Reel Repair by Alan Tani

General Maintenance Tips => General Questions and Trouble Shooting => Topic started by: thelostpirate on December 17, 2014, 10:20:57 PM

Title: international 50 tw with stripped / and drilled out screws
Post by: thelostpirate on December 17, 2014, 10:20:57 PM
long story short, my friend gave me a new project. He knows i like to tinker around and do a little work on reels. i do not know where he got it, but he gave me a 50 tw that did not function. the handle would spin but the spool would not turn with the spinning handle. spool is not seized, and drag level moved. though over all it does not look in to bad of shape.

So i start the process to tearing it down to get inside and see how bad it is.... hmm there is a stripped out screw, and 2 that look as if they were started to be drilled out.

This is where I am asking for some advise. basically i have no clue how to attempt to get these out. I know i do not have a drill press or a steady enough of a hand to drill them out. i could try a extractor maybe?? idk What do y'all think.

thank you in advance.
Title: Re: international 50 tw with stripped / and drilled out screws
Post by: Bryan Young on December 17, 2014, 10:23:55 PM
I would try to drill into the screw with a small drill bit and see if you can extract it out from there.  If not, drill with a little bigger bit and so forth until you can pry off the screw in the hole.
Title: Re: international 50 tw with stripped / and drilled out screws
Post by: Tightlines667 on December 17, 2014, 10:43:11 PM
You can try a small hole and an extractor, penetrating oil (ATF:acetone), or heat applied to the screw with a soldering iron.  If you only have 1 stripped screw per each side plate, remember the sideplate itself is not threaded, so if you remove the screw head, you should be able to use the plate itself to work the screw free, or at least be able to remove the plates, so you have more screw to work with.  I would only drill the screws out if the frame itself as a last resort.
Title: Re: international 50 tw with stripped / and drilled out screws
Post by: thelostpirate on December 17, 2014, 10:56:18 PM
Hmm gotta try to see if I can spin the left side plate it just has the 1 screw. The right side has 2 :(
Title: Re: international 50 tw with stripped / and drilled out screws
Post by: thelostpirate on December 18, 2014, 12:14:22 AM
Could not get the side plate up enough to spin. Any other ideas?
Title: Re: international 50 tw with stripped / and drilled out screws
Post by: Tightlines667 on December 18, 2014, 12:22:37 AM
You should be able to once you get the other plate off, and remove the spool, and gears.  Leave that one for last then maybe?  Try to get one of the other 2 out first.  If a screw puller doesn't work, use a Dremel or a drill to just drill off the heads, then try to pull the plate.  Or you could remove the head on the right plate screw and use something to pry the plate off.  There really aren't any easy answers here.  But usually if you can get the plate off, and expose more screw, you should be able to get the frozen screws out w/o having to drill em. 
Title: Re: international 50 tw with stripped / and drilled out screws
Post by: thelostpirate on December 18, 2014, 12:59:28 AM
OK thanks. I didn't think about the dremel. And there is two screws on one plate and 1 on the other so will work on the single side first.

Love this site. Thanks for the info and help
Title: Re: international 50 tw with stripped / and drilled out screws
Post by: Tightlines667 on December 18, 2014, 02:17:28 AM
Try a drilling a small hole in the center and a screw extractor first.  If it's too stubborn to budge, sometimes tue grabber will just shear off the head, which allows you to wiggle the plate free from the side enough to rotate the entire plate counterclockwise.  Or remove it entirely, then cut a slot in the top of the screw with a Dremel to have another go at it with a driver, or driver and vice grip.  Heat on the screw, and penetrant often help here too.  Good luck!
Title: Re: international 50 tw with stripped / and drilled out screws
Post by: ReelClean on December 18, 2014, 02:43:22 AM
I have had good results from heating the screw with a 70w soldering iron with a big tip ground flat on the end.  Heat until very hot (not on composites obviously) then hit it with Locktite freeze and release (contains a penetrating oil) or even freeze spray for electronics.  The shock usually breaks the bond.  Another trick on screws that feel that they are going to be difficult is to try to tighten it first to break the bond. Always worked welll on airframes where you also have SS screws into aluminium structure.
cheers
Steve
Title: Re: international 50 tw with stripped / and drilled out screws
Post by: thelostpirate on December 22, 2014, 05:50:55 PM
thanks for the help guys. i found a small enough bit and a drill press to work it (like i said i didn't think i was steady enough to do by hand. once i had a good hole started, i had a extractor and was able to remove them.
Title: Re: international 50 tw with stripped / and drilled out screws
Post by: Tightlines667 on December 22, 2014, 05:55:29 PM
Good to hear that you got it sorted out.  You may just want to leave the stand screws in place if they are badly corroded.  I've found removing them when they are badly corroded, is often more trouble then it is worth.  If the aluminum is corroded you may have trouble retaping it. 
Title: Re: international 50 tw with stripped / and drilled out screws
Post by: foakes on December 22, 2014, 06:38:28 PM
Great point, John --

Many times we get into a can of of worms -- just by opening the can for no reason.

Best,

Fred