WickedFog
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We've all been there. That problem screw. I have seen numerous posts on multiple forums where people have ran into trouble removing screws on their RC vehicles. So I wanted to put this together to help people who may be new to turning wrenches.
Since Allen screws seem to be the most troublesome, I will list tools that I have used over the years for the various Allen fasteners. But first, a little about me...
I worked with small fasteners every day for 25 years. Whether it was bolts holding parts on a fixture, or the locking screws and grubs holding cutting inserts in milling and turning tools - I faced problem fasteners on a daily basis due to them being used in a viloent machining environment. I have seen way more than my share of screws that were stuck, beaten by debris, sheared off, and seemingly welded to the tool holder from an insert failure or machine crash. Believe me, when you have a screw stuck in an insert cutter costing $4500+ like the one below you WILL get that screw out!
Tools
First off, buy quality tools. I cannot stress this enough. You are buying something that has to hold up to thousands of uses. Spending a little extra now will save you a lot of money in the long run, and will prevent so many headaches.
Here are some of my favorite brands of hex tools, along with recommendations from members here:
1. Wera Hex Plus -
Wera's hex profile creates more surface contact in the corners of Allen head sockets. It is slightly star-shaped as you see on the right. These were my goto tools in the machine shop for changing inserts. They have this style screwdriver in 2mm, 2.5mm, and 3mm, but the L-shaped sets have lots of other sizes in this Hex Plus profile.
2. Eklind T-Handle Allen Wrenches
Very durable T-handles. After trying about 10 different sets, I found these and used them through most of my career. The long shaft not only comes in handy for hard to reach fasteners, but also helps you to not strip a screw. It acts like a torque wrench. If the shaft starts to twist a bit, try something else, like heat.
3. Dynamite Machined Hex Drivers
I have all 5 of these drivers that Dynamite sells. I bought them over 6 years ago, and they still look like new. Love them.
4. Moores Idea Products Hex Drivers
While I haven't used these, I know from being in the hobby, and based on recommendations from others, these kick butt.
5. Team EDS
Recommended here as another quality item. I like the way they use the rings turned into the handle to designate what size tool it is. Really cool idea!
Tips N Tricks
If you run into a screw that seems really tight, the first instinct is to just try harder to break it loose. But if there is Loctite holding the screw in, you may be in for a fight. So try taking a soldering iron and heating the screw before trying to force it out.
Speaking of Loctite, most people drench their screws in Loctite, or they use the wrong Loctite. You want to use 242 or 243 Blue Loctite and you want just a tiny drop on the screw, a couple threads back from the first thread, as seen below.
If you can let the Loctite setup on the screw before installing, you will find it easier to remove later. Putting the screw in wet will basically glue it in the hole, with lots of contact area. The purpose of Loctite is to create a small pressure point in the threads that prevents the screw from turning freely. Not glue the screw into the hole permanently. Which is worse - losing a screw due to too little Loctite? Or mangling that 7075 billet chassis with a dremel due to too much?
If all else fails, and you end up mangling a screw, you can try various brands of screw extractors. I have never used them, but people say they work.
Other methods are to take a dremel or pencil grinder with a thin cutoff wheel and cut a slit in the screw to get a flat screwdriver in it. Sometimes this is impossible with other things in the way. Again, have fun.
My favorite way to remove a damaged screw is with a Torx bit. Odds are one will fit snugly. If you have to force it in, great. 9 times out of 10 this will work, as long as you didn't completely round the hex out.
If you have to resort to drilling the screw out, use a bit the same size as the minor diameter (drilled hole size) of the screw. Once you get past the head, you can remove the part the screw was holding on and grab the rest of the screw with vise grips to remove it.
Resources
You can find the drill diameters for various threads by downloading this PDF from Starrett
Download it, print it on 8.5x11, and laminate it. It comes in very handy!
Fasteners
While having cheap tools can cause you headaches by stripping out your fasteners, often the culprit is the cheap hardware used in our RC cars. If you want good hardware to replace your screws with, don't go to ebay and spend $20 or more on a cheap hardware kit from China. Go to www.mcmaster.com
Buy in bulk to save some cash. The hardware here is a little more expensive, but in the long run you will be happy you bought quality screws and nuts.
Stay away from the gimmicky, pretty anodized aluminum hardware. You are just asking for trouble. Stainless is ok, but just be aware that stainless is softer than good old grade 8 nuts and bolts. And stainless will still corrode! Just not as fast as steel hardware will. Anytime you put aluminum in contact with any other metal, corrosion will occur. The best way to combat this is with coated fasteners. Dip your screw threads in paint and let it dry. Something like Rustoleum will do. Hit em with a heat gun to speed it up. Then apply the Loctite and let it dry.
Hope this helps.
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I have a set of the MIP's and they work well. might take a look at the Eklind T-handles though. 
