Leaky clutch?

[SlowOldGuy]

Next time that happens simply drill the head off of the screw!

Once the head is off of both screws, you can lift the lid off.  Also, the clamping force is relieved and you can easily unscrew what's left of the threads in the cylinder.  Done it many times with master cylinder screws.

DavidR.

[FJmonkey]

A reverse drill bit will ease this process as well.

[fintip]

What years are the M/C interchangeable? Did they change in design at all?

I forgot that welding might be an option, though I'm not sure how viable. There's not much kookaloo to be had with a shitty clutch, as they say, but I might be able to get it over to a friend's house who can try to weld an allen wrench onto the screw perhaps.

Monkey, thanks for the removing the screen tip, that will make it a bit easier. Hadn't done that before yet, so I forgot it was an option. And the extractor is just a reverse drill bit--I've already broken a hardened reverse drill bit off inside of a pilot hole in the screw at this point, is what I was trying to communicate.

DavidR, a friend mentioned trying that, but I didn't think it would be viable. I assume I could still try that, yeah? Does one just drill several small holes, little by little, eventually effectively dissolving the head?

[Arnie]

Kyle,

Drilling the head off a phillips or allen head countersunk screw like the master cylinder uses is easy.
We already know they are made of cheese :-)
You just use a normal bit the same size as the shaft of the screw and drill till the head pops off.
Unfortunately, it is too late for you to do this as you've already put that hardened extracter in there.

Arnie

[Flying Scotsman]

Carbide bit and dremell,remove material around the drill till it falls out.Always start with a small drill and work your way up till the head comes off on the drill.

[FJmonkey]

Kyle, a reverse drill bit is not quite a an extractor. An extractor is designed to bite into the material while twisting counter clock wise and forcibly twist out the offending fastener. A reverse drill bit is just that, a drill bit designed to drill a hole (remove material) but the flutes are twisted to the left and also works counter clock wise. This is less likely to break and some times extracts the fastener before the head is drilled out. The Dremel is a great idea to get the extractor piece out. It can still be saved. Good luck.

[bcguide]

This is a bit  late but file it away for the next stuck screw or bolt. take a hammer and tap your screw driver into the screw it will seat the driver better and helps
free the threads in the alum.   

[fj1289]

This is a bit  late but file it away for the next stuck screw or bolt. take a hammer and tap your screw driver into the screw it will seat the driver better and helps
free the threads in the alum.   

Also try adding a small amount of valve grinding compound to the tip of the screw driver too - helps keep it from stripping as easily

[fintip]

Well, using a modified version of the advice Arnie just expounded on, I got a small bit, starting at 5/64, and slowly progressing up, and tried just drilling/dissolving the actual head of the screw itself, to leave just the threaded shaft in place.

Well, that was the plan, anyways...

I never could quite make it all the way through. I drilled and drilled and drilled. Eventually, as the edges got thin enough to curl when attempting to chisel, I realized I could chisel it around in a circle. But not lift it. So it was connected...

Eventually, with the chisel, I was able to get it spun around enough to grab with pliers. Then I unscrewed it. Whole thing still in one piece. 

Ah well. It worked. The lid looks pretty banged up from the effort, but appears to still be effective. New stainless steel screws already in place. About to fill it up and see how it holds.

The weather here has been gorgeous, I've been missing it. Everyone who has a bike has been out the last few days.

Thanks for the advice, would have been stuck without y'all.

[ribbert]

This is a bit  late but file it away for the next stuck screw or bolt. take a hammer and tap your screw driver into the screw it will seat the driver better and helps
free the threads in the alum.   

This works a treat but you MUST use a screwdriver with the metal shank extending all the way through the handle otherwise 90% of the "shock" from the hammer blow is absorbed by the plastic handle.
If it is a dome headed screw, a belt, not too hard, with a hammer closes over the philips screw head, then do the screwdriver thing. This drives the bit in for a better fit and loosens the screw in one blow. I also twist while I hit. If it's a countersunk screw, you do the same thing with a ball peen hammer.

I stopped using hammer drivers years ago. You get the twist from them but the way they are made the shock from the hammer blow is dulled resulting in limited success and many stripped out screw heads.

Another golden rule is the instant you realise whatever means you are using is starting to destroy the screw head, STOP and try something else. The more you have left to work with the easier it will be.
It is not necessary to completely destroy the screw head before acknowedging what you are doing is not working.

If a screw has a raised head, an effective last resort is too cut a clean slot with a thin cut off wheel on the dremmel and use a large steel shaft straight screwdriver and hammer, no screw is going to resist that.

Finally, if you have any of those tapered, spiral fluted screw extractors in your tool box, throw them out immediately. They rarely work and can turn a simple job into a nightmare. There are extractors that so work and don't snap off.

Noel

[fj11.5]

hows the clutch issue treating kyle,, any luck fixing it yet, ,