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02-28-2020, 10:35 AM
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#1
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 23
Chassis: Thomas Built Chevy
Engine: 8.2L Detroit Diesel
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How to remove panels with stuck screws
I am currently attempting to gut my bus; however, the 30 year old panels, attached with screws, are giving me a lot of trouble.
I can get about a third of them out with my impact driver, but the rest won't budge and end up just stripping out. I am thinking maybe an angle grinder can just cut the heads off. Is this my best route?
I have tried screw extractors as well with no luck.
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02-28-2020, 10:41 AM
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#2
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Central Tx.
Posts: 1,994
Year: 1999
Chassis: Amtran / International
Engine: DT466E HT 250HP - Md3060
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Try using an S2 bit instead of a phillip's bit.
The phillip bit will strip the screw while the S2 will hold on much better.
for the ones that won't budge, hit them hard with a hammer first to try to dislodge them.
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02-28-2020, 10:44 AM
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#3
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Moved to Zealand!
Posts: 1,517
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner FS-65
Engine: 7.2L Cat 3126 turbo diesel
Rated Cap: 71 passenger 30,000 gvwr
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bigbeanbus
I am currently attempting to gut my bus; however, the 30 year old panels, attached with screws, are giving me a lot of trouble.
I can get about a third of them out with my impact driver, but the rest won't budge and end up just stripping out. I am thinking maybe an angle grinder can just cut the heads off. Is this my best route?
I have tried screw extractors as well with no luck.
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Grinder will work if you don't care about hitting the panels.
Harbor Freight has a decent set of left hand twist drill bits.
Use those to drill the heads off -- usually the heat of drilling coupled with the reverse rotation of the bit takes the screw out long before the head is completely drilled away...
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02-28-2020, 10:47 AM
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#4
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Moved to Zealand!
Posts: 1,517
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner FS-65
Engine: 7.2L Cat 3126 turbo diesel
Rated Cap: 71 passenger 30,000 gvwr
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ewo1
Try using an S2 bit instead of a phillip's bit.
The phillip bit will strip the screw while the S2 will hold on much better.
for the ones that won't budge, hit them hard with a hammer first to try to dislodge them.
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That's a good point!
My Thomas bus looks like it has phillips head screws but they are in fact "posi-drive" with a distinct sq opening in their center.
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02-28-2020, 11:05 AM
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#5
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: arkensas
Posts: 1,080
Year: 1997
Coachwork: bluebird
Chassis: chevy
Engine: 3116 catapillar
Rated Cap: 71 now 2 humans 1 cat
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before you try to remove any screw that is rusted in take a dull chisel and tap the screw sideways on 3 or 4 sides firmly but not hard enough to knock it off MOST times it will come off with no effort. i been using this method for years. i learned it from a modet t mechanic just before he retired. he knew a lot of tricks i never seen in mechanics school
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02-28-2020, 01:26 PM
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#6
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
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Just smack the head with a hammer, it'll break free the rust connection.
__________________
I Thank God That He Gifted Me with Common Sense
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02-28-2020, 05:45 PM
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#7
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 7,000
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
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I've stripped out numerous screws on my bus. Generally, I just take an angle grinder with a cutting wheel and cut a notch through the head, then use a big regular screwdriver to turn it and get it out. This is a lot easier (and less destructive to the panel) then trying to grind or cut the whole head off.
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02-28-2020, 05:57 PM
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#8
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Flushing michigan
Posts: 15
Year: 2006
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Safe-t-liner ef
Engine: Cummins 5.9
Rated Cap: 54 passenger
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They make a impact you hit with a hammer also that I have used on Phillips that were sealed on my Suzuki samurai to pull the door hinges off. It was the only way they would come loose they work really well to break stuff loose.
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02-28-2020, 08:21 PM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 60
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All good suggestions here. I found that if the screw didn't budge after one or two hits from the impact - I reversed the driver and tightened it a few hits. Then it would reverse right out.
Also, what musigenesis said works a treat!
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02-28-2020, 08:52 PM
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#10
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 3,856
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas Built Bus
Chassis: Freightliner FS65
Engine: Caterpillar 3126E Diesel
Rated Cap: 71 Passenger- 30,000 lbs.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis
I've stripped out numerous screws on my bus. Generally, I just take an angle grinder with a cutting wheel and cut a notch through the head, then use a big regular screwdriver to turn it and get it out. This is a lot easier (and less destructive to the panel) then trying to grind or cut the whole head off.
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I use this method a lot. When I was reading the first part of the thread I was thinking I would post this method ... ya beat me to it!
I do like the "knock it on 3 or 4 directions" technique. I'll have to try it some time.
The thing about the notch method is that it works just as well AFTER you have stripped the screw head. If that does not work, the notch helps the cold chisel take the head off!
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02-29-2020, 03:17 PM
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#11
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: GA
Posts: 611
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Amtran RE
Chassis: International 3000
Engine: T444e 7.3L
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An impact driver works much better than a simple drill or screw-gun. Also, the screws on my Amtran were #3 phillips, not #2.
Ultimately, I used the angle grinder on about 30 screws that I couldn't get out with the impact driver. It was easy and fast.
On the very last one, the red-hot screwhead fell on my driver's seat. The whole seat went up in flames in about 30 seconds. The fire destroyed the seat and seatbelt, cracked the driver's window, and melted the wiring going to the rear lights. Whoops.
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03-01-2020, 08:38 AM
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#12
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: GA
Posts: 611
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Amtran RE
Chassis: International 3000
Engine: T444e 7.3L
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Bus driver seats are flammable.
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03-01-2020, 12:42 PM
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#13
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 7,000
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Biscuitsjam
Bus driver seats are flammable.
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Jeez that's scary.
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03-01-2020, 01:54 PM
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#14
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Biscuitsjam
An impact driver works much better than a simple drill or screw-gun. Also, the screws on my Amtran were #3 phillips, not #2.
Ultimately, I used the angle grinder on about 30 screws that I couldn't get out with the impact driver. It was easy and fast.
On the very last one, the red-hot screwhead fell on my driver's seat. The whole seat went up in flames in about 30 seconds. The fire destroyed the seat and seatbelt, cracked the driver's window, and melted the wiring going to the rear lights. Whoops.
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Use a #2 square bit on the phillips screws.
__________________
I Thank God That He Gifted Me with Common Sense
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03-04-2020, 05:19 PM
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#15
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Brazoria County, Texas
Posts: 819
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 32 Passenger
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Biscuitsjam
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Holy cow !!! I knew there was a reason why I keep a fire extinguisher on the bus. It’s always in my way. Must have moved that damn thing a 1000 times !!
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03-04-2020, 06:11 PM
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#16
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 18
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Go to Harbor freight and buy a 16$ air chisel(assuming you have access to an air compressor). You can hit each screw a few times with the air chisel, actually with a little practice, you can start the screw unthreading and finish up with drill and square bit. Has the same problem and this solved it easily.
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03-04-2020, 11:23 PM
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#17
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Bus Nut
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 271
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Drill them out
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03-05-2020, 04:56 PM
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#18
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New Member
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 2
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Ford E450
Engine: Ford 7.3L Diesel Powerstoke
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I just removed my ceiling panels on my Thomas shortie. They had those Philip-Square screw heads. I used an S2 (square #2) as was mentioned above. I go hundreds out that way, I did have a about a dozen that stripped out anyway and I had to cut a slot or even grind them so weak that a hammer and a heavy crow bar knocked the off (heads off), I then had to use vice grips to get the headless screws out. I never tried the left turning drill bit. That actualy sounds very good.
I also wanted to mention I used a hand ratcheting screwdriver for most of these rather than the electric torque/impact wrench or driver. They tend to "slip and strip". At least that was my experience.
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07-21-2021, 09:51 PM
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#19
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Dallas
Posts: 26
Year: 2000
Chassis: International
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ewo1
Try using an S2 bit instead of a phillip's bit.
The phillip bit will strip the screw while the S2 will hold on much better.
for the ones that won't budge, hit them hard with a hammer first to try to dislodge them.
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Brilliant! This helped me out tremendously. Unfortunately tried going at a few with incorrect bit so I had a few that I had to cut out with grinder, but the square 2 bit, some wd 40, a chisel and mallet, starting a few clicks below full power on torque setting on my drill did the job on some 21 year old screws that had a pretty decent amount of rust.
Thanks and good luck!
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07-21-2021, 09:54 PM
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#20
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Dallas
Posts: 26
Year: 2000
Chassis: International
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Oh man!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Biscuitsjam
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I made sure to get my water hose out for the job because of this...
Also fire extinguishers are on the way.
Sorry that happened to you
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