amitbob21

help! the threads on the cover plate behind the engine stripped, so the rotostart backplate vibrates off. so i went to take the cover plate off. there are 4 screws and 3 of them came off successfully but the last one was so tight that i stripped the head of the screw!! how do i get it out!!???!!? HELP!!!!!!!

tmodlin

Cutting a slot in it with a Dremel and then slightly heating while you try to remove it might be your only option. Those screws are so damn small you cant do much with them. You might have to end up buying a new backplate. Good luck.

amitbob21

thanks but how can i get a new backplate if i cant get the old one out?

tmodlin

Sorry, I misread your first post. I thought you said you couldnt get one of your rotostart cover screws out. How new is your engine? Another person on the boards here just had the same problem and he sent his in to HPI. They used red locktite on the screws and he stripped his too. I would contack HPI before you do any cutting or heating and see if they will take care of it first. If they leave you high and dry then do like I mentioned and try to cut a slot in the screw. Then use a heat gun and try to heat the area where the screw is to soften the locktite.

EDIT: The last resort would be to get a drill that is the same diameter as the head of the screw and drill the head off. After you do that you can pull the back plate off and still have the threads in the block. Then grab really good with a vise grips and heat the area like I said earlier to soften the locktite. Should come out then, but it is a little more work.