Stripped Allen hex head screws

There's nothing here this group can't solve we all been there sooner or later. I also have one of those hammer screw looseners too it's great for the suzukis with the philips screws.


It's not my poor spelling my spell check is wacko. It does changes on its own.

I believe you are speaking of an impact screwdriver. I have the one that we used on our Hondas and Yamaha from the 70s and a newer one I purchased before I inherited my father's tools after he passed away . Machinist and Mechanical

Yes impact screwdriver that's it. This tool has saved me many times.

the impact driver is an awesome tool. great way to get phillips out

The old Japanese cases had all Phillips screws that are in there for so long there tough to break loose. We just turn the impact driver the direction you want the screw to go and it's hammer time. For the ones who never used one. It has a 3/8" square socket driver so sockets, and Allen drivers can be used too. It comes with Phillips and flat screw sockets.

Hi Bill,

The screws in Japanese motorcycle cases probably aren't Phillip heads, but JIS screws.

Scroll down the page to read the text.

http://www.toolking.com.au/screwdriver-japanese-industrial-standard-motorbike-etc/

http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-tools/jis-screwdrivers/

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SSLsJNgn4M

Now you tell me!!

From the 70s onward I have been able to use an impact driver with a Phillips #1 or #2 tip on any case bolt on any of our japanese motorcycle to the current day unless the are Torx or Allen head fastners. The head you are showing is a Phillips #2 visibly mangled.

The JIS spec covers most bolt head configurations that has been in American consumer production for a few decade. The difference is metric sizing for thread features and bolt heads

You can hammer the stripped Phillips with a flat nosed punch. I have worn out Phillips screwdrivers that I have sanded flats on the driving lugs. Now pound in the screwdriver into the pruned philips screw.

Sometimes we strip philips heads from using the wrong number Phillips bit.

The Norton manual specifically calls the opening in the machine screws posidrive. I think reed prince or something like that is another similar looking one perhaps more common in furniture. The posidrive generally has some markings between the recesses. I really have not had much problem with mangled hex socket cap screws like this discussion is about, at least not on these things. I would think if the head was drilled off and the tension relieved they will come out once the cover is off. Using a good driver of the proper size and design to start with most likely will do the torque required.

In response to post 25 about the impact thing you hit with a hammer.

I still have a couple of those, one is 3/8 and the other is 1/2 drive if I recall. They have a socket of sorts that necks down to a hex and the "bits" have that hex. It is a larger hex than the 1/4 inch stuff commonly used in hand held power tools or screwdriver assortment kits. I think everyone had one back in the days when British bikes were common. In hind sight I bet the BSA fastners were posidrive and no one knew it.

With the stripped hex cap screws when we hit them with a flat nosed punch with a hammer and we close up the hex a tad, then we tap in a Allen wrench to rebroach the hex again most of the time these screws can be reused. All I'm saying is when a Allen screw is close to the case or in a counterboarded hole were we can't get to it we can fix it.

Good point about the different Phillips head screws. Thanks Fran..k

If you work on Japanese bikes, the best investment you can make are some JIS screwdrivers. I did not believe it until I tried them.

Hi, Houredout401,

I just recently bought these,

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/VESSEL-J...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

For years I wondered from observation, why Phillips screw drivers always seemed to want to ride out of the heads of stubborn screws.

Now I know!

We were using the wrong Phillips screwdrivers for all these years I guess. The Phillips standard bits never seem to fit right. After the Phillips bit strips I take the screwdriver to the belt sander and put flats on the Phillips bit. So they had more bite.

Hi Bill,

Never too old to learn something new!

For my bicycle tool kit, I have ordered these,

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Hozan-JIS-4-JIS-Screwdriver-Set-Japan-import-Free-shipping/262744940493?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

Anything new out there helps when we're in a bind. I have everything inhouse from English and metric helicoils, taps n dies English and metric, I have everything ready to repair. Have to have the fix when something strips.

I like my 12 volt battery powered impact driver. Not a ton of power, still gets a lot of the challenging bolts out, and doesn't destroy much.
First time I used it on my Kawasaki though, chunks of the screw heads came off (JIS vs. Phillips as mentioned above). I used the dremmel to cut a slot in for a standard screwdriver, and then replaced those w/ modern phillips or socket caps. I've never picked up a JIS driver, but the tip grinding approach on an old screwdriver (or swappable tip) generally works.
+1 on the comment about the sockets getting rounded out because SAE wrenches are being used. I've found that if I'm the using the SAE Allen wrench, switching to a metric Allen wrench often resolves the problem. Depending on the state of the socket, sometimes you have to tap the metric wrench in with a hammer. At some point after I movedout, my dad gave me a coffee tin full of Allen wrenches he had picked up at an auction. One day I got out a micrometer and sorted them metric vs. SAE. I haven't had a single problem with rounded out socket caps since that day.