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Author Topic: Help with Drive-in Speaker Problem Peter Berrett Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 602 From: Victoria, Australia Registered: Nov 2000 posted 06-29-2006 07:36 AM                        Hi all Here's my project - can you help? I am in the process of outfitting an old drive-in speaker with an FM radio (Think about it - you can take it to a drive-in that doesn't use speakers any longer and enjoy the drive-in the old fashioned way, also no danger of ripping the window out). Anyway my problem is this. I want to open up the speaker but it is outfitted with screws with circular heads as pictured. As you can see the screw heads are virtually round but they have a serated edge like a cog. The difficulty is that some of the screws are sunken in holes making it difficult to undo unless you have the correct tool. How can I get the screws out? I do not have any tools for screws this shape. Regards Peter  |  IP: Logged Paul Trimboli Master Film Handler Posts: 274 From: Perth Western Australia Registered: Dec 2002 posted 06-29-2006 08:45 AM                     Hi Peter Now I don't have any experience with drive-in speakers, but if that is actually a screw I would use a slot cutting file and file a slot in the head of each screw and then just use a normal flat head screwdriver to undo it. I would let some CRC soak on them before I tried to undo them as it looks a bit rusty.  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 06-29-2006 04:16 PM                  You might try gripping it with a screw-thread hand tap holder or perhaps a Jacob's chuck for a twist drill. A pair of pliers may even work since it looks like you have side access to the screw heads. Good luck...  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 06-30-2006 02:23 AM                     ..and a large set of Vise-Grip pliers might help twist those serratated edged screws off.. but, prior before the twist, soak those screws with stuff like WD-40 to soak into the threads since the casting is aluminum and the screws of steel - which the two metals really don't like each other...  |  IP: Logged Phil Blake Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 558 From: esperance western australia Registered: Nov 2003 posted 06-30-2006 02:54 AM                        Hi Peter, I would just drill the screws out and retap new threads, that was the ultimate solution when I was repairing drive in speakers in the past.  |  IP: Logged Peter Berrett Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 602 From: Victoria, Australia Registered: Nov 2000 posted 06-30-2006 03:53 AM                        Thanks Success! I have managed to get all the screws out using pliers, WD-40 and by banging on the heads of the screws with a hammer (old trick). Regards Peter ps You might be curious to know what FM radio I am going to use. I have decided to use an FM radio salvaged out of a $A20 cushion radio. It has push button volume and tuning which is ideal for this type of installation. [ 06-30-2006, 04:56 AM: Message edited by: Peter Berrett ]  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 06-30-2006 08:46 AM                       FWIW, I think those are the infamous Gulmite screws...  |  IP: Logged Bruce McGee Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1776 From: Asheville, NC USA... Nowhere in Particular. Registered: Aug 1999 posted 06-30-2006 12:55 PM                     I used to have a little security screwdriver for those screws... its long gone... I have 5 old D-I speakers. 2 of them are used as rear surrounds in my home theatre system. They work fine.  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 06-30-2006 07:39 PM                  Thanks Tim. That's the name I was trying to think off... I think the "official" Gulmite screw-head tool is available from Jensen and others. But VERY overpriced.  |  IP: Logged Peter Berrett Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 602 From: Victoria, Australia Registered: Nov 2000 posted 07-03-2006 11:32 PM                        Hi all again Here is my finished Drive-in Speaker Radio There is a red light to show when the radio is on and six buttons - On, Off, Vol+, Vol-, Channel Up, Reset. It sounds quite good. The radio was salvaged from a $20 radio cushion which was ideal for this project. No chance of driving away from the drive-in only to hear one's side window smashing into a thousand pieces! Regards Peter  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-05-2006 01:36 AM                       Very good, Peter! Nice work. If anyone was going to do this, it certainly was you.  |  IP: Logged Barry Floyd Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1079 From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 07-05-2006 05:07 PM                        Peter, that looks great. I did something similar a few years ago with 2 sets of old "Projected Sound" drive-in speakers. Two of them I gutted and installed a 120 volt candelabra lamp base and a 4 watt nite lite bulb. I replaced the volume knob with a rotary on-off switch, and made two night lites for my boys bedrooms. They hang the "Speaker-Lights" over the edge of their headboards.. and they make a decent "reading light" too. I took a rotary wire cup-brush in my cordless drill and polished the 40 years worth of crud off the cases. They shine like chrome now.  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-05-2006 05:56 PM                     Picture please, Barry. quote: Tim Reed Very good, Peter! Nice work. If anyone was going to do this, it certainly was you. Agreed. Peter's holding the torch here...that's for sure.  |  IP: Logged

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