Broken screw inside tail lamp lens - Any Hope?

[mtgibby]

One of my tail lamp lenses has a screw broken off in the hole. there is about 1/8 of an inch sticking out, but the lock-tight pliers cant get it to budge.

Any hope of getting it out, or just pay out for a new repro unit?

[avantifred]

Is the screw broken off in the red plastic lens or in the chrome plate housing ???

[mfg]

Cut the side of the plastic 'pedestal' which the screw is broken off in....Use a x-acto knife to do this. This will relieve pressure on the screw stub, and the locking pliers should then remove it.

Once you've got the screw out, glue over the cut you made with plastic cement, and install new screw (gently).

[mtgibby]

That is a great idea. I will give it a try.

Thanks Guys!

Mike

[Charlie Kile]

Have you tried a machine shop that has a plunge ETM ?

Should work well with no damage.

Charlie RQB3921

[mtgibby]

The screw remains are still stuck. Charlie, what is the plunge ETM process?

 

[lschuc]

I think the plunge ETM was written up in Hot Rod magazine in the past year or two.   Used in the aircraft industry mostly, and can dissolve broken bolts without hurting or damaging the surrounding metal or threads.    The magazine article mentioned a place in Los Angeles area that does the work, but don't remember.  Probably somewhere here that does it too..... maybe at or near Boeing? 

[mtgibby]

So I ordered a new replacement lens from SI. The mold was not perfect and it had some gaps on the screw mounting posts. Still, I tapped the posts and hoped for the best. It worked and is holding.

I took the old lens with the broken off screw and used a dremel to cut off the broken end of the screw that was sticking out. Before I could cut through all the way, the heat from the cutting loosened the screw and I pulled it out. (burning my fingers!) I will try and repair and tap that slightly melted post and put it back on the car.

Now I have a spare left lens, and numb fingers.....

[mfg]

Gotta love AVANTIS!!

[Avanti83]

The process is usually known as EDM, electron discharge machining IIRC. Not sure if it works in a plastic matrix, however. We used them in the 80's for die insert work but most of that has been replaced by wire travel EDM. IAC an interesting and quite precise technology generally found in toll and die shops.