One of my screw holes is stripped, screw never tightens down. Is there a simple fix for this? Maybe an oversized screw? I hate to replace the whole box.

 

Same thing happened to me on both attaching screws on our air cleaner box. So I used an old trick of stuffing/packing tightly the stripped holes with very fine steel wool. Put your finger under the steel wool when reinserting the attaching screw to prevent the steel wool popping out of the bottom. I also wrapped the screw threads with a little bit of steel wool. You may have to use a little force when reinserting the screw to get it started. There have been no problems with this fix for the last eight years. Now if the screw doesn't take after all this effort, remove the screw, add a bit more steel wool and tamp the steel wool again. That should tighten it right up. It may take more than one attempt, but it will work. Patience will be your friend. When you remove the screws to clean the filter you might have to freshen up the process a tad but not much. It is the best no cost solution I have yet found and far better than buying a new box and having those air box threads inevitably strip again. Good luck.

 

Found some threads that you can take a look at below.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1131158
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/hpi-...rew-holes.html

Otherwise, you may be able to find a used box unit somewhere like www.car-part.com vs. buying a new one http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/...-7-565-955-BOE. Good luck!

 

How about nutsert?

 

Or use the steel wool idea and drop some clear nail polish into the steel wool to harden it. The price is right.

 

I will have to try the nail polish mod. Sounds like a good idea. Thanks.

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

Please let us know your results.

 

Will do, I'll deal with it in a few days and report back.

 

I would put some JB Weld in the hole.After it sets, drill a hole for the minor dia. of the screw.

If the stock screw is self threading,install it.If not,tap the hole for the screw.

 

So I put some Gorilla glue in the hole, then tightened the screw down. I'm sure it's locked in there. Unfortunately, I really can't tell if it worked or not, because I'm not going to try and loosen it until the next time I do the filter. Even though the screw previously spun and spun, it did thread itself in enough to keep it's corner of the box closed.

 

I hope you can get it apart again. Gorilla Glue expands and solidifies - it is absolutely the LAST kind of adhesive I would have used in that case. It may have expanded to bridge the gap to the cover of the filter housing and glued the parts of the air filter housing together.

I suggest removing the air filter immediately and seeing if it will separate so that you know before you're in a hurry to change the filter. You may need a hacksaw or other tools to separate the parts of the housing. If the glue area is limited to the hole, the screw may be difficult to remove.

 

It's actually more like Super Glue, but Gorilla brand. Not the actual thick syrupy goo.

 

AH! Good choice, then.

 

I used nylon picture cord. Fold it in half and feed it into the screw hole then reassemble the cord provides enough 'bite' for the screws to hold tight.

I've used this trick for years using parachute cord when I served in the Royal Air Force to line stripped threads on my 1968 Mini 1000 and my 1980 Mini Clubman.

 

+1 its the thermoplastic and the coarse thread screws. I had mine stripped from have the air box on and off for testing here at ECS. I have seen also people use tooth picks and break them off into the plastic.