ConcoursMustang Forums
Restoring - General discussions that span across many different groups of years and models => Body, Paint & Sealers => Topic started by: Bob Zink on April 06, 2015, 06:19:07 PM
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I want to bead blast and remove the paint on my striker plates, but the screws are stuck due to the catalyzed hardened paint.
Would an impact driver be too aggressive to use for this? Anyone know of a trick to loosen these large phillips screws?
Thanks.
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The best tool I have found for MULTIPLE jobs such as this is an Air chisel 3/8" socket driver made by SnapOn, & using a 3/4 inch boxed wrench, a #1 phillips 3/8" driver socket, an air chisel while using a feathered trigger @ low speed, a light hammering action...using the wrench it twists the screw right out without damaging the screw or "pounding" on the body.
https://store.snapon.com/Socket-Adaptors-Socket-Adaptor-Air-Hammer-3-8-sq-dr--P636879.aspx
Impact drivers seem to fail at doing this or at least I have tried them before and felt it was causing more damage than good.
Richard
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I've often used the manual impact tools with a big hammer.
Often its repetitive striking, rather than one big hit, that loosens them up
(http://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/gallery/3/6-060415171606.jpeg)
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A word of warning, the angle of your hand gripping the impact driver can be in the way of the hammer, especially your thumb. It hurts. I used to carry mine while "searching" junk yards, along with a 2 1/2 pound sledge hammer. I was looking for specific date codes for replacement strikers that were beyond repair. When you get yours off the car, set it striker down on an anvil and use a heavy duty drift to re-stake the bent retainers on the back. File any nicks in the striker itself, some hammering helps too. You should not have any problem with the acid in the plating tank on the insulation. Don't forget to get the spacers gold zinc plated (for 64-66) too, 67 on are clear zinc.
Jim
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Thanks guys. I will stop at Harbor Freight and see if they have a manual impact driver.
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Thanks guys. I will stop at Harbor Freight and see if they have a manual impact driver.
They should ---- that's where my posted picture came from and where I got my last one ::)
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Have you tried using the proper tool first? The striker plate screws use a Pozi-drive style head, not phillips. There is a difference in the angle / the way the bit "bites" in the screw head.
I believe a Pozi size #4 is the right size. There are some Pozi drive bits that you can get in one of the Harbor Freight bit kits, and I think the largest is a #3 size. That is what I used, but I recall it being a bit smaller than what I should have been using - but it was all I could find at the time.
And where I was unable to remove the screws with a phillips bit and my ratchet, with the Pozi bit and the same ratchet I was able to whip those screws out with no problem!
...of course an impact driver will come in handy for other things too :-)
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Have you tried using the proper tool first? The striker plate screws use a Pozi-drive style head, not phillips. ............
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I learn something every day! Thanks for passing that along. Another tool for the toolbox. ;)
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Have you tried using the proper tool first? The striker plate screws use a Pozi-drive style head, not phillips. There is a difference in the angle / the way the bit "bites" in the screw head.
Have used these in the hand impact tool in the past successfully. Just the steady tapping unfrozen the screws
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After you remove them, I would maybe try to strip them with aircraft stripper rather than blast. Might have some of the original metal finish underneath.
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Have you tried using the proper tool first? The striker plate screws use a Pozi-drive style head, not phillips. There is a difference in the angle / the way the bit "bites" in the screw head.
I believe a Pozi size #4 is the right size. There are some Pozi drive bits that you can get in one of the Harbor Freight bit kits, and I think the largest is a #3 size. That is what I used, but I recall it being a bit smaller than what I should have been using - but it was all I could find at the time.
And where I was unable to remove the screws with a phillips bit and my ratchet, with the Pozi bit and the same ratchet I was able to whip those screws out with no problem!
...of course an impact driver will come in handy for other things too :-)
My Snap on pozi drive screw driver (one of the few snap on tools I have ;D )has a hex head on the shaft so you can use a wrench to help turn.
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Pozidriv heads are marked with an X for easy identification.
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Posi-Driver & Hand held impacts are what I always used "back in the day" too! I also have an old crank handle drill that my grandpa used to use! PLEASE! Hand me that cordless drill any day! For me, that is what I now think of my hand held impact driver...It basically has been obsoleted from use. It still is a real nice backup when you are away from compressed air though. When I took my striker plates off last year, rather than bring the air hammer home from work I grabbed the trusty "old hand-held" and gave it a couple firm swings...NOTHING, I tapped several more hits while turning it like you are supposed to and then I stopped. I realized I didn't HAVE to do that the "old way" anymore! Next day, I brought the aforementioned Snap-On attachment and the air hammer home. 10 seconds later, one was off, then both were off. No swinging and super-easy! Like a hot knife through warm butter! To me, it really felt archaic to swing the hammer so hard so much, watching the metal jouncing...IMHO, I swear by that air chisel attachment...once you've use it...you'll pretty much NEVER want to use the "old stand by" if you can possibly help it. It works on so many more things than just these screws. It works on rusty bolts, shaking the rust from the threads while turning. It works on drain plugs and differential fill plugs that are sometimes rusty or damaged from other "Hammer-Techs" Trust me, the old "IF all else fails, GET A BIGGER HAMMER" line is the worst idea EVER!!!! I REALLY mean that! You WILL beat the crap out of your pillar post going that route if these screws are REALLY stuck and/or RUSTY!!!! It truly is worth the investment. (NO, I do not SELL Snap-On tools for a living, I earn a living with them though)
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This one is on my 65 car. Different style post and date method than the one posted by Bob ?
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This one is on my 65 car. Different style post and date method than the one posted by Bob ?
His picture is of a 69-70 it seems so it would be an oval rather than a round post and end "cap"
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Thanks Jeff. After I posted that I went and looked at my 69. Duh.. Brian
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I should have left well enough alone. Now I have to slam my door to get it to shut completely. It used to shut with little effort. I couldn't get the screws loosened with the manual impact screwdriver from harbor freight with the largest phillips bit.
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You might have had the direction set backwards on the impact tool so you were tightening the screws. You need to twist the grip in the direction you want to go, counterclockwise in this case. If the rear quarter trim is off you should give a squirt or two of Liquid Wrench or its metric equivalent to the back side of the threads (I think there is access), and then use a bigger hammer.
Jim
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Bob, ironically enough Jeff Ford just put this video up today on Youtube. It may give you some additional pointers.
https://youtu.be/IxUT_1Ek4NQ
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Bob, ironically enough Jeff Ford just put this video up today on Youtube. It may give you some additional pointers.
https://youtu.be/IxUT_1Ek4NQ
+1 YES...rather Ironic...or he is following this thread and had "inspiration" for a new video ;)
I like the "vibrating" aspect of the hammer-drill...Not a big fan of the "HEAT"...but none-the-less, his ways in the video are a better alternative to the just plain old BEAT harder on it with a "bigger hammer" idea. So far, I still like the way I mentioned best...and the mentioning of the Posi-Driver bits since that is what they truly ARE! I say this after having done all of the ways discussed so far at least one time "in the real world" of rust and what-not. These things are particularly stubborn at times.
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Bob, ironically enough Jeff Ford just put this video up today on Youtube. It may give you some additional pointers.
https://youtu.be/IxUT_1Ek4NQ
That video did help. He didn't cover/mention the common problem of hardened paint on the screws, however. Does anyone know if that was a torque wrench or a hammer drill that he used in the video? I have a craftsman hammer drill with a 19.2 battery. The problem is the phillips bit I have is the wrong size - off to harbor freight to look for the pozi bits.
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I usually use a small air power impact to remove/install these. Easy-peasy
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That video did help. He didn't cover/mention the common problem of hardened paint on the screws, however. Does anyone know if that was a torque wrench or a hammer drill that he used in the video? I have a craftsman hammer drill with a 19.2 battery. The problem is the phillips bit I have is the wrong size - off to harbor freight to look for the pozi bits.
The tool you're asking about him using was a cordless 3/8" drive impact gun.
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Does anyone know what size pozi bit these striker plate screws call for? Harbor freight doesn't carry the pozi bits so these are a little tougher to find.
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Does anyone know what size pozi bit these striker plate screws call for? Harbor freight doesn't carry the pozi bits so these are a little tougher to find.
A #4 Pozi is the correct size, but a #3 will work in a pinch. I was in HF this past week and I didn't see the bit kit that I had bought previously, but here is picture of it and the bit ~ maybe your store still has them, or my store was out of stock.
(http://i.imgur.com/qeUQO7Nl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/REBLxZjl.jpg)
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Various sources list a 3/8" socket drive #4 Pozi bit:
http://www.drillspot.com/products/83104/Westward_3LE39_Pozi_Driver_Bit_Socket
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Pozi-Driver-Bit-Socket-3-8-Drive-Size-4-1-55-64-L-Chrome/40857325
http://www.grainger.com/product/WESTWARD-Socket-Bit-3LE39
Google "westward pozi #4" for more sources.
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I ended up getting the screws on the strikers out easily without buying a pozi bit. I took the largest phillips bit in the manual impact kit and ground down the point a good bit on a grinder. This allowed the bit to fit the pozi screw well without the point bottoming out. I stripped it with paint stripper and now it looks much better. Thanks for the help everyone.
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Another option for the bit:
https://store.snapon.com/POZIDRIV-174-Standard-chrome-Blue-Point-174-3-8--Socket-Driver-POZI-DRIV-174-Blue-Point-4-P645115.aspx
I've noticed the snap-on blue-point bits are a bit tighter tolerances and more solid fit than other brands.