Screwdriver Recommendation for cheesheads

[Rob H]

Replacing the old allen bolts on the engine covers with stainless cheeseheads. Can anyone recommend a good quality screwdriver to purchase for the task. Fed up of using cheap rubbish which damage the heads.

 

[Peter Holmes]

Replacing the old allen bolts on the engine covers with stainless cheeseheads. Can anyone recommend a good quality screwdriver to purchase for the task. Fed up of using cheap rubbish which damage the heads.

I would imagine Snap On is as good as anything, hopefully hollow ground.

 

[ossie]

Allen screws are much better in my opinion.
My shadow has the same allen ones on it from when i bought it in 1966.
Stanley was a good make in the 60s i ground the end for a good fit.
I think snap on are good.
My gearbox cover and mag are the only ones with cheeseheads.
Ones with a spanner hex on give a better purchase as you can keep the pressure on the head as you turn the screw.
Ossie

 

[Magnetoman]

... stainless cheeseheads. Can anyone recommend a good quality screwdriver to purchase for the task.

I don't remember where I got the recommendation, but at least 5 years ago I bought a set of screwdrivers made to Japanese JIS standards that were claimed to be different (i.e. better). They quickly became my go-to set for any Philips screw whose head I didn't want to risk damaging. I still have the plastic bag they came in that gives a web address that still works, and that explains why they are different/better:

http://www.ikaswebshop.com/jisphilips.html

I liked them enough that I bought a second set, along with an even smaller one than their 00 that doesn't seem to be listed on the site anymore.

 

[chankly bore]

When it comes to tools I look for rusty or neglected OLD German,English,American,Australian or Swedish stuff because you can be SURE it was made to a standard and tested.Your cheesehead screws, by the way, will not be correct because they are made to a revised standard issued in 1958 (if you're lucky). The correct,and more rigorous standard which applied in 1946 was BS450 of 1932. Shape your screwdriver tip square and parallel for the full width of the slot.After many years of overtightening your threads may be a bit proud, so ease them flush with a countersink or dress carefully with a fine file.make sure you clean out the archaeological Red Hematite deposits from your holes and run through with a bottoming tap and paraffin.Prove the depth of all screws before fitting.You will then only need to exert even chimpanzee strength to obtain oil tightness, not the gorilla strength often employed.

 

[greg brillus]

All good stuff from Chankly and others....the fit of the blade into the slot is one thing, and obviously very important, but another issue is the width of the screwdriver blade as it tapers out away from the tip. This is veeeeeery important especially if your cases and covers are painted black....as the blade will easily gouge into the paint on the deeper set screw holes, unless the blade is kept dead center on the screw head.....easy fix is to grind the sides of the blade more parallel so as to increase the clearance in this easily damaged area. I agree that allan headed cap screws are far more practical, but the more original cheese heads do look impressive..........Cheers........Greg.

 

[Rob H]

Thanks all, best wishes for xmas, think will try the ground old screwdriver method, i have some large old ones that used to belong to my dad.
R

 

[Magnetoman]

will try the ground old screwdriver method,

Depending on how much money Santa left in your stocking this morning, the following shows a large set of interchangeable screwdriver bits that I'm sure would do exactly what you need done:

http://www.britbike.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=451494#Post451494

I bought this set some years ago from:

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...a-tip-sets/magna-tip-super-sets--prod417.aspx

It's clearly too much to pay if you only need a screwdriver for one specific job, but it's one of those tools that will make you wonder how you ever lived without it if you spend a lot of time on restorations and repairs.