How not to blow myself up? Fuel sender question...

I need to replace my fuel sender. Checked the gauge and it is working properly. Checked/cleaned connections at sender and still no joy.

I tried removing the four (five?) phillips-head screws holding in the sender, but 22 yrs. of crud and an abundance of undercoating are not helping. Able to remove one screw (the one holding on the ground wire).

How should I attack these screws without using heat, a drill or another device capable of igniting the fumes?

Thanks in advance,

D. Ocean
Pompano Beach, FLA

[Payton]

Is there enough of the sides of the screw to get a small visegrips to clamp onto it? I've had some success doing it that was. Sometimes I've had to buy a new one so the edges of the visgrips are sharp. Or get one of those impact scew drivers. You hit the backside with a hammer and it will jar the scew loose.
good luck

[jpclear]

Try using an air powered drill to drill out screws with light water spray for cooling while drilling. Plug drilled holes with dum-dum so as not to fill the tank with water as you proceed. --- Jer

[fund razor]

Hey Danny...

Sounds like the one I had to do, it was 24 years old. (79 wellcraft).

I was able to soak the heads with a little WD40 and it soften the gunk, exposing decent screw heads. But my screw heads were hex, not phillips, and I think that helped immensly.

I was able to use the vice grip trick on a screw for a battery tray over the weekend.
You know how corroded that puppy was. All rust and the head was useless.
WD 40, patience, and vice grips finally did the trick with no drilling.

I like the fresh vice grips idea.
I'm not a fan of the drill/water idea, hope you don't have to resort to drilling.

[Krumbsnatcher]

Check Auto-Zone they have a hand screw extractor that works great, the kit cost around $30. I will see if i can find out the kits name.

[gusman]

Spray the screws with PB Blaster (avail at wal-mart), best penetrant i have ever seen or used, works way better than wd-40. Then try an impact driver or vise grip like payton advised.

[rouxsterre]

Actually I have found that the very small set of Channel-Locks is one of the most valuable tools on the Planet. They have the angled teeth that seem to bite virtually anything. They have extracted many un-extractable screws, nuts, bolts, etc., for me.

Thanks for the tips. I'll start with the vice-grips and work my way up the ladder. Not sure if PB Blaster will be able to reach the threads as the screws are covered in "undercoating" or whatever they used for tank sealant in those days.

Thanks again,

D. Ocean
Pompano Beach, FLA