I'm (stripped) Screwed

[ImBleu]

Pardon the pun, but I'm screwed... 

 

 

 

I was doing maintenance on my loop after noticing that the EK EKoolant was staining my blocks and tubes. I managed to get everything else apart except for this monoblock which had every screw come out except for this one.  It is beyond stripped and doesn't seem to want to come out as it was very tight (the other screws were also very tight from factory but this one here is ridiculous. I emailed EK Support and was sent a video from ifixit and tried all the methods (using the correct sized hex key - which I already did as I used the one EK included in the box), tried the rubber band / latex glove method and tried gluing the hex key with super glue to the screw and letting it set for 2 hours and it came straight out again. My system has now been down for almost a week and I don't want to have to go drop another $110 on a Supremecy EVO as I really like the Monoblock as it matches the motherboard perfectly (and the heatsinks have been taken off my board already).

 

Does anyone have ANY other ideas? I don't want to destroy the block taking the screw out but it seems from EK support that I'm on me own on this one.

 

[W-L]

2 minutes ago, ThatCoolBlueKidd said:

-SNIP-

Left hand drill bit in a mill or drill press would be your best bet. 

[Razor Blade]

Get yourself a left handed drill bit. It is a drill bit which the drill head and flutes go the other way (you drill in reverse) it will drill in and bite the screw then back it out.

[ImBleu]

5 minutes ago, Razor Blade said:

Get yourself a left handed drill bit. It is a drill bit which the drill head and flutes go the other way (you drill in reverse) it will drill in and bite the screw then back it out.

 

6 minutes ago, W-L said:

Left hand drill bit in a mill or drill press would be your best bet. 

 

Absolutely hate the idea of putting a drill into a waterblock but if I end up breaking it taking it out, it doesn't make too much of a difference as i would've had to replace it anyway. Will see if i can find a left hand drill bit.

[W-L]

2 minutes ago, ThatCoolBlueKidd said:

Absolutely hate the idea of putting a drill into a waterblock but if I end up breaking it taking it out, it doesn't make too much of a difference as i would've had to replace it anyway. Will see if i can find a left hand drill bit.

You'd have the best result in a drill press or mill since you can apply significant down pressure without it slipping. Only other tried and true method is to EDM it out but you'd be better off getting a new block since the cost of that kind of work would exceed the cost of the block.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Tools-Cobalt-64-Inch-Assortment-30520/dp/B0002NYBJG/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1530759134&sr=8-6

[TrigrH]

looks like you're so screwed you're block'ed from proceeding.

[Froody129]

No experience with waterblocks but if it came like that from the factory it seems like a manufacturing defect. Do you have a warranty?

[r34lj4k3]

On 7/4/2018 at 8:04 PM, TrigrH said:

looks like you're so screwed you're block'ed from proceeding.

Get out.

 

On 7/4/2018 at 7:38 PM, ThatCoolBlueKidd said:

Snip

Another possibility is to drill out the whole screw, might not be able to re-use without re-tapping the hole (possibly with a bigger size) but you'd save $100.

[Tam3n]

Something like this would probably work if you can find right size for cheap: 

Otherwise use a small drill bit to drill it completely out...

[ImBleu]

Tried sourcing a left hand drill bit small enough for the tiny ek screw to no avail and doubt either of the ideas posted by @Tam3n are possibilities too due to the size constraints. I've contacted EK to see if I can do a paid RMA or if not I'll just throw the block away and pick up a supremecy Evo as I'm not throwing another $170 down for a block that ties me to this z170 board too much longer.

[Guest]

You could just solder a spare allen or torx to it tbh. If it's not come like this from the factory I don't know how they would accept an RMA tbh. If it's sticking out you could use pliers. 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Just get a set of small screw extractors (also called EZ Outs or easy outs). They have a left hand drill bit on one end and a cone shaped extractor on the other end. To use, set the drill for reverse, drill a cone shaped hole in the screw head with the drill bit end (sometimes that alone will back out the screw), then switch ends of the extractor to the cone shaped end in the drill, insert the end into the cone shaped hole you made, then back out the screw.

 

This is an example of screw extractors. I have this particular set (which has yet to fail me) but they also come in sets of four. Other manufacturers sell almost identical extractors.

 

This video shows how to use one.