Fionn Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 Looking for some advice here. I was recently given a rather nice old bass that I would like to fix up. Problem is, the heads have sheared from two of the neck screws … sheared at a point within the body of the bass, so I can’t twist them out with pliers unfortunately. Any suggestions how I can remove these? Cheers 🙃 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 All I can suggest is remove the 2 screws that do have heads remaining, then try and get the neck off with the headless screws being pulled thru the body. Once the neck's off you can unscrew the headless screws with pliers.... ? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 Drill 'em out... Eazy Out... any car / motorcycle machine shops in your vicinity? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 If you’ve got a dremel you might be able to cut a slot in the broken screw top and try unscrewing with a slotted screwdriver 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 (edited) 6 minutes ago, Waddo Soqable said: All I can suggest is remove the 2 screws that do have heads remaining, then try and get the neck off with the headless screws being pulled thru the body. Once the neck's off you can unscrew the headless screws with pliers.... ? Great Idea... the duff two may be tight on the body, but won't really be threaded... should be able to 'work' neck and body apart... Followed by Reg's Dremmel slot to whats left to remove if ya cant get a good plier grip. Edited July 19, 2023 by PaulThePlug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 If there’s a gap you might get a hacksaw blade in to cut them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 1 minute ago, Reggaebass said: If there’s a gap you might get a hacksaw blade in to cut them Cylinder Head, Barrel Thru Bolts on a Honda Super Dream Anyone?.. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 2 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said: Honda Super Dream I remember those, nice bike back in the day I think 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, PaulThePlug said: Cylinder Head, Barrel Thru Bolts on a Honda Super Dream Anyone?.. Yes. 400 Super Dream. No studs were damaged but I did a nifty head and barrels off job with the engine still in the frame. Welded some pieces of an extension bar together to get at the big end nuts without needing to split the engine. All done and back together in an evening. It's not how I'd do it these days but I was an apprentice and more willing to take risks then. Oh yes... Like you said, EZ outs (screw/bolt extractors) may be the answer but you have to be very steady with the tiny drill bit to get the pilot hole in the centre. The smallest extractor is usually good for screw shanks of 3 to 5mm diameter. You will need a tap wrench to use one. Edited July 19, 2023 by SpondonBassed 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 Along with my original suggestion, if the shanks of the screws are a bit snug in the body holes and the screw heads are completely gone, I would use a parallel punch, or a suitable gauge nail (4"?) with the point ground off flat, to "drift" the screws thru tapping with a hammer. Obviously care required and I'd alternate between the 2 busted screws to even out the movement. I'd think that'd get it moving, and when you've got a gap between neck and pocket you could use gentle leverage with something suitable. I'd obviously remove everything else from the body, scratchplate, electrics etc, first so you've got nothing to get damaged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 20 hours ago, Fionn said: I was recently given a rather nice old bass that I would like to fix up. Problem is, the heads have sheared from two of the neck screws … sheared at a point within the body of the bass, so I can’t twist them out with pliers unfortunately. 20 hours ago, Waddo Soqable said: All I can suggest is remove the 2 screws that do have heads remaining, then try and get the neck off with the headless screws being pulled thru the body. Once the neck's off you can unscrew the headless screws with pliers.... ? If @Waddo Soqable's assumption is correct, then very much exactly what he says ^^^^^ Once you've got the neck off, if you have any doubts then post a photo on here and we can advise as necessary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 If there's enough screw left to get mole grips on, once the neck and body are separated, getting some heat onto the screws (soldering iron rather than blowtorch) could also help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 On 19/07/2023 at 20:18, Reggaebass said: I remember those, nice bike back in the day I think 400 yes, 250 hell no! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 9 minutes ago, Woodinblack said: 400 yes, 250 hell no! My first bike was a Yamaha RD250, my friend had a Kawasaki KH250 and I seem to remember the superdream looking quite slick in the day 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 On 19/07/2023 at 21:22, SpondonBassed said: Oh yes... Like you said, EZ outs (screw/bolt extractors) may be the answer but you have to be very steady with the tiny drill bit to get the pilot hole in the centre. The smallest extractor is usually good for screw shanks of 3 to 5mm diameter. You will need a tap wrench to use one. I hate these things with a passion, and would advise against using them unless as a last resort. The chances that they will break are very high, and then you have a serious problem on your hands because you have a hardened carbon steel extractor in the centre of the bolt, which no drill can touch. When it happened to me I was lucky enough to find a local engineering works with a spark erosion machine (think this was a VW bus cylinder head exhaust stud, but it was a long time ago). Once the neck is off, if there is enough of the broken screw sticking out a Stud Extractor might do the job - something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Remover-Extractor-Puller-Mechanic-Vehicle/dp/B07B3S1CJN/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?adgrpid=60146397584&hvadid=259084582987&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9180720&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=16234816946913686502&hvtargid=kwd-298754072628&hydadcr=28149_1724799&keywords=stud+extractor&qid=1689932951&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 If you're feeling brave, you could use the well know Paul Simenon technique (little known fact is that the photo in question does not capture a moment of existential rage, merely an attempt to loosen a stripped neck screw)..... If not, drill them out 👍 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 If you've got the neck off with a couple of screw shanks sticking out, pliers or smallish mole grips will certainly grip sufficiently to unscrew them. Don't think you'd need to go high tech on it 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 3 hours ago, Reggaebass said: My first bike was a Yamaha RD250, my friend had a Kawasaki KH250 and I seem to remember the superdream looking quite slick in the day Looking, yes. The 250 superdream was a 400 superdream with smaller barrels. So it had the weight of the 400 with the power of the 250. It was wallowy and horrible. That is compared the the Z250, GSX250, GS250 (which in itself was a bit wierd) of the time, and the RD250/KH250 which were older. Before the world went crazy with the RD250LC and RG250. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 Neck off yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fionn Posted July 21, 2023 Author Share Posted July 21, 2023 (edited) Not yet. I won’t be home until the weekend, so I’ll try then. First thing I’ll try is to tap them out with a punch, and try to work it loose, as suggested above. Failing that I’ll get the drill out. I’ll report back with results when it’s (hopefully) done. Thanks so much for your suggestions everyone, very much appreciated 🙏🏻 Edited July 21, 2023 by Fionn 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusoe Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 5 hours ago, Woodinblack said: 400 yes, 250 hell no! My dad rode a 250. I had a mate who was only on his provisional licence and bought a 250, but later found out that someone had put a 400 engine in it and he was riding around illegally. 😆 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 2 hours ago, Crusoe said: My dad rode a 250. I had a mate who was only on his provisional licence and bought a 250, but later found out that someone had put a 400 engine in it and he was riding around illegally. 😆 Was it still running a single front brake disk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 1 minute ago, SpondonBassed said: Was it still running a single front brake disk? That was the stupid thing - the 400 had dual brakes, the 250 had a single disk, but both bikes had a near identical weight! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 13 minutes ago, Woodinblack said: That was the stupid thing - the 400 had dual brakes, the 250 had a single disk, but both bikes had a near identical weight! Yes but the claimed top speed of the 400 was about 20mph higher. 103 vs 83mph. In fairness it was big and heavy even for a 400. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineweasel Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 8 hours ago, Woodinblack said: 400 yes, 250 hell no! I spent a year dispatch riding on a 250 and yes, it was slow, but still fast enough compared to London traffic. It was also cheap to run, comfortable to ride all all day and completely reliable with minimal maintenance, so I have fond memories of it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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