The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Why So Tight? A minor rant.

Is it really necessary to fasten screws down so that they feel like they're welded in? I'm working on door latch problems and need to adjust the striker plate in the door frame that's held on with 4 screws. Easy job, right? Not so fast.

The slots in the screw are 1/8" wide and very shallow, and kind of chewed up from someone who worked on them before. I soaked them as much as possible though I don't think much of the penetrant got to the threads. Using the biggest screwdriver I have, 18" long with a 3/8" square shaft, I put my vice grips on for added leverage and tried to loosen the screws. I can watch the shaft start to twist before I can't hold it in the groove any longer. It wasn't necessary to make them so tight and turns a straightforward 1 minute job into a small project. A little dab of anti-seize would have worked wonders.

Here's my promise to the next guy who owns my truck: anything I've taken off and put back on will be able to be taken off again without getting your blood pressure up, mangling the fasteners or causing bad language. You're welcome.

Mine kept coming loose so I used some blue Loctite. That solved the problem.

So, if we had added your problem to mine and divided by 2 neither one of us would have had a problem?

Murphys law. 🙄

I had to make my own steel threaded plates to slide into the pillar because mine were missing on one side. The other one i had robbed from another truck and i had to cherry it up with a torch to get them to move.

While we're ranting... I'd like to curse at slotted head screws in general.
I can forgive Chevy for the clutch heads... they wouldn't be so bad if those screwdrivers actually existed.

Slotted heads though... anything but those! Fortunately not found too often on my chevy.
Some things are really bad: like outlet covers and especially firearms who's screws are always slotted.
Terrible!

Ott3r, clutch head drivers and clutch head bits are available at most any tool store. NAPA has quality drivers.

Agree 100%. Clutch head drivers are pretty much available.

Hence the reason most are so tight. I do agree the sloted screws can be a royal PITA. Your best chance is to find a screw driver that is as wide as the slot and the tip of which is in perfect condition, or better yet a good quality impact driver and a heavy hammer.

On my guns I ONLY use case hardened gun screwdrivers. Good gunsmith screw driver set cost about $110 for six. Never use anything else, gun screws are very hard. To get difficult screws or bolts off our Stovebolts always apply Kroil Oil or Blaster and let set for a day. Use a hammer impact screwdriver with a Brass hammer. It will come off. Patience, patience.
justhoseround and Eureka jim have the right attitude .Doc

They probably weren't abnormally tight to begin with, but after adding in 50 or 60 year's worth of rust, therein lies the problem.

Another thought--I'd probably want the screws holding my door latch on to be pretty tight. Losing one and having a door fly open while driving would not be my idea of a good time!

Fair enough
I'm still replacing them all with phillips or socket head... I'll just have to forgive chevy for my own stubbornness.
It felt really good to replace my slotted timing plate screws with torx drive.

I hope you used Loctite on those screws. The came with slotted screw heads so that they could be staked in place with an awl.

Nope. Just torqued to spec.
Things happen for better or worse late at night in the garage...