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Slotted, Phillips, star, square, Allen, Posi, Torx, WTH?

Mattb4

Mattb4

Solar Wizard
Joined
Jul 15, 2022
Messages
4,458
Location
NW AR
So here I am trying to fasten this terminal screw that is some bastard child of an old fashioned slotted tip and a square drive. Does my square drive fit? Oh heck no. Too small. Does the old screwdriver work? Sorta but it keeps slipping into the square drive hole and not applying good torque.

I used to be able to fit most screws and fasteners with a regular screwdriver and a #2 Phillips. Though I found I needed other sizes also. Like a set of Jewelers screwdrivers. Some bolts and machines screws have Allen heads so I need a full set of those- No wait, some are metric, Aack another full set. Than there came star, and square drive. But do they have a standard square drive or star size? Are you kidding? So off to Amazonia to see what I come up with. A 12 pack of squares and a 10 pack of star drive on a 1/4 base. That should keep me current I hope.

The only problem now is I know some fiendish company is designing an entirely new method of tightening and loosening their fastener and none of the newly ordered bits or drivers will fit.

Don't get me started on China's strange blending of SAE, metric and rice farmer's measuring scales to come up with fasteners that no present driver fits perfectly.
 
It's probably the number 2 square drive always keep all 3 sizes in my kit just in case because they interface the screws much better when they have it
A number 2 square drive also fits a number 3 Phillips screw very well I've driven 4 inch tap cons with number 2 squares and no cam out
 
Don't forget that many Japanese vehicle "phillips" heads aren't actually phillips, but JIS.

If you wish to keep your brain from boiling and leaking out your ears, don't google Whitworth.

My battery is built from Ford Fusion/C-max Energi plug-in hybrid battery packs. Each pack has 84 cells, each cell has 2 terminals, and I have 7 packs.

These bastards use a 12pt M5 threaded nut. What size? 7mm? no. 8mm? no. 7.5mm... WTF? No SAE 12pt size would fit either.

The only thing that worked was a 6pt 5/16 socket that would just catch the peaks of the 12pt nut. I loosened 1,176 nuts that way. Replaced all those blasted 12pt nuts with M5 8mm hex nuts.
 
sunshine_eggo said:
Don't forget that many Japanese vehicle "phillips" heads aren't actually phillips, but JIS.

If you wish to keep your brain from boiling and leaking out your ears, don't google Whitworth.

My battery is built from Ford Fusion/C-max Energi plug-in hybrid battery packs. Each pack has 84 cells, each cell has 2 terminals, and I have 7 packs.

These bastards use a 12pt M5 threaded nut. What size? 7mm? no. 8mm? no. 7.5mm... WTF? No SAE 12pt size would fit either.

The only thing that worked was a 6pt 5/16 socket that would just catch the peaks of the 12pt nut. I loosened 1,176 nuts that way. Replaced all those blasted 12pt nuts with M5 8mm hex nuts.
Click to expand...
I have a 7.5mm socket I could have mailed you.... :giggle:
 
Always keep a couple of these cheap security bits sets around just for special occasions they're cheaply made low quality steel but they'll work in a pinch
20240611_162832.jpg
 
ricardocello said:
Looks like I found a way to spend more money on tools.
View attachment 221403
Click to expand...
Kline makes some pretty nice multifunction electrician screwdrivers.
They are great for service and repair work but I prefer to have individual tools for installs
It becomes aggravating having to keep switching that tip around and then you drop it in the dirt in the dark and its raining trying to find it
 
PotusGobbleBottom said:
Those should work pretty good tho? Yes?
Click to expand...
Yeah they are very high torque and almost never slip. Many of the screws are double helix so they go in and out with only a couple of turns. But when the heat treated tips break they shatter into many pieces. And around Navy airplanes we had to gather up all the pieces and turn them in on a piece of scotch tape to get a new one.
 
robbob2112 said:
Yeah they are very high torque and almost never slip. Many of the screws are double helix so they go in and out with only a couple of turns. But when the heat treated tips break they shatter into many pieces. And around Navy airplanes we had to gather up all the pieces and turn them in on a piece of scotch tape to get a new one.
Click to expand...
That's FOD!
 
Lt.Dan said:
Knowing my luck the socket I have is an 9pt or something stupid 😂

I just know in a socket set I bought 15 years ago, it came with 7.5, 7, 6.5, 6. 5.5, 5. 4.5, and 4mm. I never thought I would need any of the .5mm variants lol
Click to expand...
apple and their tri-lobal screws suck... talk about something invented just to make you buy a different tool.
 
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