Torx rotors screws stuck on 96 Volvo 850

In trying to replace the distributor cap and rotor I ran into a problem
getting the torx screws out that hold the rotor on. They won't budge.
I'm pretty sure it's the original rotor on there because it's really
worn out so I'm confident that it's causing my gas mileage problem.

I tried using a torx rachet socket and a torx screwdriver and they both
feel like there are a little too small for the bolts. I'm afraid of
stripping the screws if I try too hard. I sprayed some bolt lossener
on them but this didn't help. What else can I do?

Thanks,

Bill

 

Get a torx driver that fits. (1)Then, as you exert counterclockwise
torque, lightly tap the upper end of the torx driver with a small, steel
hammer. (2)If the screwheads are accessible, it'd be wise time to purchase
a tiny, but GOOD pair of vice grips (I have a pair ~3 1/2 inches long made
by ViceGrip)--I've used them for such many times over the years. You'll
wonder how you ever got by w/out them. s

 

My 98 V70 came with a few Torx screwdrivers in the toolkit. Have you
checked around the spare tire to see if the proper size is there?

 

Try a 3mm Allen key to remove the rotor if stuck use a good pair of vise
grips to loosen
Glenn

--
"*-344-*Never Forgotten"
Is for the New York City Firemen who lost their lives on September 11,2001.
The official count is 343, but there was also a volunteer who lost his life
aiding in the initial rescue efforts. And I will never forget them as
long as I live,
nor should any American.

 

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

Torx heads come in several different sizes, and you need the correct bit to
fit a particular one. Yours are probably T-25 or T-40. Maybe you are using a
T-15 screwdriver?
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

 

Glenn indicates it is an Allen head, in which case any Torx will just chew
it up. A piece of plumber's putty pressed lightly against the head will show
which it is for sure, but I think Glenn already knows

Mike

 

Volvo uses 'torx' screws???

I have a feeling they are allen head, could be wrong though. Non of the
older Volvos I used to own were cursed with torx.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

 

Might they even have been metric Allens? It wouldnt surprise me.
And for that application, are they right hand or left hand threads? Just a
thought.
I know little or nothing about Volvos...

(Friend of mine met an old acquaintance on the plane, who wanted him to come
home
with him, have a drink,and take a look at his wife's 'Vulva'. Friend was
excited until
he saw that darn little Swedish car parked in the driveway;>) ((a true
story, mostly))

 

I haven't seen them on a Volvo yet, Saabs are full of them though. So
long as you have the right bits they're actually great, I have yet to
ever strip one out and the screw will usually stay on the end of the bit
well enough to feed it into a tight space.

 

<snip>

Yes. (Whether they use them in the distributor, I don't know yet, though.)

JRE

 

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

Fair point - although the OP clearly thought that they were torx!

However, I've just looked at a photo of a rotor arm in my Haynes 70-series
manual, and the screws look distinctly like Allen screws - so I guess the
850 had those too.
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

 

That, or Haynes is using the same picture they have used for the last 20
years......

...........or a generic picture from another car entirely.

 

Not that its the same, but i have seen both hex head and torx head
caliper pins on taurus of the same vintage. I about got caught using the
wrong tool for the job because of this. DOn't know if it was a factory
thing or after market parts. It pays to check

Bob

 

Jeeps are full of them. The teeth rot on them with the slightest bit of
a paint chip so once used, they strip out extremely easily. Same for
sizing. The paint thickness won't allow the proper sized bit to fit, so
folks use one size too big, the paint just crushes and bingo, another
one stripped. So to use them you have to chip the paint out which rots
them....

At least they do drill out easily because the hole centers the drill bit
nicely...

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

 

Bill,
I take off the cap & rotor every year to clean the points of carbon
deposits on my '95 850 an the rotor is held on by 3 mm. Allen head
bolts, not torx.
Jay

 

Bill,

When I last changed the rotor on my 850, the old one was held by Torx
screws, the new one with Allen screws. So I figure it might be either,
depending on the manufacturer of the rotor.