How Do You Remove The Outside Assist Handle? Screws WON'T BUDGE!

[JOLOOOTE]

Hi all.

I am the proud owner of a new 2020 Jayco Greyhawk Prestige 29MV.

My loving son bought me a custom made lighted engraved assist handle to install outside by the door in place of the factory black plastic one.

One problem, I can't get the original handle's 4 star head screws out!

Does anyone have an idea of how to get these loose? They are impossibly tight!

Are these wood screws? Or, are they machine screws that are bolted into a reinforced plate? Are they sealed with loc-tite? They don't budge. AT ALL.

So...how do you get the 4 outside assist handle star head screws out without destroying and stripping out the heads?

Please help.

Thanks all!

[bob393]

I can only offer some generic advice.

Make absolutely sure the driver is square and fully inserted in the torx screw.

I can bet they have had loctite applied to them.

There is a paste available from many hardware stores that has carborundum
in it and it increases the coefficient of friction between the screw and the bit that works really well to.

If needed put a pair of vice grips on the driver and push straight in on the driver as hard as you can before you turn.

I have had great success with an impact driver also, even a hammer drill is better than nothing.

[JFlightRisk]

An auto parts store should have 'valve lapping compound' that will give the tool bit extra bite. The last one I bought was a double sided tin, (about 30 years ago), with fine grit on one side, and course on the other. Back then it was Clover brand. It's good stuff to have around for any screw heads that are iffy, and those little tins will last you the rest of your life.

This is probably similar to what bob393 is describing, above.

[madmaxmutt]

I had to remove the one from my Forest River to replace the foam handle cover. I simply put the bit in my cordless impact driver (made sure it was on reverse . . . ), and leaned into it a little. They came out fine and went back in perfectly tight when I was done.

[Tumbleweed44]

I made a "Shaker Impact tool".

Insert the tool into an air hammer. Insert the proper screwdriver bit. While hammering on the tool, manually rotate the side handle in the direction needed.
Note: I have since put a rubber hose on the handle. Much better.