Air compressor

[Jim62]

I'm trying to get the shroud off of my air compressor, sears #919.167300, 6HP 30 gallon tank. The screws I need to take out are set in holes about 4" deep in the shroud. I can't tell what kind of head I'm dealing with. My first guess was phillips, but it seems I was wrong. Second guess was straight, but I was wrong. Tried a couple sizes of torx (the only ones I had that were long enough to reach the screws) with no luck. According to the parts list, they're pan head screws, so I'm guessing that they are not any kind of hex head. Anybody had any experience with one of these critters??

 

[jkwilson]

Put some paint or ink on the eraser of a new pencil. Push it into the screw head without twisting, and you will get an image of the screw head on the eraser. Sometimes if you push hard enough you can do it without the paint. If neither works, try some margarine on the eraser.

 

[Jim62]

Now, that is a great idea. I'll give it a try today. From just looking into the hole, it seems like a torx head but I haven't had any luck with that either. Might just be using the wrong size--I only have 3 that are long enough to reach the screws.

Thank you for the help.

 

[cfpinz]

Some manufacturers like to throw a tamper-proof torx fastener in just to keep you on your toes. Looks just like a regular torx but it has a dowel in the middle of the pattern. You need special sockets to go down in them.

cfpinz

 

[tytower]

You will also get them with 3 ~ shapped slots coming out from the center

Brilliant stuff the eraser though ,bit of plasticine sometimes works too ,oil the end that hits the screw head

 

[Jim62]

I meant to finish this off. I wound up borrowing some longer torx wrenches, and it turned out to be #19 torx. After I got the cover off, it turned out that I didn't need to take the cover off. Just needed a little oil on something in the switch area, I think the valve that takes the pressure off when it turns off. Works like new now.

 

[jkwilson]

After I got the cover off, it turned out that I didn't need to take the cover off.

That sounds like me. Work your tail off to get some PITA piece loose, then find out it didn't need to come off to start with.