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Screws stuck in MBP
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Mugge
Thunderbolt, fuck yeah!
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Denmark
 
2006-05-06, 07:48

Hi guys.

Yesterday I attempted to open the RAM compartment on my MBP, just out of curiousness. But one of the screws was stuck so badly that I couldn't get it out no matter what I tried. First I broke my Phillips #0 screwdriver on it, then I managed to twist the blade on my Swiss army knife on it and finally I also failed with another screwdriver. The first two screws where tight but still easy to unscrew. So I'm a little puzzled over why this one is so badly stuck. The screw is still in ok shape despite the many tools that have been grinding on it, but I'm reluctant to up the violence since I think I have already applied more than a reasonable amount of brute force.

Has anyone else experienced this problem and if so, did you find a solution?
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k squared
Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Verde Amarela
 
2006-05-06, 09:47

Can you take it to a Apple specialist? I *almost* stripped a screw on my Titanium PB and they were able to loosen it.

I personally wouldn't try again until a specialist can take a look at it.
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alcimedes
I shot the sherrif.
 
Join Date: May 2004
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2006-05-06, 10:21

Yeah, unless you post a picture, it's tough to tell if you should continue or not.

Otherwise what works is to take the correct sized screwdriver, lock some vicegrips on the hanlde, and put a lot of downward force as you give it a quarter turn. See if that helps.

Google is your frenemy.
Caveat Emptor - Latin for tough titty
I tend to interpret things in the way that's most hilarious to me
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PKIDelirium
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
 
2006-05-06, 11:31

I had problems on my iBook RAM shield on the last screw. It's best to gradually unscrew the whole thing, loosen each one a little bit, then go around each screw loosening each a little bit at a time until they come out. It prevents the last one from getting stuck by loosening the load on all of them at once.
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Mugge
Thunderbolt, fuck yeah!
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Denmark
 
2006-05-06, 12:10

Thanks guys.

The screw is still in pretty good condition. But the screwdriver isn't worth much anymore, guess I got it a little too cheap.

Would an Apple Centre really fix such a problem? It's not like I'm going to buy any RAM from them. Well, they might still be the most prudent option.

Actually I was contemplating to have a look at how much thermal paste, Apple had used in mine. It seems to be sort of borderline hot, so I'm quite curious about this. But now seeing how difficult some of these screws are, I think I'm going to ditch that idea.

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SpecMode
Wait what
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: El Dorado County, California
 
2006-05-06, 14:31

Hrm...reminds me of when I opened up my old PowerBook to upgrade the internal HDD. It should have taken no more than maybe 45 minutes to open the thing up, pull the existing drive, install the new one, and put the whole thing back together.

It took me around three hours just to get all of the screws out (and ended up partially stripping one of the buggers in the process). After that little debacle, I decided that it would probably be in my best interest not to do any more self-upgrades of anything more invasive than RAM on Apple notebooks.
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evan
Formerly CoachKrzyzewski
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Charlottesville, VA
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2006-05-06, 18:30

AAAAHHHHHH... so, I got a new hard drive and I want to install it when, lo and behold, I can't get all the damn screws off! I'm down to the last two - the f-ing hex screws. I didn't have anything to take these off so I ran up to the closest hardwhere store and got the sizes I might need and then ran back home(ran figurative... I actually drove). None of the bits fit!!!!!!! The instructions recommend T6 Torx driver, but that's too small, and T7 is too big! I went back to the hardware store and they said that these bits were the only ones they had!

what can I do?!?!?! I've thought about chiseling away at the screw so that a flathead will fit in it but I don't think that its a good idea...
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alcimedes
I shot the sherrif.
 
Join Date: May 2004
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2006-05-06, 23:19

T6 should work. If it's too small, something is wrong. I don't think they make 6 1/2.
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Mugge
Thunderbolt, fuck yeah!
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Denmark
 
2006-05-07, 05:23

So I'm not the only one getting screwed here?

I just had the thought that these screw problems are due to the fact that the PB and MBP are made of aluminium. I have never had this problem with plastic and screws. In fact I once managed to use an old Stanley knife as a screwdriver.

Metal must hold tensions better than plastic.
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Windowsrookie
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Join Date: Oct 2005
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2006-05-07, 11:02

well, on plastic stuff if it's too tight it can strip. So on metel they can tighten it more withought worrying.
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zsummers
Avast!
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: New York?
 
2007-03-13, 00:51

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mugge View Post
Hi guys.

Yesterday I attempted to open the RAM compartment on my MBP, just out of curiousness. But one of the screws was stuck so badly that I couldn't get it out no matter what I tried. First I broke my Phillips #0 screwdriver on it, then I managed to twist the blade on my Swiss army knife on it and finally I also failed with another screwdriver. The first two screws where tight but still easy to unscrew. So I'm a little puzzled over why this one is so badly stuck. The screw is still in ok shape despite the many tools that have been grinding on it, but I'm reluctant to up the violence since I think I have already applied more than a reasonable amount of brute force.

Has anyone else experienced this problem and if so, did you find a solution?
The exact same thing just happened to me on my MBP. With a lot of careful grinding and even more careful force, I got the screwhead off. It really appears to me that the screws there are very soft metal. Even while putting the two left back in, one began to strip. So just in case this is an endemic to MBP's, let this be a warning to RAM upgraders.
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Windswept
On Pacific time
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Moderator's Pub
 
2007-03-13, 12:36

Quote:
Originally Posted by PKIDelirium View Post
I had problems on my iBook RAM shield on the last screw. It's best to gradually unscrew the whole thing, loosen each one a little bit, then go around each screw loosening each a little bit at a time until they come out. It prevents the last one from getting stuck by loosening the load on all of them at once.
Your plan seems like a great idea.
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Ryan
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Promise Land of Trustafarians
 
2007-03-13, 23:02

I had a problem getting one of the screws out of my PowerBook when I upgraded the hard drive. The screw kept the upper portion of the case attached, so I didn't have any other options. In the end I got a drill and *very* slowly drilled through the screw until the head popped off, freeing the case to be removed.

I don't recommend it, though.
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Mugge
Thunderbolt, fuck yeah!
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Denmark
 
2007-10-10, 11:33

*bump*

Well, I just thought I'd tell you guys how I finally got the blasted screw out. I f**king drilled it out with a power-tool! No visible damage to the MBP when the battery is in place, though.

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The Mind
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
 
2007-10-11, 06:16

just picked up this thread guys but something that can work if anyone else has the same problem. Go to a plumbers store and buy a plumbing freeze spay. if the screw is away from cracks etc cover cracks with bluetack then give the screw a blast. Wait a few seconds and try then. the freeze spray shrinks the screw a tad and helps loosen it while the bluetac stops and spare freezing liquid from getting inside. This is something I have used on an audio amp where I didn't want to oil the screw in the past.
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Mugge
Thunderbolt, fuck yeah!
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Denmark
 
2007-10-11, 07:37

I'll try and remember that to next time.

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