Greetings,
I'm interested in disassembling my iBook, and have run into a problem. The three hex screws holding the bottom shell of the book doesn't fit any of my hex sizes, either metric or otherwise. I talked to a few Apple employee's and even though my iBook is not under warranty, they wouldn't tell me if the sizes were proprietary. But they can't be. I've taken apart mac's before, and took the top shell off my iBook to paint, and online have seen many hacks done, so what's wrong?
Is there something I'm missing here?
thanks for any feedback,
m
There was a post a few weeks ago about service manuals. Check out this thread:
http://www.applefritter.com/node/view/2376
That may have something helpful in it.
--DDTM
Do you mean Hex, or do you mean Torx?
My guess is that they're Torx, and if so, perhaps they're one of the odd-numbered ones (T-5 or T-7), which are less commonly used than even-numbered ones (T-10 and T-8 were the standard in older Powerbooks for years).
Or maybe I'm entirely wrong about all of it.
Matt
Those are probably T8 Torx screws
Allen key, hex, torx. The same thing?
Bite your tongue!
Allen keys are basically hex screw wrenches, so you're partly right, but Torx is more of a six-pointed star shape. Sorta hex looking if you don't look too closely.
Hey thanks guys,
That was quick. This will give me something to do on my night shift tonight.
I can't believe the attitude of both the Apple "genius" I spoke to yesterday or the RadioShack employee I questioned. Totally ignorant or unhelpful. At least the RadioShack technician should have known about different tools used for electronics, no?
max
is what those screws require. I've used a Torx 8 but it was a little loose. I think a proper hex driver is best. T9 might work too, but I don't have one on hand.
When I don't have the proper size tool, I usually make what I need. It's not hard to take a slightly larger hex driver and file it down just enough to fit. Heck, I've made similar tools from a nail or some such when I have to.
Do get the service manual, there are a bazillion different screws in there and it's damn near impossible to keep track of what goes where. The manual includes a screw chart, an indispensible aid to reassembly. You do want to reassemble it, right?
Dan K
It used to be I could rely on RS to have the parts I need, it was much easier then deling with parts houses like Newark, or directly with mfrs. I went in one recently to check their parts catalog for a vacuum tube rectifier for another project and the 'kid' behind the counter had no clue what I was talking about and the catalog had nothing along the lines of tubes. I guess finished goods are where the money is, so much for sticking to your roots and the very folks who made RS what is today...
At least they still have a meager selection of LEDs if you are only looking to light up your mouse.
--DDTM
[quote]I can’t believe the attitude of both the Apple “genius
they're 2.5mm hex! The torx sort of fits, but use the proper tool if possible.
RTFM
BTW, as much as I'm not a Sears fan, they do have a pretty good selection of small drivers.
Dan K
Hey Dan,
It looks like I'll be filing down a hex driver. Went to home depot today and their Torx sizes start at 10... I'm at work and their's only so many coffee breaks I can string together at once, '-)
Downloaded a manual, too. What a treat. All I actually want to at the moment is bathe the outside plastic shell in rubbing alcohol, do a complete clean of the book, it's looking used. (should get some pictures up of the paint mod I did on top shell. Same color as my car,
max
I'll second the Sears point. I got Torx drivers in T9-8-7-6 from there. I also got T5 and T5.5 sizes in a multisize security Torx set from a hardware store. That set goes from T5 to T50, and the security sizes go from T10 to T40. It's an indespensible kit for disassembling most electronics with bunches of Torx screws.
From what it states in the Apple manual, they ARE torx screws. I tried hex drivers and none quite fit, as I said both the metric and imperial. Last night, after attempting to file down a hex driver with my leatherman, I gave up and sleuthed out a TORX set. Size 8 worked perfectly. What didn't work, part way into the disassembly, was my cheap set of phillips from Radioshack. My 1.6mm simply fell apart at the head. I can't believe it. But thanfully the screw wasn't stripped.
RadioShack (TM) You've got questions. We've got blank stares. (R)
The iBook is on the operating table... and I've gotten stuck with a screw located behind the optical drive glider. manual states to "pull the optical drive all the way out, then push glider back to access the screw." Problem is, I can't see the way to remove the tray from glider... Will have to go inspect my cabinets to see if in principle they are designed the same, but if any of you know how to do this I'd love to hear about it. Thanks in advance,
max
I just opened and pulled the drive tray out enough to get at the screw. The gliders to which the manual refers is just the things along the sides of the tray that support the tray. You don't remove anything, just slide the glider/slider/thingy back into the drive.
The service manual does describe how to remove the faceplate, look in the optical drive replacement section for directions specific to your drive. That also would let you at the screws yer trying to remove.
I just got my dual usb 500 back together after swapping in a DVD drive to replace the original CD reader. Damn these things are fiddly, all those bloody screws!
I felt pretty good as I only had 2 screws left over.
Dan K
Hey Dan,
Yeah, it looks like I'm going to have to take the front plate off. I can't get my mind to *get* (or is that grok?) how you or anybody can access the screw. It's right under the glider. And as you know, the manual doesn't illustrate the procedure anywhere. Looking at the the optical drive replacement section only scared me.
Anyway, having the iBook in pieces was an opportunity to use the old 1400. I felt guilty using it to look on ebay for how much it could sell for.