Whatever kind it is, it looks stripped out to me. Were I in that situation I’d go to the hardware store & buy the other bits suggested above and give it a try, the cost isn’t that much. But I expect you or a shop are going to have to drill it then use an extractor to get the remaining part out. Machine shops do this every day, to them this problem is routine. You could probably do it yourself if you got room enough to fit a drill in there to access the bolt dead on. You’d want to use an extractor kit that has one of those drill attachment gadgets that makes a depression in the center of the bolt head first so when you drill it, it drills in the center of the bolt shaft.
Another idea, if you feel lucky, try gluing the bit that fits best to the bolt with some JB Weld. Clean everything as best you can to bare metal, then figure out a way to press the bit into the bolt with as much force as possible while the glue sets. Let it set up a few days. Might work. If you have a friend with a welder, that might work too. Weld another bolt to that bolt.
TP 27 is what Tester suggested , right? If you want this problem over with, no further bother, yes, the machine shop is the best method. Since you can still drive the vehicle, even better, no need for a tow truck. You’ll likely be amazed how quick they’ll fix this problem for you. You want a good machine shop though. If you have a trusted mechanic or a trusted independent parts store who has a staff that seems to know automobiles inside and out , ask them for an auto machine shop recommendation.
For heavens sake, go buy a TP27. You asked what the problem was and you were told it was a TP not a T. So then you continue to try to figure out how to do it without the proper drive? What am I missing? If you had a metric bolt and SAE sockets, wouldn’t you go buy a set of metric sockets? Or put a vice grip on the bolt to avoid buying the socket?
You could try getting a hacksaw blade or Dremel tool wheel in there, cut a slot, and hopefully remove it with a straight screwdriver.
Another possibility is to use a small, sharp chisel with a hammer and try to tap it loose by catching one of the inside spikes.
I don’t know how well stocked the tool bin is but those are just some base suggestions which may or may not work. I’ve used them both with success in the past.
I might suggest we lighten up a bit on the OP. Prozac for everyone…
Looks like a standard T40 to me. Some of these screws have thread lock compound on them so I work slowly and be sure the torx bit is bottomed out in the screw before I try to loosen them.
At this point I would do as OK4450 mentioned and cut a grove in the screw with a cut-off wheel and use a flat blade screw driver.
The idea is to transform that bolt head into a screw head instead. Then a slotted screwdriver will fit. Make sure you use a hefty slotted screwdriver with a blade snugly fits the slot and that is at least the dimension as the diameter of the bolt. Another idea, I’ve also used a file to file off flats at 180 degrees on a stripped bolt head, then it fit an open end wrench. I should add often times these methods don’t work. But they don’t take much effort or time to give them a try as long as you have adequate access to get the file or dremmel tool to it.
Here’s another idea. Earlier this year I had a problematic screw-headed jet that was stuck in my truck’s carburetor fuel bowl. I gtried and tried, wouldn’t budge. I took it to my auto parts place and they tried and tried with all the tools at their disposal , and they couldn’t get out either. Still I got it out myself by (1) buying a bigger screwdriver ; and (2) holding an ice cube on the screw head for 10 minutes to shrink it a little. Popped right out the first time that way.
I don’t think anyone’s disagreeing with you db. I’m not anyway. Just that the OP doesn’t have that tool your describe probably. So folks are offering up other ides using tools the OP probably does have.
I liked OK4450’s suggestion, but this might be a good application for a stripped-head screw extractor like or similar to this one.
You can get these type of extractors at any parts store or even at big-box hardware stores.
