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How to remove a stripped pentalobe screw

How to remove a stripped pentalobe screw

Hi.

Asked by: Guest | Views: 279
Total answers/comments: 5
bert [Entry]

"lemerise



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bert [Entry]

"I had this problem with a Torx 5 screw inside a MacBook Air, tried every trick in the book to get the !@#$ thing out, to no avail. Here's what ended up working for me:

I very carefully sanded the surface of the stripped screw with 320 grit sandpaper, making extra sure I wasn't contacting any surrounding components. Then I cleaned the screw head off and applied some petroleum based soldering flux onto the sanded screw head. I then got my soldering iron up to temperature and melted some solder onto the head of the screw. I added solder until it filled the stripped out torx hole and formed a small dome on top of the screw. While the solder was still melted, I pressed a flathead screwdriver into the solder and kept it still until the solder cooled. When I removed the screwdriver tip, there was a perfect flathead impression in the solder. Then I just used the flathead screwdriver to remove the screw normally...it came right out! I suggest anyone who has the parts/supplies to do this, definitely give it a try."
bert [Entry]

"I read somewhere that Apple uses Loctite on their pentalobe screws. I researched what would melt Loctite and the answer was HEAT. So I carefully heated the pentalobe screws with the nozzle of a glue gun (without the glue, of course), and after a couple of minutes, we could screw the screws right out.

This answer is for unscrewing pentalobe screws in general. For the guy with the screw with the stripped head, heat the screw and then use a pentalobe screwdriver (TS4 1.2mm or 1.4 mm) or a #00 or #000 phillips screwdriver to remove it.

Hope this helps."
bert [Entry]

We have just recently added these screw extractors to our store. They would fit that screw size for the MBA and might be able to take out the screw. Screw extractors, in general, don't always work depending on how stripped the head is, but it's an alternative to trying to drill it out.
bert [Entry]

Lowe's has removal tools, basically it's a coarse, reverse threaded carbon steel bit that is designed so that as you twist the bit counterclockwise (out) it digs into the head of the screw. If you can find one online that's small enough it could do the trick. http://www.amazon.com/Made-USA-53700-Spi....