how do i open this

Yep ... tapping the philips head screwdriver with a hammer might work. You would just have to be careful not to strip the head of the screw. My old Suzuki Samurai was assembled with #3 phillips head screws and they could be a real bugger to get loose even with the impact tool.

I thought of a couple more options.

MSM could heat the phillips head with an oxy acetylene torch and then feed in some paraffin ( candle wax). That's about the best thread lube that i know of. Just heating the screw head up to cherry red should be enough to break the bind.



It may be that the specialty tools aren't available but most everyone has a 3/8" drill. He could just run a small drill into the centre of the phillips cross to make a pilot hole and then drill the head of the screw off with a larger bit.

If that one screw is the only thing holding it together ... it should just come apart when you remove the screw.