I own a 2002 Dakota SLT 4 wheel drive with a 4.7 liter engine. I need to remove my ABS module as it needs to be rebuilt. However when I tried to remove the four torx screws that hold it on they were all very rusted, which is odd as that is the only things that are rusted under the hood. While tryin to remove them, one broke, one came loose easily and the heads stripped on the other two. I have spent the last two days hitting them with PB Blaster. What do people here think I should do about the two with bad heads that are still not removed. Also has anyone had any luck drilling out such small screws? I could always drill out the tops of the screws and try to use vise-grips to remove them once the module was removed. Does anyone know if there are easy outs small enough to try to remove them, and the one that already broke?

Any ideas? Any experience on this job? I haven't been able to find anything searching. And any ideas would be much appreciated.

 

Don't think an easy out will work on screws that small..... I think the idea of drilling off the heads, and then trying to extract what's left is the best plan.

 

I figured that. I was also wondering if anyone had tried to drill through the housing and put nuts on screws from the bottom. I've been using a lot of PB Blaster before I mess with the screws again. Thanks for the response.

 

Can you post a pic of what you are working on??

 

It's dark and snowing now, but I can in the morning. I'm new to this site. Is there a limit on me posting pictures as a new member?

 

I think you have to have a couple posts before you can post pics..... Best bet might be to upload it somewhere like photobucket, or some other image hosting service, and then just use the image tags in your post.

 

Here are a couple of pictures. The circled screws are what I have been referring to. I hope this works. These four screws are the only ones that are rusted under the hood. They must be pretty cheap screws.

 

Chemicals and an impact driver. Drown them good, and usually one or two smacks, and they come out. (or break off.....)

 

I have an impact driver, but the screws have a Torx head, and two of them are so rusty the torx sockets I have can't get any grip. In the long run I think I'll have to drill off the heads and try to break the remaining shafts loose with vice grips. Either that or cutting a slice for a screw driver with my Dremel tool. If the screws hadn't been so rusty this should have been an easy job. That's life.

 

Think I would be more inclined to drilling the heads off. You already know this job is going to be a pain, no matter which way you slice it. Might just as well bite the bullet, and get it done.