Hi everyone,
I tried to remove my baffles on my scorpion exhausts today, they are held in with a domed cap screw.
someone else has already rounded of socket head, how can i get these unscrewed without damaging baffle, can not get in to drill
cheers Dave

Maybe.....

Dose with pb blaster.

Dremel cut in head, just right size for tool.

Low profile 90 degree flat head, lots of pressure, maybe a fulcrum of some sort. Possibly
some added heat too, with a torch.

Last resort... dremel head flat, remove baffle. Maybe nub left to grab.

Sure others may have ideas.

What I've done is taken a smaller but stout vise grip...a pointy one,and CAREFULLY(all the way down against the surface of the baffle/bolt) grabbed the bolt with the handle to the far left there,and gently turned.If it appeared to be slipping in any way,I tightened the grip and went for it again.You CAN take a small torch and heat the bolt before trying to turn it.I suppose a soldering iron would work also.You could also take a large flattip or smaller chisel and just hit it a good one(hammer).Just to 'knock it loose' a bit.This worked for me.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/13/2018 @ 4:06 PM *

A) find a torex screwdriver bit that goes in real tight. Tap in with a hammer if that is not too hard on the muffler. Use whatever size wrench matches the hex on the bit.

head strips again?

B) Try a 90° drill attachment and use a left handed drill bit. Drill in reverse. You might loosen it even if you cant get on it straight.

bit cuts but not loosens?

C) Dremmel cutting wheel. Cut a slot. Taper one edge of a 1/16" strap of steel. Use as a screwdriver.

Slot strips?

C) Use dremel to grind whole head off. You can use the flexshaft attachment and get in there to grind the remaining threads that will prevent the baffle from being pulled out. OR go back to the 90° drill attachment.

I suppose a soldering iron would work also.

Deep Creep would also be worth a try.

I once removed a bolt with busted off head. Find/grind a flat spot. Place a scribbing tool on the flat spot and tap counterclockwise with a hammer. It's very tedious but this will work.

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/13/2018 @ 4:18 PM *

The small grips always worked for me.If she slipped,I just cranked down on her.Won't be using that bolt again anyway.If it won't allow the teeth to grab,you can file off opposite edges of the bolt to give it something to grab.
I should say,using heat on the bolt is probably not the best way to loosen it up.I've never tried that.I have used the sharp chisel method though.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/13/2018 @ 4:47 PM *

Heat worked amazingly well back in my dad's shop where they (I mostly just was there seeing what was going on) worked on the trucks. Sometimes stuff was heated until it glowed red. It expands the threads and breaks corrosion. Some high temp penetrant like Deep Creep also helps a great deal. It will creep in even better when the metal is hot. Normal penetrating oil will just burn away. A small butane torch would probably be the thing to use to focus the heat on the bolt. IDK what it will do to the finish of the muffler.

My dad had one amazing mechanic. The guy had gone to engineering school and it really showed. He's still alive and in town. I met his granddaughter at school. This was one of the smartest guys I ever knew. LOL way too smart for my dad's shop---he went to work for the sanitation dept!! Garbageman!! Better pay!! Maybe I will run into him someday.

Off topic,but for all wanting a nice simple photo webhosting site,free...'Tinypics'.Found it the other day.WAY easy storing pics and posting(here).Or anywhere.Enjoy!

Thanks everyone, great advice again, will give it a go this weekend, someone else suggested grinding paste in socket head to take up slack, so thats another possible way, but will work my way through and let you know cheers

Update, tried torx bit but bolt is really tight, rounded out hole, so going to try vise grips first then slotting head. Did notice there appears a small washer under head looks rusty so I reckon its not stainless, pain

I would combine a lot of heat with the vice grip removal trial. I would get the screw as red hot as possible with oxy/accel and then try, unless you would smoke something by doing so. You probably will only get one shot at the vice grip attempt

Hi everyone
Just letting you know, in the end I cut a slot in the head and tried a screwdriver still would not move, so used a chisel, sharp blow YES broke rust then both unwound with fingers, defo the way to go with rust!!

Thanks for all your input

Thank you, dave. I'll keep this in mind when I go to remove my baffle this summer.

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/25/2018 @ 5:31 PM *

No problem! Cant believe someone in the scorpion factory used mild steel spring washer under stainless screw.
load of hassle for nothing
Dave

I'll bet these screws shake loose pretty often if they don't rust. That's probably why they put the spring washer in there.