Help removing A4000T case screws

[Calgor]

Ok, probably sounds like a strange request, but I am having big problems removing the front of the A4000T (Escom/Amiga Technoligies) case.

I need to remove it so that I can put in a couple of hard drives in the front bay.

Problem is that 2 of the screws are fit too tightly (and also hard to access, and their heads aren't perfect). I think the previous owner must have been a muscle man!

Can anyone offer some advice as to how I can remove these screws?

Needless to say it is difficult to do much with the A4000T without any hard drives, so would greatly appreciate any help.

Have attached photos of the problem screws.

Thanks!

[Fingerlickin_B]

You should go to a tool or auto parts shop and buy what's called an "impact driver"...they'll get any screw out

PZ.

[Calgor]

Thanks, I looked it up on the net, but all of them seem to be huge, so unlikely to fit in the small spaces. But I will check that out tomorrow.

Any other suggestions? Anyone know of a very short or narrow electric screwdriver?

[Fingerlickin_B]

You could also try a "bent" screwdriver, they are cheap and readily available.

BUT, it's very hard to apply downward pressure when using them, so you could end up chewing out the screw head and that would just make matters worse.

Make sure you get precisely the correct sized one and push own on the bent part above the screw when turning and you should be ok...just be careful.

PZ.

[Jope]

Originally Posted by Fingerlickin_B

You should go to a tool or auto parts shop and buy what's called an "impact driver"...they'll get any screw out

PZ.

Talk about killing flies with anvils... :-D

Here I guess a small pair of locking pliers might do the trick.?

[Fingerlickin_B]

You mean Vise Grips?

They totally suck for small things like screw heads and will pop right off, trust me

[Charlie]

That impact driver might just work...
A lot of them use standard-drive attachments that come with socket sets.

I feel a song comming on:

'The impact driver connects to: the extension bar,'
'The extension bar connects to: another extension bar,'
'The extension bar connects to: yet another extension bar,'
'The extension bar connects to: the phillips attachment.'
'Now hear the word of the Lord...'

or
You could give me that A4000T if it's all too frustrating!

[Calgor]

Hehe, thanks for the tips.

I think a bent screw driver (like those L-key things) will hopefully give enough force. I can get a couple of normal smaller screwdrivers to "lock" on the head, but I can't apply enough torque/turning force because the motherboard prevents the screwdriver from aligning perfectly straight.

I may need to get some professional to do it, I wonder why anyone would need to tighten the screws so much on a computer case.

I also last week saw some screw head repair/extract kits where you let some liquid set in the screw head, then pull it out with the custom screwdriver. Anyone used one of those with success?

[Jope]

Originally Posted by Fingerlickin_B

You mean Vise Grips?

They totally suck for small things like screw heads and will pop right off, trust me

Yeah Vise Grips is the word I didn't know before this. Thanks. :-D

If they pop off, you didn't adjust them tight enough. ;-)

[X-ray]

Warning, Calgor, warning!!

You are about to screw up. I also thought that you have to remove screws to get the bezel off, but you don't. Just prise the bezel off with a butter knife. Insert the butter knife between the plastic of the bezel and the metal of the case. Do it at each of the 6 points where the claw hooks attach.
Those claw hooks MUST NOT be unscrewed from the bezel. Check my thread on the A4000T on Amiga.org.

http://www.amiga.org/modules/newbb/v...orumpost431037

[Calgor]

Hey thanks XRay, you are a LEGEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe I should go to you for all my A4000T questions. I also replaced the battery that someone had installed that was the other amiga leakable type (!!!! why? !!!) which had discharged to 0.7V, with the one using the extra pins only the A4000T has.

Ok, going to remove the A4000T case without removing the screws now. Wish me luck!

[Calgor]

Problem solved, BIG kudos to XRay's great A4000T guide!!!

I just simply inserted a short flat blade screwdriver between the metal case and the plastic front, and twisted with VERY little force near each of the 6 screws, and it popped off. Easy as that!

Problem was my A4000T manual is in German and the diagrams are useless compared with X-Ray's guide.

Now, maybe I can answer something for XRay about my A4000T disk module.
It has no floppy adapter, and I have not 1 but 2 Amtrade HD adapters (described somewhere on amiga-hardware.com) sitting between the floppy drives and each of their cables, for 2 Teac HD235F floppy drives, meaning both floppies are HD 1.76MB drives. Not sure about compatibility, but will be testing it out to see what works and what doesn't that's for sure.

I think that without the Amtrade adapters I would have a standard A4000D or other amiga style floppy ports, as I understand those adapters are for any amiga.

The Disk modules says "A4000T Disk Module Rev 1".

[X-ray]

Thanks for the info, Calgor. If you come across any of those adapters for sale, please give me a heads-up.
Also, I have found a nice X-ray here of my A4000T mainboard and as soon as I have scanned it in, I will post it on Amga.org, so keep a lookout in the photo album over there

[Calgor]

Hey thanks heaps for all the help I may be asking for more LOL. The only thing I am unsure about now on the A4000T is the IDE/SCSI/CSPPC SCSI combos and such. Fun with that tomorrow, as I will install SCSI and IDE Hard drives and SCSI CD Writer. Will put SCSI or SCSI-2 parts on the A4000T SCSI, and Ultra Wide SCSI parts (when I get them) on the CSPPC. (I have a 68-50 terminated adaptor which I won't use therefore).

I installed the new battery and if it keeps the time for a week, then that will be confirmed working. There is a little bit of damage from soldering and such that someone else did around the old battery area, but no leakage. (Should be able to see from one of the pics I attached)

I have never seen those HD adapters for sale anywhere, so i don't think there is much chance of those popping up. Not sure if they were original with the A4000T or added later.

If there is anything else you would like to know about my A4000T let me know.

[X-ray]

I advise against installing any IDE devices on that. There have been many sad stories where people couldn't get the IDE devices to behave nicely on that IDE port. Also, why use that, when you have the SCSI?
I successfully used an UW SCSI drive, three SCSI II devices and a compact flash card (on a CF to IDE converter card) at the same time on my A4000T. But the best thing to do, if you have those two SCSI options, is to ditch the IDE altogether. There's a guy on Amiga.org who sells a hardware IDE killer. It will help you with faster bootups.

[Calgor]

I have already asked him for an ide killer and will be getting it soon. IDE will be temporary until the SCSI-IDE adapters I have ordered arrive, then I will switch that hard drive to the CSPPC.

I agree, no point using slow non-DMA IDE when other options are available. Except maybe for an IDE-CF adapter as you have done, or a DVD writer if you don't have a SCSI-IDE adapter. I am also interested in learning how the 3 options work together. Yeah, I have read stories about version 40.70 of the roms having problems with the IDE and SCSI together.