Seized hardtop side windows - best method to extract the steel screw?

[ZombieK5]

I am at the point where I am starting to refurbish the rear cap. The side windows came out easily but the folding windows are seized. The metal screws in the aluminum mounts will not budge. Besides soaking with penetrating oil, is there a preferred method to remove these screws?

 

[Wes Harden]

Yes soak in penetrant tap with soft face hammer. Maybe hit with a heat gun.
An impact driver might shock them loose after all of above.
Not an impact gun, air or electric.

Amazon.com

 

[ZombieK5]

Yes soak in penetrant tap with soft face hammer. Maybe hit with a heat gun.
An impact driver might shock them loose after all of above.
Not an impact gun, air or electric.

Amazon.com

Yea....was afraid there wasn't an easy method. Gonna soak w oil for a day or two

 

[Wes Harden]

Be sure tap on them when oiling helps oil creep

 

[ZombieK5]

Yes soak in penetrant tap with soft face hammer. Maybe hit with a heat gun.
An impact driver might shock them loose after all of above.
Not an impact gun, air or electric.

Amazon.com

Don't have an impact bit that small. Gonna have to grind down a larger one.

 

[Wes Harden]

My impact driver is 3/8th square, like a ratchet, it uses sockets and have different size Philips socket to chose from

 

[ZombieK5]

Yes soak in penetrant tap with soft face hammer. Maybe hit with a heat gun.
An impact driver might shock them loose after all of above.
Not an impact gun, air or electric.

Amazon.com

More than one way to skin a cat. I found that the hinges for those little windows each had two screws that mounted them to the aluminum extruded frame. Two or three of those screws came out easily but I needed to use a lot of force and Tiny movements to get the other ones out but ultimately they came out without stripping the heads or the threads. This might be the way to go. It seems that those little screws that I was trying to remove are only for tension on the hinge pivot points. Ultimately I'm going to have to remove or loosen those tiny screws because three of the hinges are seized and will only allow about 1/4 inch movement. I have them soaking in PB Blaster right now. I think I might do a separate write-up on taking these apart. I've never seen a post describing this.

 

[rampage]

I thought a 50/50 mix of acetone and atf worked better than PB Blaster or anything else on the market.

 

[ZombieK5]

I thought a 50/50 mix of acetone and atf worked better than PB Blaster or anything else on the market.

May try that for the drivers side.

 

[dyeager535]

There is also stuff called "freeze off". I can't recall what I used it on anymore, but it worked as advertised.

As I look at it, it's one of those "worth a try" items to try to avoid the far more hassle worst case scenario of the broken fastener.

 

[ZombieK5]

Well... I'm at a crossroads.

Seems the tiny screw is used for tension to keep the little wing glass piece from flapping around. If you put the hinge in a vice you can wiggle the two pieces apart.

Mine were corroded and would not budge. With gentle coercion I got them all separated. Used 2000 grit to remove the rust and Corrosion. Afterwards the two pieces fit nice and turned BUT they were loose.

There seems to be a thin walled brass sleeve (bushing) inside the hinge bore.

I'm gonna put the hinge part with the screw in a vice and drill it out. I'll retap the hole and use a slightly larger screw. Lotta work!!