionally remove old doors that had been in for decades. The screws many many many times were,..well,…screwed. Heads sheared off, slots destroyed, etc. One thing that almost always worked was to take a sharp pointed punch and tap a small divot near the edge of the broken screw. Then take the same punch and angle it in the “undo” (lefty loosey) direction of force and start tapping in that direction using the purchase you just made.
I’d use your heat in the oven idea, then clamp the thing in a vise (with a towel) and try that.

Last resort is to drill it out. Sometimes you can get by with drilling just enough of the “body” of the screw out and then take a pick and work the coils of the remaining threads out. That works sometimes but it takes finesse and a fair amount of luck.

Super last resort is drill out and use a Helicoil kit.

Use a left-handed drill bit (this drill bit will drill a hole when spinning backwards)

Make a good center punch mark.
Choose a drill bit approximately 70% of the screw diameter.
Make sure drill is spinning backwards and not too fast.
Be patient.
After you've drilled in enough, the screw will tend to "catch" on the drill bit, and it will wind itself out.

I've been using this method for 40+ years. It works most of the time (and if it doesn't, you can still use an eZee Out).

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npmccabe.org

https://i.imgur.com/wIEMdKq.jpg



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2026-01-16 04:42 PM by aeronca65t.

I wonder if a soldering iron would provide enough localized heat to break the LocTite bond?

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Eric Russell ~ Mebane, NC
1961 MGA #61, 1̶9̶8̶1̶ ̶A̶l̶f̶a̶ ̶R̶o̶m̶e̶o̶ ̶G̶T̶V̶6̶, 1984 Alfa Romeo Spider, 1991 Honda ST1100

What grade of Loctite Chris? If it's one of the lower grades (purple 222 for example) then you should be able to extract it reasonably easily by drilling and using something like an ezi-out or even a l/h drill. If it's at the other end of the spectrum (271+) then you will need some intense local heat applied directly to the broken screw. You will still need to drill prior to heating to remove the remains. Good luck.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026-01-16 03:38 PM by rdgreen.

Whatever you do, let us know how you make out.

REALLY appreciate the comments and interest here guys.
I know Chris’ comment about easy-outs was tongue-in-cheek and I too hate them with a passion. Would not even attempt to use them. I feel a bit the same way about attempting to drill it out as well, a broken bit in there is almost as bad.
At this point I’m leaning toward soaking it in Acetone and then heat soaking it in my oven on the cleaning temperature and then seeing if I can budge it using a fine centre punch around the periphery of the screw to ease it out.
But that will have to wait a few days as I’m away for little while.
Worse case scenario is to drill the whole thing out thread and Locktite a 8mm Al rod in there and redrill and tap a completely new hole in there. Or something like that.

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• The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.
• To the intelligent person, life appears infinitely mysterious, but the stupid have an answer for everything.
First rule of forum debate:
• My opinion becomes truth if I can find one other person, on the Internet with the same opinion. It is 'chiselled in stone" if I find two!
• War is God's way of teaching Americans geography.

Find a machine shop with an EDM.

?si=qxJWl7jdqJMlYi1D

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Eric Russell ~ Mebane, NC
1961 MGA #61, 1̶9̶8̶1̶ ̶A̶l̶f̶a̶ ̶R̶o̶m̶e̶o̶ ̶G̶T̶V̶6̶, 1984 Alfa Romeo Spider, 1991 Honda ST1100

Not sure what I used here ‘cause I don’t remember doing it. Would have been a lower grade loctite or I may have even used just superglue.

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• The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.
• To the intelligent person, life appears infinitely mysterious, but the stupid have an answer for everything.
First rule of forum debate:
• My opinion becomes truth if I can find one other person, on the Internet with the same opinion. It is 'chiselled in stone" if I find two!
• War is God's way of teaching Americans geography.