Pm2 pocket clip screws - is there a trick?

[JuPaul]

So I decided last night to switch the pocket clip to right side tip up carry on my new k390 pm2 (I carry my only other pm2 tip down in my back pocket usually, so never changed the clip). Anyhow, all the screws broke free easily, but they will not catch the threading in the other side's holes! No matter what I did they would just spin freely. I finally got one of them to catch and tighten, but I loosened it to adjust the seating of the other two screws, and then it wouldn't catch again. I finally gave up and decided I'd put the clip back on tip down today at lunch. And now only one of them will catch the threads there! Wth is going on??? Is there a trick? Is this a common problem?

[attila]

I had a PM2 for which a few scale and liner holes weren't quite concentric, causing what sounds like the same issue. I couldn't get it threaded for a while, and when I finally did, the screws became damaged by the glass fiber of the G10 as the screw forced through it.

Check for concentricity of the holes, and don't force it.

[anycal]

Put the screws in first, without the clip.

[FK]

I had the identical problem with one PM2 in my collection.
Agree with inserting the screws first without clip,, they will have a longer engagement and form up the interface between steel liners and G10 scales.

Regards,
FK

[aaronkb]

I’ve had a similar problem with two different PM2s recently.

[JuPaul]

I just tried to put in the screws without the pocket clip, and still only one will engage. So I partially disassembled the knife to get a better look at the liners, and that's definitely the issue: the screws just won't go into the liner holes, they're not aligned exactly. Guess this means a trip to the spydie ER??

[Bloke]

JP, if you’ve already disassembled the knife it won’t hurt to engage the screws from the liner (inside) all the way and and try again from the scale side, see if that may help. For what it’s worth it fixed my Lum which had the same issue. :)

[JuPaul]

JP, if you’ve already disassembled the knife it won’t hurt to engage the screws from the liner (inside) all the way and and try again from the scale side, see if that may help. For what it’s worth it fixed my Lum which had the same issue. :)

Just to clarify...you mean screw in the screws backwards, going from the inside through the liner first then into the g10? I think I'd have to remove the lanyard tube to do that (which I didn't do before, I just twisted the scale/liner around). Without taking the tube out, only two clip screw holes were accessible with enough clearance to get a screw in from the inside. Still, might be worth a shot before sending it off - any chance that'd damage anything? I don't want to void any warranty coverage this would have.

[Bloke]

JP, if you’ve already disassembled the knife it won’t hurt to engage the screws from the liner (inside) all the way and and try again from the scale side, see if that may help. For what it’s worth it fixed my Lum which had the same issue. :)

Just to clarify...you mean screw in the screws backwards, going from the inside through the liner first then into the g10? I think I'd have to remove the lanyard tube to do that (which I didn't do before, I just twisted the scale/liner around). Without taking the tube out, only two clip screw holes were accessible with enough clearance to get a screw in from the inside. Still, might be worth a shot before sending it off - any chance that'd damage anything? I don't want to void any warranty coverage this would have.

Yes, as you say! You can’t hurt anything unless you cross thread them of coarse. :eek:

Sometimes it could just be a little bit of dry thread locker on the screws that is stopping them from starting. Hopefully it works out for you as did for my Lum. :)

[JuPaul]

JP, if you’ve already disassembled the knife it won’t hurt to engage the screws from the liner (inside) all the way and and try again from the scale side, see if that may help. For what it’s worth it fixed my Lum which had the same issue. :)

Just to clarify...you mean screw in the screws backwards, going from the inside through the liner first then into the g10? I think I'd have to remove the lanyard tube to do that (which I didn't do before, I just twisted the scale/liner around). Without taking the tube out, only two clip screw holes were accessible with enough clearance to get a screw in from the inside. Still, might be worth a shot before sending it off - any chance that'd damage anything? I don't want to void any warranty coverage this would have.

Yes, as you say! You can’t hurt anything unless you cross thread them of coarse. :eek:

Sometimes it could just be a little bit of dry thread locker on the screws that is stopping them from starting. Hopefully it works out for you as did for my Lum. :)

Thanks! I'll give it a shot tomorrow.

And thanks to everyone else for your help, too!

[Cambertree]

Also, not sure if you already do it, but whenever threading any screw, turn the screws in reverse first until you hear and feel that click sound, then screw them in normally.

Prevents cross threading every time (as long as the threads aren’t damaged).

[JuPaul]

Also, not sure if you already do it, but whenever threading any screw, turn the screws in reverse first until you hear and feel that click sound, then screw them in normally.

Prevents cross threading every time (as long as the threads aren’t damaged).

Good advice - thanks! After getting out my magnifying glass (my eyesight sucks) it's pretty clear that the bottom 1/4 of the threads on two of the screws are flattened. Imo, pretty crazy that this could happen after removing them once and rescrewing them once. I'm gentle, never force anything, and pretty careful not to crossthread, although I haven't used that trick before. Anyhow, spyderco is sending me new screws, so I'll be sure to use that trick with the new ones.

[jpm2]

JP, if you’ve already disassembled the knife it won’t hurt to engage the screws from the liner (inside) all the way and and try again from the scale side, see if that may help. For what it’s worth it fixed my Lum which had the same issue. :)

Also, not sure if you already do it, but whenever threading any screw, turn the screws in reverse first until you hear and feel that click sound, then screw them in normally.

Prevents cross threading every time (as long as the threads aren’t damaged).

Valuable tips when dealing with anything threaded.

[koenigsegg]

This happened with my Rex45. Took out the screw and it had no threads on it! Stripped bare from the factory

[W7H2O]

Cheap screws?

[SG89]

This thread is a good example of how great the forumites are