In article
,
D.M. Procida wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

In article
,
D.M. Procida wrote:
I'm cleaning up a coffee machine. Two of the four 5mm allen bolts on
the boiler are well and truly stuck. In fact I've damaged the heads
now.

What next? Cut a slot, and use a large flat-bladed screwdriver?

Drill them out. Easy with allen heads as you already have a centre. If
an allen key won't budge them, I doubt cutting a slot will either.

If I do drill them out, what next? Do I need to recut the thread in the
hole, to the next size up?

With the head removed and the part the screws are holding removed too, you
should be able to get grips of some sort on the remaining part and screw
it out - unless the thread is seized, it shouldn't be tight once the
clamping pressure is removed.

--
*If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.