Broken backplate screws

[sstweed]

At least a couple times a year i buy a pedal with one of the backplate screws broken off. I cant imagine how this happens but oh well. I know a few methods for reversing out broken screws but they mostly work on larger screws and on beefy car parts that aren't easily damaged. Not tiny little back plate screws and cherished old pedals with delicate finishes. With that in mind, does any one know a method or know of a really cool tool (or both) that will back out a broken back plate screw?

 

[Jeff Gehring]

If there's enough of a stub, a vice grips is your friend...

 

[sstweed]

If there's enough of a stub, a vice grips is your friend...

I should have mentioned its broken off well below top of the hole.

I need something like the typical reverse out tool, only teeny.

 

[sstweed]

Success! Bought a foot of 1/8” x 0.014 round brass tubing like model makers use. Used about an inch to stick in the hole to protect the box threads. Then got a 1/16” drill bit for hard steel. The hard ware store was out of reverse threaded bits and its not clear if they ever had them that small. But i figured if i could just get a clean little hole i could McGiver it the rest of the way. Well i found an old 1/16” allen wrench the snugged right into that drill hole and out came the screw!

Now the kicker is i actually had to do this twice!! I snidely complained in the original thread about how anyone could break a screw lime this. Well i found out. Bad screws! I put one of them in another hole and before it was even finger tight the thing broke off!! Now i had two broken screws in a newly acquired pedal! You know that idiot sweat you get when you realize youre making it worse?

Well alls well that ends well. Both screws are out and im on my way to the store to get four new ones before i have to do this again!!

 

[MIM#1]

I need to remove one on a bad monkey.
So.... how do you stick brass tubing in a hole that's blocked by a broken screw?

 

[sstweed]

I need to remove one on a bad monkey.
So.... how do you stick brass tubing in a hole that's blocked by a broken screw?

My screw was broken off below the top about an 1/8th of an inch or more. If the screw is broken flush you dont need the tube. But take care not to let the drill slip off and scare the back of your pedal. Also if you can find a reverse bit you can probably skip the allen wrench step.

Edit: the pipe is to help center the drill and to keep it from wobbling around and damaging the threads. So with out the pipe be careful.