About to do the brakes and rotors on the S2000 for the first time. After doing some searching it looks like the screws that hold on the rotor are the biggest headache. Anyone have any handy tools or methods to get them out that I can buy and/or prepare for? Looks like someone mentioned the in another thread, but the shipping time prevents this as I need it done sooner before we head off on a road trip. Any other alternatives to this?

Thanks

 

You can go to Harbor Freight or other hardware type place and get an impact driver. Make sure you get the correct direction and smite it like Thor wielding his hammer. A little penetrating oil would not hurt either.

Just as an aside, I did order one of those Vessel impact screwdrivers and was so impressed with the quality and fit (it is made for Japanese production fasteners) that I ordered 3 sizes of them. In addition, I ordered some other vessel sets of screwdrivers-a set of micro screwdrivers.
Vessel is top notch in my book.

 

Thanks! Would something like this work?

Also there are some other Vessel screwdrivers with faster shipping, but not sure if the wrong size would prevent any benefits:

 

I broke the HF one on the last screw. The right fitting jis tool is key. The HF just wants to pop out as it turns.

Either wait til the correct tool arrives, or be prepared for a fight using hammers and fluids and heat and lots and lots of cursing...

 

I am also a big fan of VESSEL screwdrivers, also HOZAN nakes decent JIS screwdrivers. Makes working on Japanese vehicles so much easier. I recently worked on the carburators of my Kawasaki, first time in my life that i dont damaged screws.

For the rotor brake screws, i also use a impact screw driver, carefull. Heat and penetrating oil helps loosing them. I replace the rotor screws with stainless steel ones, you can choose hex or torx heads, makes live easier next time. And just tight them lightly. Their only job is to hold the rotor in place when the wheels are off the car.

 

Impact screw driver always worked for me, if problems arise you can easily drill them out with a drill and proper sized bit, then use vice grips on the stumps once the rotors come off.

 

I have the craftsman driver and have been perfectly successful on the S and my old Integra using it. On the S, I did have to use some penetrating lubricant on one of them but never had an issue with slippage/stripping. The bits provided fit into the S rotor screw very snugly.

 

That impact driver has worked great for me for over 50 years, though mine is a 1/2" impact driver and made out of heavy steel, not stamped steel. Tools were just better made back then.

Rod

 

It shouldn't surprise anyone that these bolts are not equally difficult to remove on every car. Some will be more rusted in place more than others. Just because you didn't have difficulty removing them from one particular car with one particular tool doesn't mean it will be that easy for everyone else, even if they use that same tool.

Its indisputable that these are jis fasteners, and that a regular Philips will never be an ideal fit. Will it work? Most of the time it can be made to work. Would it have been easier using the correct tool made for that type of fastener? Most of the time, yes, easier.

Will it be impossible a significant number of times to use a Philips tool on a frozen jis rotor fastener, such that it strips, and drilling it out then becomes necessary? Yes, I believe thst will occur a significant amount of times. And further in most of those cases I assert that a correct jis tool would have removed such fasteners without excessive drama.

I really appreciate drama free tools...

 

Impact driver to remove it; if it still won't come out, it gets drilled out and never replaced.