Bad Screws!

Help!  I'd overtightened my screws that were a little long in the back of my Trident rudder bracket area and now they are stuck.  Any clues how to get them out? 

I don't know what the bracket looks like, but if the screw head is still out where you can get ahold of it I've found that I can usually get ahold of them with a small pair of vise-grips, their jaws are hardened and you can exert enough pressure to get the teeth to bite right into the screwhead, then back out gently, that is unless the threads are bunged up on the deep end.

Another method if there's room is to use a tiny cutoff wheel on a Dremmel to cut the heads off the screws  then remove the bracket and then grab the screw shaft with pliers or again vise-grips

either way though,  you have to worry about having the threaded insert come loose and start turning inside the plastic.

Ugh, Good Luck

Thanks Dale!  But I forgot to mention those are hex screws.  The screws turn along with the inserts and won't come out.  So it leaves me with only having to cut the head of the screw then drilling the screw away, unless anyone has better ideas.

I installed a 4" hatch in the stern of my T13, it's not down in the tank well, it fits up on the flat area between the tankwell and the stern, not centered, but to one side of the centerline.  It lets me get a hand in there as needed, (I mounted my battery back there).

just in case you need to get in there,

http://www.kayakfishingsupplies.com/servlet/the-968/Beckson-4%22-Black-Hatch/Detail

Are you installing a rudder? If not, just leave them in. If so, then you will need to get the entire insert out as well if it is spinning. Goop it back if you can now remove the screw. I believe that the insert sits in a molded little channel. You can probably purchase a new one from OK.

Buy yourself an easy out kit, there like twelve bucks at Harbor Freight.

Thanks Dale!  But I've already ordered another hatch.  And yes I remembered you've got yours on the top end of the yak. 

Are you installing a rudder? If not, just leave them in. If so, then you will need to get the entire insert out as well if it is spinning. Goop it back if you can now remove the screw. I believe that the insert sits in a molded little channel. You can probably purchase a new one from OK.

No rudder yet!  At this moment just have a bracket back there for my anchor system.  Just need to fix it in case I plane to or do something else with it.  How do you get the entire insert out along with the screw?  I was trying to pull out the screw or so but seeing as it flex alittle I was scared of ripping it out and leaving a hole back there. 


Fish Master1!  Did you mean a screw extractor kit?

Also, emailed Ocean Kayak but they've nevered responded back to me...twice. 

Yeah the reverse thread extractor kit should work!   Aka easy out.