Tight screws in MTH Ten Wheeler

Post some pictures of the culprit screws so we make some suggestions.

Perhaps an actual MTH product number would help us help you.

sometimes they use Loctite on the screws, you can heat the screws with the tip of a soldering gun but if there is plastic the screw is going threw you have to be careful as it might melt the plastic. show us pictures of the engine screw in question and an item number would help also 

The 10-wheeler is diecast, no danger of melting it.  A properly fitted screwdriver and elbow grease is probably called for.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Perhaps an actual MTH product number would help us help you.

It is 30-1758-1.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

The 10-wheeler is diecast, no danger of melting it.  A properly fitted screwdriver and elbow grease is probably called for.

Great advice. Properly fitted is the key.

I find a lot of stuff that hasn't ever been apart to have some really tight screws.  I just get the proper screwdriver with the larger handle for leverage and have at it.  For most work I use my Wiha drivers with the small handles, this insures I don't over torque stuff, especially plastic shells.

What GRJ said; you need good drivers to bite the screw head firmly; bought German made WiHa screw drivers and Husky screw driver magnetizer to hold a loose screw; others have bought Japanese Industrial Standard screw drivers by Vessel.

I also have a JIS + screw driver set that really works well. They work well on Phillips head screws also but Phillips head screw drivers do not work well with JIS screws. 

Thanks for the help guys. Based on the suggestions, I picked out a 7-piece screwdriver set by Wiha.

RickM46 posted:

What GRJ said; you need good drivers to bite the screw head firmly; bought German made WiHa screw drivers and Husky screw driver magnetizer to hold a loose screw; others have bought Japanese Industrial Standard screw drivers by Vessel.

Am I supposed to care that these things are made in Germany or Japan?

I'm definitely not a flag-waver, but all of my 3RO stuff since I got back into it the 1980's has come apart and gone back together quite handily with mostly old (some really old) Craftsman stuff.

I'm sorry if I have socially erred by using domestic tools, but all my screws and nuts and bolts seem to be seated just fine, and the scratch-bashing proceeds apace, too.

There was that incident with some Pakistani pliers; you can imagine how that ended.  

D500 posted:

RickM46 posted:

What GRJ said; you need good drivers to bite the screw head firmly; bought German made WiHa screw drivers and Husky screw driver magnetizer to hold a loose screw; others have bought Japanese Industrial Standard screw drivers by Vessel.

Am I supposed to care that these things are made in Germany or Japan?

Good grief, you apparently didn't get the point, quality tools whatever the source!

D500 posted:

I'm definitely not a flag-waver, but all of my 3RO stuff since I got back into it the 1980's has come apart and gone back together quite handily with mostly old (some really old) Craftsman stuff.

Well, if you buy the new Craftsman junk, you'll know why we don't recommend them.

I use JIS for screws that they fit. But also, I find that Philips screw drivers do not feel right in some "regular" Phillips screws. And that the reason is, the screw driver tip does not go down into the screw head far enough. So I have filed the pointy tip down in varying degrees on several of them and find they can be quite grabby when I use the one that fits best. That makes an incredible difference. Many Phillips screws, whatever the source, can have quite a shallow screw head profile.

Bought a set of Moody JIS screwdrivers but their bits were too small for my locomotive's screws; I think that set was made for watch repair - my bad.

Received my screwdrivers today and was able to re-attach the loose piece. Engine is back together and running again!