Stuck/stripped tail light screws

Hey guys, just trying to get some advice. All four of my tail light screws are stuck/stripped out to the point where my T30 torx bit won’t bite anything.

Any ideas on how to get them out? I’ve been spraying them in PB blaster for a few days and even tried using my Dremel to make a notch in one so I could get a flathead on it. It seems like they’re rusted/fused into whatever they are threaded into.

I have new OEM screws to replace them with but can’t get them out and am hesitant to use a drill as I don’t know what they actually thread into? Is it the taillight??

Any advise or ideas is welcome!

 

Here is what you're looking at when you get it off..

https://youtu.be/kf5FV_ztcRg

Tap it with a hammer a few times before trying to remove it again?
You've probably already done that..

Maybe hammer a next size bigger Torx bit into the screw and remove it with an impact driver..

Can you get vice grips on the head and maybe turn it?

All else fails drill the head off, try a left twist drill bit to get the screw out of the light..

 

god I wish mine came out that easy!
I’ve tried using vice grips to no avail. Might try hammering in a T40

 

You will probably need to drill the center and use a set of easy out screw extractors. That should give you a little more force for them to break loose. They screw into nutplates. I think that you would have to go under the truck to replace the nutplates if needed, but I'm not positive until I look at mine.

 

Oddly enough I've had some success with Allen wrenches when I've had trouble with Torx screws. Sometimes the size is just right on a rounded Torx.

 

Impact driver

 

Dremel with a cut off wheel

 

Well, I was able to drill off the heads and remove the taillights. The screws were rusted to hell in the little metal nut plates that clip onto the tail lights.
Anyone know where I can find some replacements? I can’t find a part number online, and my taillights are currently secured using masking tape.

 

I’d just go the the dealer, they can’t be that much. Just make sure to use a little anti-seize

 

Yikes, glad you got them off at least. I bet those clips are cheap at the dealer though.

 

Dealer couldn’t pull up a part number for the clips. thankfully, Toyota is pretty consistent and through some googling, found someone on a Tacoma forum mention these Dorman clips worked for them.

Can confirm, Dorman 961-315 will work.