Please share screw removal tips to avoid cracking sidemarker lenses

[Coelacanth]

Please share your tips to remove oxidized screws like these from sidemarkers to avoid having the plastic lens mounting posts crack! I've unscrewed these before only to have the posts crack. Obviously you can buy repro lenses but it would be nice to reuse originals if possible. Maybe squirt some WD-40 or PB Blaster around the screws and let them sit for 24h?

 

[gtx6970]

My 1st thought is take a soldering iron and lightly heat the head of the screw and back it out while warm

 

[steve340]

WD40 soak sounds like a good idea.

 

[Coelacanth]

WD40 soak sounds like a good idea.

I think that's what I'll try first...From a bit of research, I can confirm that PB Blaster is NOT safe on plastic.

 

[carterafb]

You could carefully grind the heads off the screws to separate the lenses from the housings and then use penetrating oil and vise grips to slowly work the remaining screw shafts out

 

[440 4 speed]

I find Sea Foam Deep Creep works on some things.

 

[zyzzyx]

I agree with using heat to "Soften" the plastic around the screws. There's a fine line between
soften and melt! Be careful, should work!

 

[steve340]

Maybe a little heat from one of those hot air blow guns?
Taking it slow and lubricating after backing out the screws 1/4 of a turn may help also.

 

[Coelacanth]

Here's a tip for when you are installing these fragile lenses into the housings, after I ended up cracking another lens' standoff. I KNOW these are fragile, and was threading in the screw very gingerly, and it STILL cracked one. Fortunately I had a spare of that side sidemarker lens.

I found with some of my sidemarkers that the screw would start to bite into the mounting post too soon; i.e. there was still too much space under the screwhead that I knew if I threaded it in tight until it bottomed out the screwhead, it would crack. It's probably because the inside gasket (if used) has been compressed too much and this allows the screw to go too deep into the mounting post.

I slipped a few stainless washers under the screws to prevent them from going in too deep. The screws still bit into the mounting posts enough to secure the lenses to the housings, but wouldn't go in deeper than necessary.

So annoying...I have at least 8 lenses gathered over the years, some of my originals and ones I bought, that all have cracked mounting posts. Must be a 2-year design flaw.

EDIT: Maybe it's only the 1970 year that has these bolted-in lenses...they look great but sure are flimsy.