# Best screwdriver for adjusting 70's Ford Carburetor idle mixture screws? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [June 26, 2016, 3:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-screwdriver-for-adjusting-70s-ford-carburetor-idle-mixture-screws/93658 "2016-06-26T03:26:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 3:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-screwdriver-for-adjusting-70s-ford-carburetor-idle-mixture-screws/93658/21 "2016-06-28T03:53:06Z")
Lots of good ideas, thanks. I wonder why the carb designers didn’t spec a Phillips head or an allen hex head in the first place. I haven’t had much luck adjusting those screws w/my fingers. I can turn them a bit, maybe 30 to 40 degrees, under finger power, but they always come to a catch-point that I can’t move beyond using finger power. ---
**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 3:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-screwdriver-for-adjusting-70s-ford-carburetor-idle-mixture-screws/93658/22 "2016-06-28T03:58:40Z")
You can buy a thing to turn a hex screwdriver bit with your fingertips, from craftsman. Look at [sears.com/craftsman-3-pc-screwdriver-set-finger-bit/p-00941390000P?sid=IDx01192011x000001&gclid=Cj0KEQjwncO7BRC06snzrdSJyKEBEiQAsUaRjI60iNF8zHeGk-md8GUHSrIJ92nLWEmV0dExW7QrXpUaAmEb8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds](http://www.sears.com/craftsman-3-pc-screwdriver-set-finger-bit/p-00941390000P?sid=IDx01192011x000001&gclid=Cj0KEQjwncO7BRC06snzrdSJyKEBEiQAsUaRjI60iNF8zHeGk-md8GUHSrIJ92nLWEmV0dExW7QrXpUaAmEb8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds) ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 4:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-screwdriver-for-adjusting-70s-ford-carburetor-idle-mixture-screws/93658/23 "2016-06-28T04:02:07Z")
I’ve got a set of those gadgets for turning sockets by finger power. Comes in very handy at times. Mine are a little too big tho for this application I think. But I might as well give it a try, they’re just sitting in the tool box waiting for an opportunity to help. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2016, 5:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-screwdriver-for-adjusting-70s-ford-carburetor-idle-mixture-screws/93658/24 "2016-06-28T05:41:33Z")
That vacuum hose idea sounds good and easy, either by itself or slipped over a screwdriver. These carbs are OLD, so no surprise they stuck with slotted adjusters. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 3:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-screwdriver-for-adjusting-70s-ford-carburetor-idle-mixture-screws/93658/25 "2016-06-29T03:42:26Z")
Yeah, that vacuum hose idea seems like simplicity itself. I think I’ll give it a try. The only problem I can think of is that if the connection between the hose and screw slips. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 4:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-screwdriver-for-adjusting-70s-ford-carburetor-idle-mixture-screws/93658/26 "2016-06-29T04:35:13Z")
Try a larger hose slipped over the screwdriver, just to keep the screwdriver from slipping off. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 4:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-screwdriver-for-adjusting-70s-ford-carburetor-idle-mixture-screws/93658/27 "2016-06-29T04:54:11Z")
My concern is that the hose slips at the adjustment screw, but I don’t notice it. That would foul up the adjustment. You know how to do it I presume, you can’t turn both screws at the same time so you have to turn one screw 1/4 turn, then the other screw 1/4 turn, etc … ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 5:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-screwdriver-for-adjusting-70s-ford-carburetor-idle-mixture-screws/93658/28 "2016-06-29T05:02:11Z")
The hose on the screwdriver is way bigger than the screw, it’s just to keep the screwdriver from slipping off the screw as the screwdriver turns it. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 5:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-screwdriver-for-adjusting-70s-ford-carburetor-idle-mixture-screws/93658/29 "2016-06-29T05:13:41Z")
Ok, I see what you mean. I thought the vacuum hose idea was to just use a piece of vacuum hose only, that friction fit over the screw, no screwdriver involved. So you’d just twist the vacuum hose and hopefully it would have enough torsion to turn the screw at the other end. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/best-screwdriver-for-adjusting-70s-ford-carburetor-idle-mixture-screws/93658.md?page=1)