55 ford doorstriker screws

C

carguy01

Member
Can someone help me ,I have a 55 ford fairlane sedan and I want to replace the door striker plates. the problem is the screws are not slotted or phillips the edges of the screw are radiused looks similar to the batman logo no kidding . who makes this SPECIAL tool? and idea what this type of fastener called
 
Try going to a fastener store with a sample, and see if they can match the screw, but with a more conventional head - ie: torques, phillips, slot etc.
 
I got some brand new from a Ford parts, a Mustang restorer should have those screws also, but as for the funny screw head get a good friend in the auto repair shop, someone will have something that will work.
 
Yeah those countersunk hourglass screws were pretty common on the 55 Fords, but I have seen the exact same screws for the striker plates that have a large phillips instead of the hourglass.
I have a screwdriver that is made for use with the hourglass screws. It was hanging on a tool rack in an OLD auto parts store in the early 1970's. Very nice tool.
 
FoMoCo (that's what they called themselves then) was very civic minded in 1955, and concerned about crime as well. On select vehicle models, they placed Batman call devices. If one gets your attention, this means you are being summoned by the mayor of your city. It may be that dozens of crimes have already been committed unnecessarily due to your negligence.

I have a '55 pickup that alerted me, and we broke up a state-wide crime syndicate.

Don't just stand there, man. Get moving!
 
They were called "clutch head" if I recall....

I went down to the bolt store and got some with a hex (allen) head bolts.....worked much better than the phillips head even....not "correct" of course, but makes it way easier to adjust and tighten.
 
gentleman what I'm looking for is the tool not the screws ihave replacement phillips for them.and i really don't want to pay snap on prices. thank you all
 
if you still have a hardware store in your town not a box store ck with them they may have it it was called a clutch drive screw a dremel tool to cut a slot for a straight screwdriver or impact driver even better to brake them loose
 
Yes, they are called clutch head screws, used widely on GM products; you can still get the drivers from Sears, NAPA, etc, but they may have to order them for you. They work great as long as you use the proper size. The more modern star drives are even better.
 
thanks dave race I appreciate your offer but I will check napa or sears first and thanks to all for your help. Carguy 01
 
I have taken these off in the past. You can grind the shaft of a screwdriver to fit, but i have also found that aflat bladed screw driver that is the same dimension as the wide section of the oval wiil lock in and undo them.
I have recently gone to countersunk cap screws. Much easier to get them tight and adjust them.
Regards
 
I replaced the striker plates on my 53 Ford, and I was also faced with these devil clutch head bolts. After some unsuccessful searching for the proper tool to remove them, I devised an ingenious solution. I drilled em out, used a bolt extractor, and used vise grips and or a drill to remove the shafts of those that broke during extraction. It may have taken me an extra 20 or 30 minutes, but it was much cheaper and less stressful than trying to find and purchase the right driver, which may have ended up stripping out anyhow. Just my 2 cents, Cheers
 
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