My Mullen has a stripped screw!! Help me choose how to fix

Landon Johnson · From: Washington, USA

One side of the changer slotted plate has a stripped screw. The other side is fine, and is currently holding the plate in position. There's enough thread on the screw to keep the screw in but not past finger-tight.

The previous owner had addressed this by putting a nut on the hidden side; when I removed the slotted plate to clean the changer, the nut fell off and of course cannot be put back on without removing the entire changer.

So... here are my choices as I see them...

1. Use a helicoil to restore the threads, if they make them that small

2. Enlarge the hole and the screw size. Not a whole lot of clearance or thickness there; concerned about weakening the bracket it's mounted on.

3. Drill and tap two new holes on either side of the existing hole and screw the plate down in 3 places.

Here's a picture of the Beast it's a 1989 SD-10

_________________
1989 Mullen PRP SD-10, 2021 Williams S-10, Quilter TT-12.

Nicholas Cox · From: CA

I would try a screw extractor kit before drilling new holes or enlarging the hole. You can get one cheap.

Landon Johnson · From: Washington, USA

Getting the old screw out isn't the issue - it's getting the screw to tighten. Will an extractor help do that? I'd prefer to renew the existing thread keeping the size the same and replacing the screw with a new one. I don't want to change the design of the instrument to solve a conceptually simple problem like this.
_________________
1989 Mullen PRP SD-10, 2021 Williams S-10, Quilter TT-12.

Nicholas Cox · From: CA

Oh gotcha. In that case I would personally take the screw out and go one size up and rethread the hole.

Dan Chroninger · From: Blackriver Falls, Wisconson, USA

I would try putting a little steel wool in hole

Forum Index > Pedal Steel		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: