help removing stripped allen screw

[moscafj]

Not sure if this is the right forum for this question, but here goes...

There are two 4mm allen screws that hold the cleat to the bottom of my cycle shoes. The screw is about 1.5 cm long. I've stripped one of the darn things and want to remove it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
Frank

[Copper]

I assume you don't care if you save the screw. A screw remover might work:

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...ears&ihtoken=1

Or a small phillips head might work too if you bang it in to the screw head. Alternatively, if you have a rotary tool, you could cut a groove in the head and remove it with a slotted screwdriver (works best if the screw head is elevated).

[JR]

You should soak it with WD40, too, before trying any tricks you learn here. I've found that the road grime and moisture that cleats are exposed to have a lot to do with why they freeze, and WD goes a long way to freeing it up.

JR

[Tom Slick]

find a torx bit that is slightly larger then the allen key for your screw. hammer it into the screw and then remove the screw as normal. it work pretty well.

[jp_spins]

I've use the Screw-Out set by Craftsman several times for stripped screws, they work really well.

[sacherjj]

The trouble with clipless pedal screws is that they are so short. There isn't usually enough depth for a typical screw out to work. The only thing that has worked for me is use a dremel to cut a flat head slot in it. This usually makes the cleat a writeoff. Not too bad for SPD, but painful for Frogs or other expensive cleats.

Almost always, they stripped bolt was because of corrosion between the screw and the plate in the shoe. I now use an anti-seze compound when installing cleats. After using this technique, I didn't have a problem getting cleats off the Shimano sandals I used to ride across the country. These were my only shoes and I used them it streams and other places where they were submerged for a long time different times.