Broken Emmons

[Paul Sutherland]

No good deed goes unpunished. I tried to install a new adjustment screw on my PP, as the old one was slipping after many years of hard use. And I broke the new one!!!

I think I know how to fix it, starting with backing it out with an easy out. But this is not a project I am looking forward to.

Thank goodness I have a backup steel.

[Jerry Overstreet]

What is the strength of that thread locker? Handle it however you want but if it were me and that's some high strength thread locker, I'm going to apply direct heat to the part and, provided I could get a good grip with a vice grips, do that.

Lock it down tight the first time so it doesn't slip.

If there's not enough to grip with vice grips, then your only other option is probably going to be drilling it out.

You may even have to remove that cross shaft from the guitar as that part doesn't appear to come off the shaft.

I hear all these recommendations for EZ OUT type products, but I can tell you in 40 years in auto mechanics they rarely work. Many who recommend them have never used them and even fewer even know how they work.

If that's the method you're going to use, be sure and drill the bolt in exact center and have a kit such as a drill and extractor that are designed to work together.

Sometimes, a reversing bit extractor will work if the hole is centered.

My experience with this method is that you only get one chance to do it right.

Good luck, however you proceed though.

[Paul Sutherland]

The thread lock material was on the screws when I bought a batch of screws from Rebecca and Ron Lashley more than a decade ago.

I hope I didn't cross thread the screw putting it in, but I backed it out and tried again when I hit heavy resistance. And it snapped. I don't think its cross threaded, but I suppose it could be. That's my biggest fear.

Thanks for the tips Jerry about trying first to back it out with vice grips and applying heat. I'll give that a try, but not today.

PS: This is on my A floor pedal so the steel is pretty much unplayable until this is fixed.

[Jerry Overstreet]

Well, good luck with that when you get to it.

I'll add that there are several knowledgeable steel guitar mechanics here as you well know who will probably offer more suggestions for dealing with that broken screw.

[Dave Meis]

Since that's your pedal stop, there'll be some of it sticking out the bottom side. You may be able to back it out by turning it from the bottom.without removing the shaft. If you can, be careful to not damage the threads, as they'll have to go through the mount.
Good luck!

[Bobby D. Jones]

First unhook the spring and get it away from heat if used. If the guitar has plastic bushing on the end of the cross rods. Be careful and be ready to cool it quick with a wet cloth, Or remove the cross rod before starting the removal of the broken screw.

Easy-Outs have ruined more things with small screws, Than any thing I know of.
Easy-Outs get their grip by locking into the hole drilled into a screw or bolt, If there is not enough metal area around the required hole, The screw will swell and lock it even harder.

If the screw is above the surface a little. File small flats on each side, So vice grips will get a good grip on solid metal. If the vise grips catch on just a thread it will crush the thread and the vice grips will tear it off at an angle. ( Make sure the vice grips have good square jaws, May be an excuse to but a new pair.)

Another choice, Cut a screw driver slot in the middle of the screw, With a Dremel tool and a cut off disc. and use a screw driver to remove the screw

If Thread Lock/Lock Tite is involved, A solder tip that fits over a Propane torch will provide max heat quick, To release the screw.

The first try sometimes is all you get on a broken screw, Good Luck in this project.

[Patrick Timmins]

Hi Paul.

If this came into my shop, I would just remove enough pull rods in order to extract the cross shaft to avoid any potential damage to surrounding area of the guitar. More of a pain in the but (bolt) with the additional work, but it is a guaranteed fix without causing any additional problems or damage. Depending on where the cross shaft is, you could disconnect the swivels from the bell cranks on that cross shaft and unscrew the rear apron shaft support and remove it without removing too many pull rods, but there may be some knee levers or other brackets in the way. Can't tell from the photo. Then you could use heat to extract the bolt and reassemble with a new stop screw. I would mill some flats on the protruding portion of the screw and keep the heat as light as possible to make sure you don't un-braze the the pedal rod bell crank from the actual cross shaft. Make sure to chase the internal threads with a tap to clean it out before installing the replacement screw.

Hope that helps.

[Ricky Littleton]

I recommend purple or blue. Both are removable with standard hand tools. NEVER RED! Waaaaaaay to tough to break loose.

[Chris Lucker]

Or, as a fix, place the stop in the stop bar so it hits the pedal rod crank.

That is the way Emmons originally made the pedal stops.

[Jason Putnam]

You could cut a slot in it with a Dremel tool then try a flat head screwdriver.

[Paul Sutherland]

The broken screw wouldn't budge with vice grips so I removed the whole cross shaft. I scavenged the cross shaft from the zero pedal position (this steel had 9 floor pedals) and installed it in place of the troublesome cross shaft. The steel is back in operation with 8 floor pedals, which is really just fine. That (zero) 9th pedal was not critical to me, but I did use it. Maybe someday it will get restored.

I think I cross threaded the screw but I won't know for sure until I can actually get it out.