Residential & Commercial Security - Locks, Keys & Dead Bolts - How to remove extended deadbolt

I have a Qwikset deadbolt, installed and in the extended position, preventing the door from opening. I want to remove it. The indoor mechanism (knob and plate) is missing. The exterior (keyed) mechanism hangs loose. How can I retract the deadbolt so as to open the door? Trying to turn the bread-loaf shaped shaft that extends through the lock mechanism from the keyed exterior, with pliers from the inside, does not appear to work.

knock the keyed mechanism out and use a flat bladed screw driver in the hole to turn the mechanism retracting the deadbolt.

Murphy was an optimist

On the heavier duty Kwikset deadbolts, removing the inner decorative thumbturn reveals a secondary heavy steel plate through which (2) big black screws pass thru the door to hold the outside cylinder on. Though not obvious, a flat screwdriver is used to unscrew these bolts, so the outer cylinder can be removed. Then, as indicated in previous post, the "breadloaf" slot in the bolt can be rotated to retract the latch.

If the outer cylinder is hanging loose, it is probably binding on the "breadloaf" hub. Above the bolt is often a pin that you could grab and manually retract the bolt.

If the outer mechanism can be realligned correctly, assuming the screws are not connected, a screw driver or allen key slotted into the tailpiece (with a tight fit) should enable you to reallign the mechanism and the whole cylinder will turn to retract the bolt.