How to fix broken screw hole in ceiling box? (re: ceiling light fixture; how to replace the box?)

Question

I was trying to take down the ceiling light above my kitchen table and in the process one of the plastic screw holes in the ceiling box broke:

This ceiling box holds a ceiling light (14.2 lbs) so I need to make sure this is fixed properly and doesn't kill myself or my children.  :)
How can I replace the box?  It looks to be attached to a joist (on the right-hand side of the picture you can see it slightly).
I'm only familiar with these old work "t-brace" but I don't think this will work because it's so close to the ceiling joist.

Can anybody help me out?

JACK · Answer

The box up there is similar to the one below.

If you have attic access, you can remove the old box and replace it fairly easy.
If you don't have access, then you'll have to cut the tabs the nails are in so you can remove the box. Be very careful not to cut the wires going into the box. A keyhole saw or hack saw blade with a handle works great. Once the box is out, you can get a ceiling box that screws right into the stud where the old box was.

How to fix broken screw hole in ceiling box? (re: ceiling light fixture; how to replace the box?)

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