Budget JIS Screwdriver Tips

Do not even try to use Phillips screwdrivers on the Kawasaki cross head screws. Despite their appearance they are not Phillips screws. They are Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) screws. The tips of Phillips screwdrivers are too long & pointed to allow the 4 blades of the screwdriver to properly engage the screws, so when you apply force the screw head slots will deform and look like crap. Here’s the good news – you can easily modify standard Phillips screwdriver tips to fit the JIS screws.

I have ground down the tips of DeWalt #2 and DeWalt #3 Phillips to make them fit JIS screws. The large crosshead screws on the cases take modified #3 bits (or genuine #3 JIS bits). To modify the DeWalt bits you need to grind the very tip a little, then test fit, then grind a little more and test fit, etc. until the bit no longer “rocks” back and forth in the screwhead. The first picture below shows how a DeWalt #3 bit fits the case screws of my KZ650 after being ground properly. The #2 DeWalt bits can be modified the same way to fit smaller JIS screws. The second and third pictures below shows DeWalt # 2 and # 3 modified bits.

I did find a place that sells authentic JIS bits. They don’t list the #3 bit, but if you contact them they can provide the #3 JIS bits even though they are not listed on the website. These folks were very easy to work with, and the authentic bits do work great. Here’s their site:

www.rjrcooltools.com/shop_item_detail.cfm?subcat_ID=89

Pictures 4 & 5 below show a comparison between my home made modified bits with the authentic JIS bits.

PICTURE 1


PICTURE 2


PICTURE 3


PICTURE 4


PICTURE 5

thanks 650ed i will have to dig out my old motorcycle impact tool and and look at the bits

this old girl always worked great maybe real deal from my motorcross days

and 650ed you have a real nice clean bike there as i would say a one off.

thanks for the info.

Ames supply and ikaswebshop.com also sells the screw drivers

Kewl tip, Ed

Great thanks !!

Nice post and pics....well done Ed....

Thanks Ed...just bought a few more JIS tools from rjrcooltools.

Sears has a cheapy metric driver & socket bit set. The screwdriver bits are very similar to the JIS type.

I made one of those tips for my Milwaukee impact screw driver and had no problems taking out screws that hadn't been removed in 35 years on the 650

Thank you Ed

Mcdroid wrote: Thanks Ed...just bought a few more JIS tools from rjrcooltools.

Just received two JIS (#2 and #3) 150mm length screwdrivers from RJR tools and they are very high quality (Vessel brand). A nice investment.

My impact screw driver bit is almost identical to the JIS bit. Actually, it is identical. However, I bought it at a yard sale and have no idea what brand it is- funny thing about it is- it was before we started importing Chinese stuff, and I got it cheap because it was "a cheap Japanese knock off" :woohoo: