E-Star Same as Torx?

[Chips O'Toole]

This week I got tired of the leak from my garbage disposal, so I decided to fix it. It may have been possible to dismantle the disposal and replace a gasket between the motor and body, but the connection to the sink was so corroded, I had to cut the disposal in two with a sawzall, so I replaced it with a better model. As the manufacturer, Insinkerator/Emerson surely hoped.

Had I been able to remove the old disposal in one piece, I would have had to use something resembling a Torx wrench to remove the bolts holding it together. The miserable fiends at Insinkerator made it with tamper-proof bolts, presumably in order to prevent consumers by tampering with it (i.e. repairing it and not buying a new one). I have seen all sorts of female Torx fasteners, but these were male. That was a new one. I thought I had every tamper-proof bit in existence, but Emerson/Insinkerator managed to come up with something new.

I want a set of sockets for this type of fastener. Tekton makes a set of male Torx sockets accompanied by female "E-Star" sockets. Is "E-Star" a way of saying "Torx" without paying the Torx people? If they fit Torx fasteners, there must be some reason why they don't call them "Torx sockets." I don't want to buy this stuff and then find out it only works on some exotic fastener I've never seen.

 

[Chips O'Toole]

Well, I found the answer. Torx expects money for anything with "Torx" stamped on it, so manufacturers design around their patents and trademarks. "E-star" just means "Torx."

Emerson deserves a 16-EEE foot in a certain location for using these fasteners and for supplying mounting hardware that rusts.

 

[Tozguy]

I'm only a 9-D but count me in.

 

[RandyWilson]

I disagree. Nothing has better torque capacity vs fastener head size than torx. Except maybe Torx-plus. T-xx, T-xxP, and inverse torx, E-xx. Virtually all the major fasteners in my cars are Torx of some variation. Iffen you don't like them, don't buy anything European designed after the mid-80s, or anything Merican or Asian post mid 2000s.

Although I do have some words for the clown that chose tamper-proof torx-plus for the variable cam system in the BMW B-12 motor.....

 

[Chips O'Toole]

How much torque capacity do you need to fasten a motor to a garbage disposal? Far less than the maximum torque you can apply to a hex fastener. Why would you need a male fastener?

They could have use hex bolts, just like Baldor and all the other companies that make motors. They chose to use the rarest kind of Torx fastener in order to discourage people from repairing their own property. If the issue was that they needed fasteners that worked well with automated assembly, they could have used female Torx fasteners like everyone else.

If they made the mounting hardware from stainless, you could uninstall a garbage disposal for repair, even if it had leaked on the hardware. They used plated junk to save money and to assure that a big percentage of disposals would be impossible to uninstall for repair without destroying them.

I have a European motorcycle made in 2000. It has hex fasteners. My post-2000 American vehicles have hex fasteners, too.

 

[RandyWilson]

I said designed, not made. There are parts in a Chevy pickups made this decade that were designed in the 1960s and use imperial fasteners But I can assure you the fastener choice was made for reasons other than to screw over those that won't buy a $10 E-socket set from Harbor Freight.

 

[Canus]

Just finished repairing a garbage disposal for my son. This unit had similar bolts. Removed them with a standard six point socket.

 

[Chips O'Toole]

But I can assure you the fastener choice was made for reasons other than to screw over those that won't buy a $10 E-socket set from Harbor Freight.

You think manufacturers don't deliberately make things hard to repair? Can you explain why they chose a fastener other manufacturers don't use?

I said designed, not made.

You're saying my American vehicles weren't designed in America and that my European motorcycle wasn't designed in Europe?

Just finished repairing a garbage disposal for my son. This unit had similar bolts. Removed them with a standard six point socket.

I never reached the point where I could try that because the mounting hardware had rusted solid.

 

[Tozguy]

Torx style fasteners are OK with me. It just means that I need more tools. I have not had one strip yet. It is no fun when a hex socket screw strips.

The tamper proof aspect is tamper poof. Tool bits for the full range of tamper proof designs are available at any hardware store. Someone who is inclined to repair stuff will not be stumped by tamper poof fasteners.

My beef is with plumbing supplies that are not designed to last. When we pay top dollar for plumbing material and fixtures, we should get something that will survive in a wet environment.

 

[CluelessNewB]

I'm fine with Torx, what I don't understand is why anyone still uses straight slot screws!