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General Topics/Tech TipsDiscussion on break in periods, rider comfort, seats and pad suggestions. Tech tips as they become available will be posted here.
This one is large. Larger than a ph4, maybe it's a ph5. Are there any larger? I need to get the airfilter cover off, but none of my many cross head bits and drivers are big enough to sit well inside this screw.
I've seen videos of doing the airfilter, but the sportsters had allen screws in their cover. I've been to four hadware stores today, no one has it. Reading about it on the internet tells me there is a ph5, but I can't find one in any store or online. Please advise.
Well, I could just try a smaller size phillips, or a flat tip driver. But that would destroy the screws. Then I could replace them with some allen screws. I may just do that, but I do want to try finding a proper phillips for it.
I assume that's on your2001 XL53c 883 Sportster. There two screws in it and that's just the outer face cover. It should not be tight. A #3 Philips even if it buries in it will remove it.
A #3 blunt is a heafty Philips.
Hopefully someone didn't use permanent red loctite. Doesn't need any loctite. The spring in the cover preloads it.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; May 15, 2026 at 05:53 PM.
Be sure your #3 or #4 matches the angle. By it being deep in it, there is actually less chance it will ride up out of there and damage the top edges of the surface.
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Large phillips head screw
