The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Clutch Head Screws

Do any of the vendors sell actual OEM type clutch head screws? I purchased a bag from Jim Carters awhile back and as with many parts I purchase, they sit on the shelf until needed. So it wasn't until 6 months or more later that I opened the bag and realized they aren't like the original type of screws at all.

Any ideas? A search revealed nothing useful.

Thanks, Jeff

Here is a recent discussion on sources (OEM type - who knows?).

I think Lonnie has posted a more recent post with more sources.

What the part number of the JC hardware?

Tim,

I don't have the part number. I bought a few hundred, it's been a few years now. I do know they are a bit different and just don't look right. The best way to describe it is that they look like a modernized version of a machine screw with a smaller 'clutch' head. I think they take a driver bit one size smaller than original.

Jeff

Jeff,

"one size smaller than original"

I do not understand - I guess I would have to see the screws/bolts. I have a box of many different original clutch head screws/bolts (collected from various trucks I have worked on and collected from boxes of clutch-head screws/bolts sent to me by other Stovebolters).

The clutch-head hardware had different "external" head-designs - all had the clutch-head center. However, there were two types of clutch-head center-shapes (I think Grigg posted information on this). All of these shapes/sizes are fitted by the 4 sizes of clutch head bits that I have.

Tim -

My post that you linked is the most recent.

There are two types of clutch head screws, not counting the security type. Type A, also known as standard clutch resembles a bow tie. Common on GM trucks and cars in '40s and '50s. Type G resembles a butterfly and is commonly used on mobile homes and RVs

Google for more info and pics. (My PC is on the fritz; typing this in my li'l iPhone. Not as easy to link to other sites)

Your United Screw and Bolt ad on your site is good.

Tim,

The screws are the typical interior screws used in my COE. I think they might be 8-32? or 10-32? I can't remember.

The actual clutch head insert in the screws is one driver bit small than the original. If there are five bits for the different sizes, 5 being the largest and 1 being the smallest, the interior screws originally took a size two while these new screws used a 1. That is an example only as it's been so long I can't remember the actual sizes involved. The bowtie center is correct though compared to originals.

It's just another disappointing factor of buying parts that are supposed to be good copies of the originals and are not.

I looked through the post you mentioned and some of those look great, except they are the 1/4" thread type.

I think my best bet is to start pulling good originals from all my truck crap lying around and toss them in a rock tumbler at some point when I have the trucks almost finished.

I would get pics but I haven't had an iota of free time in the past four months due to the birth of my darling daughter, hence the long abscence and working my * ragged...

Thanks for the info guys!

Jeff

If you throw those old screws into a can of white vinegar and leave for a couple of days a quick rub with an old toothbrush will clean them amazingly well. Just don't use vinegar for stainless steel.
Good luck.

I've experienced this problem repeatedly with parts from Jim Carter. My "favorite" was getting headlight adjusting screws and springs that were supposed to be as OEM, but when I got them, the Jim Carter part number tag was stuck over a tag saying they were for a Corvette. They needed a huge amount of modification to work, but I had no other choice.

I never thought I would say it but when I put more of a period correct interior back in my 37 I am thinking about going back to the clutch head screws,when I took the truck apart back in the 70s I did not have the correct tools but I have them now and was too lazy to look up a supplier for them when it finally went back togather.