Stripped Screws on Brake Fluid Reservoir

Does anyone have any tips on removing stripped screws from the brake fluid reservoir. I recently acquired an 82' Seca xj 650Rj (my first bike. It would be nice to avoid replacing the entire unit.

 

Vice grips work great if you have the clearance. Attach them with some force, and perpendicularly to the screw so the teath can bite. Good leverage and control.

Nothing like that "crack", huh fellas?

 

If you are talking about the resevoir cap screws (small phillips) then you should get a cheap impact turner. I had the same problem and bought a cheap one with the phillips screw bit. Line it up and smack the back of the impact with a hammer, the downward force and internals of the impact cause rotation. 90% of the time the screw comes out. If that doesn't work, try heat, penetrating lubricant and prayer. A wreckers might be your best bet to get a new unit if all else fails.

Good luck.
Rob

 

There is a cool little tool out call a "grabbit" if I remember ( I took mine out of the kitchen junk drawer & took it to work, so cant look at it rite now). But I got it at my local true value hardware store. It is a reverse drill bit on one end, and the other end has a small e z out. Made just for taking small screws out. You put it in a cordless drill, drill a little, switch the bit over in the drill and it will take them right out. I got one last year since it was much easier than a chisel or impact screwdriver. Think it set me back about 5 bucks, but was welllll worth it

 

I'll have to check out that Grabbit thing!!! Never saw one.

The screw was real tight on mine as well, but I have this favorite phillips screwdriver that just happened to fit just right and with my mouth heals just right and quite a bit of force, the screws poped loose.
There was a certain amount of prayer included.

Good Luck
Mike

 

You can also cut slot in the screw head with a dremel tool. Mine were stuck and first thing I did was try a very good fitting screwdriver. That didn't work. Next I cut a new slot and that also failed. What did work was a small sharp screwdriver hammered from the outside edge of the screw head counter-clockwise. All this after having first soaked the offending screw in liquid wrench. Of course I replaced the screws afterward.