Need some advice on using hand impact driver TIA!

[qqzj]

I have this hand impact driver with 1/2 drive. The bit holder takes 5/16 inch hex bits. In the front, looking from the fat back end to the front drive end, counter close wise is marked L, and the other direction is marked R. When I push the tip in and turn it, there is a triangle that points either L or R. So just to confirm, I should put it to L to loosen bolts, right?




Also the target I need to deal with is Honda rotor holding screws. I heard that this is a JIS one. So I am wondering where to buy a JIS 5/6 hex bit that can be used on this hand impact driver. I expect it to be a more robust version than the common ones, right?

Finally, when you hit a hand impact driver, do you hit it with a brass hammer or a steel one? How heavy, 2LB, 3LB or other weight? I want to keep using the screws. So minimum or no damage is desired. Should I hit with a plastic hammer to begin with?

Thanks in advance! If you have any other suggestions, please send them my way!

 

[dogdog]

Just twist the driver to the direction you wanted to go then hit it with the hammer.

So insert bit on to the screw or bolt,
Twist to direction you want to drive clock wise or counter clockwise,
Strike with hammer
Repeat.

 

[n8n]

For JIS I use Vessel bits in a Wera or Wiha bit holder I can never remember. Unfortunately my good hand impact set is playing hide and seek and winning so I can't check.

 

[HaroRider]

Turn the direction you want to go. JIS are less likely to strip the screw. They are not more robust, they are different than a phillips bit. I was able to buy a 10 pack of JIS Vessel bits relatively cheap from Ebay. I break them so often on rotor screws its good to have extra.

No need for a brass hammer, smack it with a steel hammer. I try not to use a sledge as thats more likely to break the bit.

Start with a smaller steel hammer and work your way up.

 

[The Cobbler]

yes, twist the driver in the direction you want to turn . hold firmly , strike the end with a hammer repeatedly. don't need a heavy hammer, maybe 16 oz but firm grip, and firm repeated hits is the answer .
I've had good luck with VIM tips on amazon

 

[GolferSkierBiker]

McMaster-Carr has sells JIS bits for about $2 each, and I bought a set. But then I read somewhere that a way was found to make bits that met JIS as well as ISO standards, and that any bits manufactured recently meet both standards.

 

[1982fxr]

No big hammers, it can destroy the screw head if hit too hard.

 

[qqzj]

Ok. Sounds like I should start with a 16oz ball peen hammer. Please let me know if not correct.

I bought some JIS bit previously.

JIS Cross Point 1/4" Hex-Drive Bit, Size No.2, (2-pack) - Motion Pro

Motion Pro - High quality cables, tools and controls for motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and personal watercraft.

www.motionpro.com

These look pretty tiny relative to regular Philips #2 bits. Also it is 1/4 inch shank. My impact driver is 5/16. I am thinking whether I should get a JIS bit with 5/16 shank and therefore more robust. BTW, Honda uses Number 2 JIS screws for its rotors, right?

 

[no704]

Set it to the direction you believe is correct. Press the tip onto some hard surface and compress the tip. You will be able to see it turning.

 

[qqzj]

Set it to the direction you believe is correct. Press the tip onto some hard surface and compress the tip. You will be able to see it turning.

I am glad that I did the experiment following your suggestions. It turns out that everyone is wrong, or maybe my driver is not made right. When I set the triangle pointing 'L', it will try to tighten the screw. I recorded a short video. But I am not able to upload it here.

 

[KnurledNut]

Honda uses Number 2 JIS screws for its rotors, right?

#3

 

[ZRX61]

Ok. Sounds like I should start with a 16oz ball peen hammer. Please let me know if not correct.

I bought some JIS bit previously.

JIS Cross Point 1/4" Hex-Drive Bit, Size No.2, (2-pack) - Motion Pro

Motion Pro - High quality cables, tools and controls for motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and personal watercraft.

www.motionpro.com

These look pretty tiny relative to regular Philips #2 bits. Also it is 1/4 inch shank. My impact driver is 5/16. I am thinking whether I should get a JIS bit with 5/16 shank and therefore more robust. BTW, Honda uses Number 2 JIS screws for its rotors, right?

Those aren't impact bits.
Also: I've been using the bits that come with an hand impact on JIS screws for 47 years without any issues... They may be JIS bits.

16 or 20oz hammer is about perfect for JIS screws on Japanese motorcycle engines etc.

 

[tamaraw]

Honda uses Number 2 JIS screws for its rotors, right?

+3, same as most door latches and some older bumper fasteners.

On my cars, the screws like to back out on their own with normal driving but corrosion could make a difference.

Just get Vessel bits or maybe Koken bits/bit sockets.

 

[Packard V8]

Can't remember the last time I saw a pro wrench use one of those.

Most everyone today has an air or battery powered impact gun. Turn down the power, start by giving the fastener a few taps in the "tighten" direction. Then, switch to "loosen", lean hard into the fastener and it will either walk right out (or twist off ;>)

jack vines

 

[RTM]

I use mine when the power impact fails. I don't pay attention to markings. I push it in until the bit starts to turn to determine which way it's going to turn when whacked.

I use a deadblow hammer to whack mine, don't like the metal on metal noise so close to my head.

 

[uart]

I am glad that I did the experiment following your suggestions. It turns out that everyone is wrong, or maybe my driver is not made right. When I set the triangle pointing 'L', it will try to tighten the screw.

Maybe the triangle alignment is a red herring. You should just need to push the head in firmly while rotating the handle to the left (anticlockwise) to set the correct direction. So did you have to push and rotate left to get it to align with the "L", or did you have to push and rotate right for that?

Just a random thought, but are you certain that when you pushed in the handle that you looked at the rotation of the head (with handle held firm) and that you didn't instead hold the bit firm and look at the direction of the handle? (which would indeed move to the right in the "L" setting)

Remember that these things are only meant for breaking something free, not for spinning off, so they only move a fairly small amount. The best way to use is to apply some reasonably firm pressure in the direction you're going (anti clockwise), to take up any play, and then strike it firmly multiple times.

The handle is deliberately made quite heavy, so that when you strike it the inertia tends to keep the handle fixed while the head turns slightly relative to the handle. The axial impact also help to free up the threads and get the fastener moving.

 

[qqzj]

Yes I am sure when triangle points to L, it will tighten. Makes no sense. I think there are multiple types of hand impact drivers. Some need to be pushed towards rotors and be twisted counterclockwise at the same time. Not this type. No need to twist. Just push down a bit to take up slack, then hit.

The direction is set when push down and rotate the tip.

 

[uart]

The direction is set when push down and rotate the tip.

So you're saying that you have to push down and rotate the handle clockwise (relative to the tip) to get it loosen? That's definitely **** about.

 

[qqzj]

So you're saying that you have to push down and rotate the handle clockwise (relative to the tip) to get it loosen? That's definitely **** about.

Darn it. Sometimes, a YouTube video is better than a thousand words.

To use it, I need to
1 Push it down and rotate the hand (or tip) so the direction is set correctly.
2 Install the screw bit
3 hammer.

It is different from some other hand impact drivers. For those, No need for step 1. Instead modify step 3 where you push it down and twist it at the same time when hammering.

 

[The Cobbler]

when I use my hand impact driver , I insert the bit & driver into the fastener , rotate the driver body the direction I want it to turn, ( loosen or tighten) . hold the tool with slight pressure the way I am wanting the fastener to turn, then hit with a hammer.
is yours different from that?

 

[qqzj]

when I use my hand impact driver , I insert the bit & driver into the fastener , rotate the driver body the direction I want it to turn, ( loosen or tighten) . hold the tool with slight pressure the way I am wanting the fastener to turn, then hit with a hammer.
is yours different from that?

Yes. I think so. Look at my picture. There is a triangle pointing to an L. Do you have that?

PS. The triangle was not captured. But there is an 'L'. Believe me there can be a triangle below that L and pointing to it.

 

[The Cobbler]

Mine is from the 70's. all chrome . made in Taiwan . I don't recall if there's any markings on it, and it's in the shop ... don't feel like going to look . if there are markings I never go by them, I just do as above . I originally used it for when I had a motorcycle, then in the past 30+ years , primarily for removing screws in hinges on commercial hollow metal doors that were rusted in . I didn't use it to tighten the screws usually , just for getting the old bears out .

 

[Ricky Joe]

I have three: 1/2” drive Blue Point, 3/8” drive Porter, and a Taiwanese Duro. To use, feel which way the bit wants to turn, hold it to the fastener, and strike. I use a three pound drilling hammer. It should break free. You don’t have to twist it. The cam inside will do that. Just hold it firmly in place and show who’s boss.

 

[darkzero]

I'm not sure if the current Snap-On operates the same way, the one I used to use at the shop was like 20 years ago.....

Holding it in hand with the tip pointing away from you, you would turn the tip to the right to loosen which is essentially the same as if you put the tip in the screw & turned to the handle to the left to unscrew. So as the others said, turn the handle in the direction you want the screw to turn.

That SO when you turned the tip, it had a detent so it stayed in that direction. When I bought my own, a Lisle USA, it operates the same (direction for turning handle) except it doesn't have a detent. Meaning you can't turn the tip to "set it" into whichever direction you want & stay like that. The tip is spring loaded, so you insert the tip into the screw head, then turn the handle the direction you want to turn but because it's spring loaded you have to hold it in that direction then strike with a hammer.

A year or 2 ago I got a mini one that uses 1/4" bits. This one operates the same as the SO I mentioned, has a detent so if you turn the tip it will stay set into the direction choosen. All the other ones I have ever used didn't have the detent & had to hold the handle in the direction I want to turn.

 

[rlitman]

For those who don't get how these work, or can't remember which way to twist these things, here's how I think about it.
Imagine placing a wood splitting wedge on the ground, edge facing up oriented north/south ( ^ ), and striking it with a downwards hammer blow on either the east or west face. If you contact the east face, the wedge will shift a little westwards as your hammer comes down. If your hammer strikes simultaneously at 1 and 7 o'clock, you get a counter-clockwise torque, and at 11 and 5, clockwise.

You can vary the impact from these with different hammers. I'll sometimes use mine with a 3lb drilling hammer, but that will easily snap P2 bits and screws, so reserve the bigger hammers for the bigger fasteners (P3, P4, etc.).

Oh, and while it doesn't apply for smaller screws, with the big hammer I can often hit the cap hard enough for it to nearly bottom out. At that point there's a risk of it reversing when the spring drives it back up. So when I'm really wailing on these, I'll check the rotation with every blow.

 

[1982fxr]

when I use my hand impact driver , I insert the bit & driver into the fastener , rotate the driver body the direction I want it to turn, ( loosen or tighten) . hold the tool with slight pressure the way I am wanting the fastener to turn, then hit with a hammer.
is yours different from that?

Yeah this ^^^. I'm confused at this point.

 

[1foxracing]

Here is the 5/16 or 8mm Vessel JIS bits you can buy.
https://www.vesseltools.com/industrial-bits/bit-sets/431801
I use them with a Vessell impact driver that works just like everyone else here describes.

 

[KnurledNut]

I really do not mean to sound like a smart ****, but I have to wonder if a person should be disassembling a vehicle if they are struggling to figure out an impact driver.

 

[1982fxr]

Can't remember the last time I saw a pro wrench use one of those.

Most everyone today has an air or battery powered impact gun. Turn down the power, start by giving the fastener a few taps in the "tighten" direction. Then, switch to "loosen", lean hard into the fastener and it will either walk right out (or twist off ;>)

jack vines

I've never seen one used on a car.

Motorcycles and equipment yes all the time.

 

[Packard V8]

I've never seen one used on a car.

Motorcycles and equipment yes all the time.

I guess the cycle and equipment techs I know are just lazy, because they all use one type of gun or the other. Most have gone with battery.

jack vines

 

[qqzj]

Given so much confusion, I tried it out today. I hand tightened a lug nut and when I hammered it with triangle pointing to 'R', it loosens. Heck. This tool is either designed really bad, or it has some manufacturing error. Lefty loosey. Most people would guess pointing to L to loosen.

 

[Pinemarten]

I've never seen one used on a car.

Motorcycles and equipment yes all the time.

I used one a few days ago pulling a stupid billet pulley off Chevy water pump. It was fastened by 4 countersunk bolts with a 3/16" hex. I was afraid a cordless impact would ****** out the 3/16" hex, and I would be checking into the "Drill Out Hotel".

 

[RedneckWelder]

Can't remember the last time I saw a pro wrench use one of those.

Most everyone today has an air or battery powered impact gun. Turn down the power, start by giving the fastener a few taps in the "tighten" direction. Then, switch to "loosen", lean hard into the fastener and it will either walk right out (or twist off ;>)

jack vines

I use mine quite frequently. The oh so brilliant engineers on the construction equipment I work on think torx, Allen, and Phillips head fasteners are great to put in places that get packed with dirt and get wet so they corrode, sieze, and heads get filled in with dirt. And then they like to double down by making it nearly impossible to get at with many tools.

first I try the Hand impact driver to shock them loose then if it fails I tease them out with an air hammer chisel bit If I can get to it.

 

[RTM]

Can't remember the last time I saw a pro wrench use one of those.

Most everyone today has an air or battery powered impact gun. Turn down the power, start by giving the fastener a few taps in the "tighten" direction. Then, switch to "loosen", lean hard into the fastener and it will either walk right out (or twist off ;>)

I’ve watched some of the “pros” impact lug nuts till the stud snaps, (or twists off as you say). For them it’s no big deal, they just walk over to the bins on the wall, grab an appropriate new one, charge the customer, and move on to their next mess.

I’m a DIY guy. If I snap something off, and it’s not in my cache, and the local Ace or Napa doesn’t have it (15 mins each way on a good day, one hour most summer weekends), or it is Sunday and they are closed, I gotta drive 20 miles (hour plus each way) to the local HD or car parts store.

More likely, I will use my hand impact on something like a vintage vise, where twisting off the main swivel nut is a total TARFUN. Much more controlled chaos then hitting it with the gun. Let’s me control how bad I foul things up.

¢¢

 

[Mark in Indiana]

A hand impact is my go-to tool for removing vise jaw faces. Often, they’re rusted in and too easy to damage with a powered impact.

 

[Jgaz]

GM car door latches in the 70’s were secured to the sheet metal with Phillips head CS screws.
When a latch needed replacing I had much better luck doing the initial loosening of these screws with a hand impact.
The head seemed to strip too easily with an air impact.
I was in Michigan so maybe it was a salt related issue.

 

[uart]

Given so much confusion, I tried it out today. I hand tightened a lug nut and when I hammered it with triangle pointing to 'R', it loosens. Heck. This tool is either designed really bad, or it has some manufacturing error. Lefty loosey. Most people would guess pointing to L to loosen.

Thanks for the pic, that makes it clearer. Yours works exactly the same as every other hand impact diver I've ever seen. Push in the handle and turn it left to place it in the loosen position, push it in and turn right to place it in the tightening position, exactly what everyone here has been telling you. Just ignore triangle ok.

 

[AA/FC]

delete

 

[Wakefield]

Mine is conveniently marked with "ON" and "OFF" with little arrows indicating which way to twist--once it has been twisted to detent does not seem to need additional twist when being tapped with the hammer

 

[nadogail]

L most probably means Left, not all fasteners loosen when turned to the Left. There are Left Handed threads, but not a lot of them. Left Handed threads are sometimes found on the retainer screws for drill chucks and some lug bolts.