T61p with loose hinges and bad mouse key

[Specter]

Hello all!

I just bought a T61p (6457-5KG) from an auction site. It has a magnificent 15.4" 1920x1200 screen and it is great in almost every respect. It does however have severely bad hinges, with a one-inch play or so in open position. As I understand it, the only fix is to buy new hinges. But before I try this I would like to check it here on the forum.

Furthermore, the left mouse button of the trackpad is loose. I have had the thing apart and found that a tiny hook on the underside of the button seems to be missing. Therefore the metal spring that is supposed to keep the button level cannot perform its task. I guess it is the same story here, that the way forward is to get a new button or a complete new trackpad.

I see that both the hinges and the trackpad are not expensive parts on eBay. Can anyone recommend good dealers for these parts?

Thanks!

[Paul Pavlik]

Regarding the Left Key:

I had the same problem and Lenovo sent me a new palmrest assembly. Unfortunately, the problem will re-occur with the new touch key. I ended up dis-assembling the keypad and making a very small hole on the top of the right end of the key and wraping a staple around the metal clip under the key. This will fix the problem forever but is a little unsightly:

[TuuS]

I'd be glad to send you a touchpad with good working buttons for a few dollars, you don't need to replace the entire palmrest, but if you want the whole assembly, I have them too.

The hinges always wear out, it's pretty normal, so just order some new ones from china, it will take 2-3 weeks to arrive but they only cost about $20.

[Specter]

That's a brilliant solution! I was thinking glue or something, but that that would never work. I think I will have a go at your solution. Thanks!

[Specter]

TuuS, thanks, I will consider that! I had my touchpad out when finding out what the problem was, so I would be fine with just the touchpad. It seems to me the plastic hook are a bad solution, but maybe it is the only way.

I have had many ThinkPads and have not had any problems with their hinges before, so I was surprised by the very loose ones on the T61p. But the lid on the T61p is a lot heavier it seems, so maybe that is a factor also.

I think someone here on the forum was sceptical about changing the hinges yourself. That it was very easy to get it wrong when disassembling the lid. You know, plastic things breaking and so. Do you consider it a straight-forward thing to change the hinges?

[TuuS]

I've looked at the construction of the hinges, and it appears the way the pin is pressed into the lower block of the hinge is a poor design and comes loose, creating play. Changing the hinges is a pain, but it can be done without doing any damage if you're careful. You'll need to remove the back cover, then front bezel from the lid. I prefer to remove them before removing the lid because it's well supported when attached to the laptop, but you can do it in any order. Once the plastics are removed it's just a matter of removing the lid from the lower chassis, then replacing each of the hinges. It's not my favorite thing to do, but it can be done safely, just be careful and don't be in a hurry, it's easy to crack an lcd when removing the lid plastics that are fastened with adhesive and clips.

If you do happen to break something, I have all the plastics, even the screens, but I don't think it's likely.

I've also been looking into ways to fix the hinges, including drilling and installing a pin to secure the press-fit in the lower block that comes loose. I haven't had time to give this a practical test, and being the parts are so cheap it's not really something that would be worth all the effort. It would be nice if it could be modded without removing the hinge, but if they need to be removed to fix, then the whole point is moot.

I'm often asked if I have a pair of hinges I could sell, but the amount of work it takes to remove them would make it cost prohibitive to sell used ones, even if I had a unit with a bad screen and good hinges, and I'd certainly not remove good hinges from a good screen, especially when you can buy them new for $20 shipped from china. I inquired about buying them in bulk just so I'd have them on hand when someone asked, but the chinese sellers seem to have no concept of combined shipping, and wanted $200 for ten pairs even if shipped together. If I can find someone to sell me a case of them at a good price, then I'll be able to offer them in the forum so members won't have to wait for weeks to get them shipped from china.

As for the touchpad, if you want me to send you one, send me a PM and we can work out the details.