Interior Exterior
Q:
I'm finally putting my rear console back in (you know, the cupholder thing?). It's been out so long I've lost the three screws (two to attach the silver colored plastic piece to the metal flange via the spirenuts (i.e., speed nuts) and one to attach the black colored plastic piece to the silver colored plastic piece.
The Lotus parts book calls them: "No. 6 x 3/8” screws, flg. Pozi". IIRC, they are black flathead screws that can be turned with a Phillips screwdriver. Is that right? I understand the #6 3/8" part.
I think "pozi" is compatible with Phillips, but I can't figure out "flg." Is it just something equivalent to flathead, or do these screws have a different head on them.
Thanks!
A:
I can check in the morning, but I think it means flanged, as in having a built in flat washer.
A:
I can that the screw in the center of the bottle (won't hold a cup) holder is pan headed phillips with attached washer. It goes into a metal flange not part of the silver piece.
A:
Thanks guys!
--Joe
A:
I think "pozi" is compatible with Phillips,
There is a big difference between Pozidrive and Phillips - but most people don't notice it.
Pozidrive has less of a "point" to the cross compared to a Phillips drive, which allows a Pozidrive head/driver to transfer more torque to the screw. On a small trim screw (like for the "cup") it doesn't seem to matter, but if you use Phillips drivers on a Pozi screw, you can easily strip the head. The reason is that the point of the Phillips driver bottoms out in the Pozidrive head and the cross blades of the Phillips will only contact a small bit of the top of the Pozi screw causing the metal to deform (strip). On larger screws, make sure that you use a Pozidrive bit (you should use them on small screws too).
You can tell the difference between Pozidrive heads and Phillips heads from the markings - Pozidrive heads have little lines etched in the head between the points of the cross (like sun rays from the center). The Pozidrive drivers/bit also have extra "triangle" shape metal filling in some of the gaps between the blades of the cross - but this does not extend down into the part that contacts the screw head. The Pozidrive driver/bit will also be less pointed than a Phillips.
Pozidrive screws are common on British cars, but they are also used on American made cars where large torques are necessary (common on door latch brackets in the door frames).
Here is a comparison of the heads of a Pozidrive and a Phillips screw:
A:
Hi Tim,
Thanks!
--Joe