Trouble breaking screw loose

[CZ Top]

Hello! 

Trying to break a stuck screw loose on the rear sight of a TSO, having no luck. Have broken 3 bits so far. There are 2 screws on the sight and both of them are struck. I'm assuming there is loctite on the threads and not sure what approach to use to break the bond. I thought I'd ask here before giving up and giving it to a gunsmith. I've moved the sights on several other CZs and never had anything like this kind of trouble.

Any ideas are welcome, and thank you! 

[pewpew4life]

Hello! 

Trying to break a stuck screw loose on the rear sight of a TSO, having no luck. Have broken 3 bits so far. There are 2 screws on the sight and both of them are struck. I'm assuming there is loctite on the threads and not sure what approach to use to break the bond. I thought I'd ask here before giving up and giving it to a gunsmith. I've moved the sights on several other CZs and never had anything like this kind of trouble.

Any ideas are welcome, and thank you!

Apply some heat from a pencil torch or something to break loose the loctite.

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[M1A4ME]

Some people recommend using a soldering iron.  Heat it up, touch the tip to the screw for a bit to heat it up, then try to turn it loose.

I'm never done it, but it make sense that the soldering gun tip would do a good job of keeping the heat where you want it - on the screw.

Good luck

[The Guardian]

The screws will come out eventually......the best option is most likely heat, lighter...or something similar.  It doesn't have to glow cherry-red......but hot to the touch should be enough, and you should be able to localize the heat so as not to damage the finish.  Its hard to say what was used to "secure" the screws, obviously I don't know the history of this piece but in most cases heat is the option of choice.  You can also try some penetrating oil or WD40......let it soak overnight and try to break them free.

[CZ Top]

Many thanks- looks like heat is the thing to try. I have a soldering iron, I'll try that in the morning.  I also wondered about soaking overnight in some solvent, I'll try that if heat doesn't do it. I should have said that it's a from the factory gun, so nothing has been done to it. Yet... 

[thedude]

On some of the small set screws even when using the proper size hex key wrench the fit is still a little loose.  Combine that with a little thread locker and the set screws can be difficult to remove.  I have had really good luck using a Torx bit of the appropriate size almost as an EZ out to remove small set screws.  Find the one that fits tightly in the hex head, and tap it in the set screw, then loosen the set screw, easy peasy.  After you adjust the sight, throw the set screws away and install new ones, with low or medium strength loctite of course. 

[johnhunter44]

I had a similar problem with my Trijicon rmr.  I heated up the Allen wrench and let the heat move into the set screw.  I kept heating ti Allen wrench while it was inserted in the set screw and finally it broke loose.

[M1A4ME]

I had a similar problem with my Trijicon rmr.  I heated up the Allen wrench and let the heat move into the set screw.  I kept heating ti Allen wrench while it was inserted in the set screw and finally it broke loose.

How did you heat it up?

Sounds like a good way to heat it (the screw) up with one of those little torches, or even a heat gun.  I'd rather do that than head the gun up.  I wouldn't have thought of doing it that way.  It would heat up the screw without warming up things I'd be leery of getting too hot.  And, if you mess up the allen wrench (twist it or get it soft) it's much cheaper to replace than parts of the pistol.

[1SOW]

Catch 22:  the "wrench" being heated and cooled is going the get softer/lose temper.

[doc171]

If I remember right, red and blue (maybe other brands too) Loctite brands, has a temperature rating of 300 degrees. I believe that's when it softens enough to be easier to remove a fastener.

[1SOW]

^^^^^^^ Good to know.  300 degs. briefly shouldn't hurt the sight at all.

[CZ Top]

Success!  I put the soldering iron to the task. Tried it for a few minutes and- nothing. So I put it on one of the screws for close to 10 minutes and it finally broke loose but still turned hard. Same to the other one. Cleaned the great gob of loctite from the threads, moved the sight where it needed to be, snugged them back in and went and shot the snot out of it. What a great gun!   

Thanks again for the help. This place is great for helpful info and I appreciate it.

[jack76590]

Glad soldering iron worked for you. On my Rami rear sight set screw rounded off about three allen wrenches and did not move. Then I tried soldering iron and success. I bought new soldering iron from Harbor Freight because concern my good soldering iron might have some solder on it that would get into threads. New soldering iron only cost $3.99 so now I have dedicated soldering iron for loctite removal.

[Marauderx]

I had a similar problem with my Trijicon rmr.  I heated up the Allen wrench and let the heat move into the set screw.  I kept heating ti Allen wrench while it was inserted in the set screw and finally it broke loose.

I learned this trick working on automobiles, I will never waste my resources on an ez out again: drill an appropriate size hole in the broken fastener, drive a torx in, and just turn it out.