Hello, recently my engine would not crank over. Turns out the problem was due to the engine being flooded from a broken diaphragm on the fuel pressure regulator. During the replacement of this part a screw was dropped and lost. The screw are a T10 torx tamper resistant screw. Ive tried to match other screws up tot his at every hardware store in town. Even searched salvage yards, and tried to order one from the dealership, no avail. Will the cover assembly be alright with one screw missing? What should I do?

 

Wrong thing to be measuring.

Don't worry about what kind of head the screw has. Instead, concern yourself with the diameter and thread pitch.

Have you ever seen a car burn to the ground because of a fuel leak?

If you have, you wouldn't be asking this question.

Yes you need every screw you can get, to keep DISASTER at bay.

Go find a screw that's the right size & pitch and don't worry whether it has that kind of head on it or not.

 

Believe me I have tried replacing the screw with any kind that would match, but the thing is none do. Ive taken it to countless hardware/electronic stores getting it fitted in both standard and metric units. It doesnt match anything. I was told that it maybe something that was custom made in the factory, because it seems to be a size in between two sized (size 3.4 - 3.6 metric)

 

It's a regular M3.5-0.6 screw. Not terribly common, but certainly not custom.

 

Im wondering if I could maybe tap it up to a 4? I have been to every single hardware/automotive/Bolt/Rim/Industrial shop in my town and the neighboring town. No one has this size screw, no one can even order it. Im feeling like my car is totaled due tot his one screw :S

 

That's a possibility... main thing to watch out for would be, th ehole being so close to the edge of the material, that it would split when tightened.

I can't recall what that screw goes into; but another option might be, to get a smaller screw (say, 3mm or #2 or some such) long enough to go all the way through, and put a nut on the back.

Incidentally, this site is your friend. www.mcmaster.com

 

I dont think it would be possible to go with using the smaller screw, because the screw fastens down into a hole. So there is no exposed back end. and the screw is used to tighten down the cover assembly on the fuel pressure regulator

 

If I'm ever in a big pinch for a fastener and can't find it in the junkyard

I always look at http://www.fastenal.com/

We have one of them local, but I'm pretty sure they ship too.

 

Could you drill all the way through whatever the hole is in?

 

I dont think so, even if I could I dont think that would be a good idea, just seems like fuel would still leak through