captive panel screw, was Airbox question.

[David Brill]

-----Original Message-----
From: 200q20v-admin at audifans.com [mailto:200q20v-admin at audifans.com]On
Behalf Of Steve Scalmanini
Sent: Monday, September 08, 2003 12:33 AM
To: 200q20v at audifans.com
Cc: SuffolkD at aol.com
Subject: Airbox question.
 <snip>
3. Did the screw turn at all before it seized?  It's not supposed
to come "out".  It's supposed to unscrew from the lower half of
the housing, which takes a few full turns, but it is not supposed
to come free of the upper housing.  The screw is necked down under
the head so there are no threads adjacent to the head; it's only
threaded toward the other end.  This enables it to unscrew from the
lower housing but stay loose through the hole of the upper housing
where the neck of the screw goes through that hole.  (That hole is
also threaded, but only to get the screw in place once (ideally) in
the life of the housing.)  If you tried to get it free of the upper
housing it might have cross threaded when the threads were trying
to engage the underside of the upper housing. (Clear enougb?)
<snip>
 Oh, and the screw should be a dealer item also, but it's not.  You'll
have to make one or have one made.  If you don't have a source near
where you live for a few screws to make one from, let me know.  A
good hardware store near me has lots of metric screws, available
individually, but in stainless only, not brass.  You'll have to neck
it down or have a machine shop do it for you, or maybe grind it, file
it, etc.

Good luck,

Steve
Ukiah, CA

FWIW, the fastener in question is categorized as a captive panel screw (the
threaded portion in the upper housing is called the retainer).  If no luck
elsewhere, you might try RAF (no, not the English flyboys)
http://www.rafhdwe.com.  Either contact a distributor, or work directly with
RAF.  If there's something similar in the catalog, they might suggest
samples to try.  If the exact item is not in their catalog (which it likely
isn't), they can quote you on making the screw in small quantities, in
brass or steel.  You'd probably end up sending an intact screw to be spec'ed
out by them.  In any case, request a Metric catalog for future reference.  I
used to sell their products, among others; no current affiliations,
blah-blah.

HTH,
David