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A must-have tool for old bikes:

  • Thread starter Thread starter makenzie71
  • Start date Start date
M

makenzie71

Guest
In searching various things I see a lot of the same commentary on stripped phillips head screws...and stripped/chipped screws in general. An impact driver is your friend, fellows.

50320677.JPG


Don't attempt to "break" those screws loose by the twist of a hand. When it comes to screws decades old that have likely never been turned after installation, always break them with an impact driver. It will save your screws, and it will save a portion of your sanity.

$6 at harbor freight: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37530
 
i second that motion....


i dont have one yet, but i will have one soon.... these are invaluable
 
if you don't want it to break spend some money on a Craftsman (free replacement) or buy a snap-on or something. I buy the cheap ones because spending $12 a year is acceptable to me (actually the last one I bought has lasted since 2002).
 
IMO, expensive or cheap, impact drivers are of limited value. If the metal is too soft to turn the stuck screw, it will strip regardless of what you use on it. Of the dozen or so phillips screws I've removed, only one came out with the Craftsman impact driver.

Drill, extract and replace them right away. Save yourself the grief.
 
flyingace said:
IMO, expensive or cheap, impact drivers are of limited value. If the metal is too soft to turn the stuck screw, it will strip regardless of what you use on it. Of the dozen or so phillips screws I've removed, only one came out with the Craftsman impact driver.

Drill, extract and replace them right away. Save yourself the grief.
Click to expand...

I'm for replacement of weak-headed screws, but the impact driver is worth a try. I've had success with my $6 HF deal on a few dozen stuck screws (though the bits that came with it were too brittle).
 
Those phillips screws on the GS are Japanese phillips which are not the same configuration as standard phillips. If you are stripping screw heads, it is because you are using the wrong bits. No impact driver I know of comes with the correct phillips bits for our use. Use the right tool and life gets easier. LOL

Earl
 
I'm a big time proponent of an Impact Tool. But forget Harbor Freight- spend a buck or two extra and get one from Sears. Craftsman quality and warranty (although, you will never need the warranty- the tool is completely awesome)
 
...I've broken a crafstman. Higher quality, but not bullet-proof.
 
I've stripped a few with the impact driver. at least mine were in places where I could lock a large vice grips on them and start them that way. A small bolt out works good but if you don't give it a little extra incentive to start the screw (ie. tapping it on a little with a small hammer, screwdriver handle, etc) it can just spin off the outside of it. I know this because it really upset me the other day when that happened to me. Screw outs would be nice, but I didn't have any on hand.

I really think that HE-MAN tightened all of the bolts/screws on my bike. The manual suggests one thing to torque this stuff down, but I have to use 4x that force to get that stuff off, if not more! damn bolts that have been in place longer than I've been alive!!! lmao
 
Ive yet to strip a screw with an impact driver. I HAVE stripped pleanty assuming that *I* with my mighty muscles, could MAKE them come out without breaking out the impact driver. Heh. Lesson learned. Impact driver is a third arm for me now :) However, I have broken many a tip on those darn things. Damn cheap ones. Maybe i should break down and buy a good one :P
 
I think my problem was that I was twisting over on the impact driver a little too far and not allowing the bit to go fully into place before smacking it with my 2lb sledge... (it was the closest hammer to me at the time) After I started making sure that I didn't twist it too far over, it works great!
 
Texatl said:
I'm a big time proponent of an Impact Tool. But forget Harbor Freight- spend a buck or two extra and get one from Sears. Craftsman quality and warranty (although, you will never need the warranty- the tool is completely awesome)
Click to expand...



I have a craftsman impact thats about 20 years old. It still works
as well as it did the day I bought it. heh

Earl
 
I've bought lots of stuff from Harbor Freight but would also recommend something more sturdy in terms of an impact driver.

In terms of the tool themselves, I've never stripped a screw using one unless the head was chewed up already. The common bits supplied with the tool bite just fine into Japanese phillips head screws - never had a problem.
 
i actually got one off ebay that is a little more durable than the one from harbor frieght for $12
 
Another option if you don't feel like leaving the house and need to get a seriously stuck bolt out, using stuff you might have sitting around:

You know those screwdrivers that have the interchangable tips? The ones where you remove the shaft of the screwdriver in order to swap between some. Well, pull out the shaft. Pull out the bit you don't want to use. Use a fairly large allen wrench (8mm is it? I always just find one that works) to turn the shaft. It allows you to provide lots of force along the axis of the screw, and also far more torque than you should ever need in order to remove a screw.

Now, I'm not saying that it's as good as an impact driver, but I'm a cheap lazy bastard sometimes and haven't gotten around to buying one. It works pretty well.
 
The other thing you can do is take that 1/4 hex shaft bit (you know, the removable kind) and use it in a 1/4" socket and socket driver or ratchet. This has worked for me several times however it is a bit of a pain to hold everything together long enough to get the screw to break free.
I bought 2 impact drivers from Harbor Freight, broke both in a matter of minutes and was pi$$ed at myself for spending the same amount on junk as I did for a decent quality driver from an auto parts store. 3rd time's a charm, right?
 
^it's hard to apply proper pressure to the screw doing that, though. It works if you have excellent bite and a heavy hand to hold over the ratchet.

I just checked, for those interested, and the impact driver at Sears is $25. Very nice looking piece, too...I was tempted to replace my harbor freight and PM tools with it haha.
 
earlfor said:
Those phillips screws on the GS are Japanese phillips which are not the same configuration as standard phillips. If you are stripping screw heads, it is because you are using the wrong bits. No impact driver I know of comes with the correct phillips bits for our use. Use the right tool and life gets easier. LOL

Earl
Click to expand...

Where do I find the correct bits, can't find any that fit anything other than precision screws on the good ol internets.

oh well each time I take one out it's getting replaced with hex or allen head screw that pushing down and turning without slipping crap. Glad japan wised up and is using the good stuff now.
 
makenzie71 said:
In searching various things I see a lot of the same commentary on stripped phillips head screws...and stripped/chipped screws in general. An impact driver is your friend, fellows.

50320677.JPG


Don't attempt to "break" those screws loose by the twist of a hand. When it comes to screws decades old that have likely never been turned after installation, always break them with an impact driver. It will save your screws, and it will save a portion of your sanity.

$6 at harbor freight: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37530
Click to expand...

The 6 dollar HF special was the first one I bought. Lasted one afternoon. Went to Sears Hardware and bought an 18 dollar one. Has lasted the equivalent of 10 times that long, equivalent because the first one made it almost all the way thru stripping one bike down to components, and the 2nd one has lasted me thru a lot of other deconstruction and/or disassembly tasks.
 
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