Pliers or grips to remove stripped wifi screw shafts *PICS*

[xsixt]

Could someone post a pic of the pliers they used to remove the tiny screw shafts from the wifi slot in a X61?

I managed to drill off the screw heads, the shafts remain, with limited parts to grip... these pliers would have to be extremely precise, perhaps like jewellery gauge or similar?

Or these suggestions:
Bead pliers
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/162193524909

Needle nose bead pliers (serrated)
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/361578219047

Curved long reach, serrated pliers
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/132124412450

Or these orthodontic pliers
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/262750731217

Thanks.

[4uk4a]

My 0.5 cents
You need dremel


Should be like this

[jaspen-meyer]

The posts from the WWAN card can hold your wifi card. Think up a modified version of this:
http://www.jesseo.com/thinkpads/mini-pc ... le-cap.jpg

[xsixt]

You need dremel

You're right. I do need one... I am thinking of buying an 8220 cordless.

[4uk4a]

Expensive toy for one screw ...
But ... a good investment for a hobby.
see:

Something like this should do the trick: 3/4" Diamond Cutoff disks for Dremel
10 Discs Size (18mm. Aprox. 3/4" inch) Carbon Steel Diamond Wheel Blades Dremel Rotary Cutting Tool Accessories
With 2 Mandrel Arbor Cutting Off Disc 10pcs Tool

The same/current wheel in my Dremel has been used for over 70 FrankenPads and other mods, and is still going strong.

[E350]

A little late, but for others reading this.

Many times I tighten the wifi screws clockwise to break their seal and then unscrew them counterclockwise. Sometimes you may have to tap-tap-tap-tap the screwdriver head with a little hammer while torqueing the screw clockwise tightening it to break the seal.

It doesn't matter which way you turn the screw as long as you break the seal between the threads and the brass insert.

[xsixt]

Thanks all. I purchased a dremel and used this trick, which worked on 2/4 of the screws. My previous experiments left two of the standoffs decimated.... At least I have one screw for PCI-E slot intact.

Anyone know if the standoffs are replaceable? I tried removing them but couldn't get a grip...

[Thinkpad4by3]

All you have to do is call lenovo support. Put the phone down for a week. Get back after a week and say you need a magic genie to come. The genie will then push f12, tap the capslock keys a few times and the stand offs will be magically replaced. Lol just kidding but you probably need either a hex head or a good pair of needlenose pliers to get them off. If there on the case you could have them out pretty easily. If there mobo, I wish you some very good luck from the lenovo magic genie .

Sent from my E6553 using Tapatalk

[RealBlackStuff]

Here's another thread about the same X61 problem: viewtopic.php?t=105526
I suggest to take out the motherboard and cover the mobo all around the offending stud before you continue.
Keep on "dremeling" until you have a deep enough groove in the screw leftover.
Then use a strong small screwdriver and use pliers to turn the screwdriver.
Worst case: only one standoff per card is needed.
You could even put in a strip of strong plastic that has the width of all 4 studs and mount that in the leftover studs to hold the wifi card in place.

=x====x=x====x=
= strip
x stud

[xsixt]

Here's another thread about the same X61 problem: viewtopic.php?t=105526
I suggest to take out the motherboard and cover the mobo all around the offending stud before you continue.
Keep on "dremeling" until you have a deep enough groove in the screw leftover.
Then use a strong small screwdriver and use pliers to turn the screwdriver.
Worst case: only one standoff per card is needed.
You could even put in a strip of strong plastic that has the width of all 4 studs and mount that in the leftover studs to hold the wifi card in place.

=x====x=x====x=
= strip
x stud

Deep enough groove? More like a chasm - I can't even see a screw head any more, it's as if the screw and the stand off have become one

[RealBlackStuff]

Then how thick is your Dremel disk?
Mine is about 0.5mm.
The screw's thread diameter is about 1.5mm, so a 0.5mm groove should be more than enough to get it out.

[TankPad]

Can you post a pic of the standoffs as they are now?

They can be removed from the motherboard without too much hassle but you'd need to use care so as not to damage the socket or any components in the area. I don't know if you'll be able to get replacement standoffs that match, but it shouldn't be too difficult to match with something from desktop computers. There's tons of options there.

It's not very useful now, but I wouldn't have drilled out the screws. Instead I would have cut away the card so that you were left with a much bigger head to grip when extracting the screw (It's less painful to replace a wifi card than a motherboard).

I have a bushing tool that's really handy for stuff like this, but you could make up something similar pretty easily that does the same thing. You essentially want to place a sleeve over the standoff, flip it over and tap it out from the back side.



You could also try just gripping it and gently rotating clockwise/anti clockwise as if it were screwed in. It'll come out easily enough but I dunno how well the new one will grip in the socket (maybe a drop of solder around the hole would help).