Stop pin screw just turns, won't unscrew

Chounch McGavin

Chounch McGavin

Joined
Nov 20, 2006
Messages
110
I have a PM2 that I've been working on. But I can't for the life of me unscrew a stop pin screw. The damn thing just keeps turning and won't actually dislodge from the scale. The other stop pin screw removes just fine. Any ideas?
 
Hmmm...that is a situation I've never encountered...what about screwing the other screw in just a few threads and hitting the head of the screwdriver to try to push the other one out a little? The tolerances of the hole in the G10 on the scale might be a tad smaller than normal (Or a tad larger diameter of the head of the screw). I'm not sure if it will work as I've never tried it, but to my mind that seems like the easiest thing to try.
 
You may already know this but the stop pin isn't a D-barrel, so if you have the other screw out already you may just be turning the whole assembly (screw and pin) together. Just a thought...
 
kniferbro said:
You may already know this but the stop pin isn't a D-barrel, so if you have the other screw out already you may just be turning the whole assembly (screw and pin) together. Just a thought...
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For this, you can grab the stop pin with a pair of needlenose pliers, and then try unscrewing it.
 
It is loctited solid...I've encountered a few of those...use a soldering iron to loosen it up so you can hold it to unscrew it.
 
Another option is to not disassemble the knife, since it is designed not to be taken apart by the owner. A factory tech knows exactly what is required.
 
brownshoe said:
Another option is to not disassemble the knife, since it is designed not to be taken apart by the owner. A factory tech knows exactly what is required.
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If it was designed not to be taken apart it would have proprietary screws...ala Microtech. It is simply requested by the manufacturer NOT to disassemble the knife. Their techs know what is required...Loctite remover...their assemblers seem to have an affinity for using copious amounts of Loctite during assembly. Mine was the same as the OPs when I received it. I successfully disassembled mine and fixed the issue with it...Loctite in my pivot.
 
Spydercos are designed so they never need to be taken apart. Just because it can be diassembled doesn't mean it should be. If only i had a dollar for everyone who can't get their knife back together...
 
1SHOT1KILL said:
It is loctited solid...I've encountered a few of those...use a soldering iron to loosen it up so you can hold it to unscrew it.
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Still at a red light, my dude. I held a soldering iron on the screw for at least ten minutes with no success. The funny thing is, the unaffected stop pin screw dislodges when I unscrew the problematic one.

brownshoe said:
Spydercos are designed so they never need to be taken apart. Just because it can be diassembled doesn't mean it should be. If only i had a dollar for everyone who can't get their knife back together...
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Excuse me, sir, but my situation merely involves an attempt to solely unscrew one individual screw. This is not a discussion about reassembly. Also, if Spyderco screws and relevant hardware "are designed so they never need to be taken apart", then this is only an accepted organizational mantra enacted to reduce accountability.
 
Is there a special someone online that could remedy my PM2? A distinguished person among Spyderco sympathizers? I'm willing to pay.
 
Sometimes it helps to reassemble the knife to the point where you can screw in the other stop pin screw. Crank it down as tight as you can to hold the stop pin in place. When you try to unscrew the troublesome side try to use a quick and sharp motion to break it loose. Sometimes it takes a few tries but that usually works for me.
 
Alright; so you need the proper torx wrench for the screw, a pair of vice grips, and a micro fiber cloth.

Wrap the cloth around the stop pin (to keep it nice); and vice grip it. Then use both hands to unscrew w/ torx wrench.
Should be able to finish taking the screw out by hand.
 
First thing to do is to determine what the problem is. I'd suggest putting a dot of magic marker on the screw head, gripping the stop pin with your pliers, and attempting to turn the screw.

If the screw will not turn then thread locker is the culprit and heat would be the cure.

If it feels like the screw is turning, but the dot stays in the same place, then the torx head is stripped. Plumbers tape around the tip of the driver, or crazy gluing the driver in the head sometimes work. If not, then slotting the screw head and using a conventional screwdriver would be the only option.

If the screw is turning, but not coming out, then the thread are stripped. Crazy gluing the driver in place, then gently pulling outward as you turn it may do the trick.

If none of those work, and you're in the USA, returning the knife to Spyderco for repair would be the best option.
 
I had this same exact problem on one of my gerber 06 autos....tried everything, and in the end, ended up with a stripped torx head...I ended up doing a work around and was able to complete the task, and have a functioning knife, but still pisses me off knowing I have a stripped out screw that will need to be tapped out
 
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