Am I Screwed???? (help!)

[granit_silber]

Hey Everybody,

It's getting cold here with the possibility of snow in the forecast so i decided to change my upper radiator hose when i got home from work while the weather was still relatively warm.

Everything went well, I got the hose off, made a mess in the driveway, got the new hose on, filled the expansion tank....and that's when everything went downhill.

I was warming up the engine and going through the bleeding cycle and all was well. I needed to vent the system one more time and as I got the screw into the open position the head snapped clean off. So now once the t-stat opens the system will continually bleed. At least I won't have any air pockets.

I didn't He-man the screw or torque it off center, I guess after 13 years the plastic just degraded. (http://homepage.mac.com/yuthguy/PhotoAlbum12.html) Any thoughts on removal or am I buying a new radiator?

-ashley

[DaveVoorhis]

Get an EZ-Out, drill an appropriate-sized hole in the remains of the bleeder screw, remove it with the EZ-Out, and install a new bleeder screw.

[Dave M]

If you're in a tight spot, an 8, or is it 10mm fine thread bolt (with an angled cut up the side to allow bleeding-see remnants of plastic one for example), will suffice.

The broken bit should be easy enough to remove. If the EZ-out wants to further chew the plastic try burning a slot in it to accept a beefy screwdriver.

Dave M

[granit_silber]

Get an EZ-Out, drill an appropriate-sized hole in the remains of the bleeder screw, remove it with the EZ-Out, and install a new bleeder screw.

Is there no chance of the remainder of the screw falling into the radiator and winding up in my block somewhere?
-ashley

[tdgard]

I was able to lightly tap a sharp phillips head into the remaining plastic when I sheared mine off. The plastic was pretty soft & it backed right out. I was able to drive about 10mi without to get a new one--although at the end it was starting to loose the coolant at a pretty good rate. New one set me back a whopping $1.50.

[acidfire52]

That is a pretty good idea. Also, mabey heat up the phillips head a bit, make it burn into the plastic would help too.

[Dave M]

That is a pretty good idea. Also, mabey heat up the phillips head a bit, make it burn into the plastic would help too.

A slot head driver will work better than a philips.

[winfred]

that's the ticket, hot screwdriver melted into the screw


That is a pretty good idea. Also, mabey heat up the phillips head a bit, make it burn into the plastic would help too.

[granit_silber]

Thanks guys! I'll give the hot screwdriver trick a shot tomorrow. Another upside to this is that now I own an ez-out.

-ashley

[Dash01]

that's the ticket, hot screwdriver melted into the screw


Bingo on the hot screwdriver trick. Heat it with a kitchen match, the cigarette lighter, propane torch, or whatever.

[tdgard]

A slot head driver will work better than a philips.

Agreed--the philips was just what happened to be in my hand when I went into a blind rage after the screw snapped at 1am.

Thank god it was not a hammer.