Tosh F3 Screw

OneADay

Trying to replace a hard drive in a Tosh laptop - have done it before with some difficulty because of the screw being very awkward to get out.

Can't remember what I did last time or what I used - but now I can't seem to get the screw out. Its marked F3.

Anyone got ideas? Is that T3 screwdriver?

fwor

I've never found markings like that to indicate screw head size - typically they refer to a component, as in "Remove all fixings marked F1 to release the keyboard".

If it is a Torx head, you'll know immediately from looking at it. If it looks like a 6-pointed star it almost certainly is. If not it's something else!

OneADay

Its all worn out, can't even tell what it is - tried all the little screw drivers I have including two torx screw drivers and a few precision screwdrivers.

All useless. :mad:

fwor

If it really is that badly mangled the only real option (other than the Big Hammer of Correction) is to drill the head off, as it's going to be too small for any screw extractor I've seen.

If you do that, drill ~just~ enough to free the head, as when the drive is out you should be able to grip the threaded part of the screw with fine-point pliers to remove it.

Defo sounds a tricky one...

[Edit: the above assumes that the drive lifts out. If it slides out it probably won't help, as the remains of the threaded part will still get in the way!]

andy2004

erm, how about posting the model of the toshiba maybe we could google it, and find out what type of screw it is?

Mista_C

Don't take this as gospel as I might be thinking of a different brand but if memory serves Toshiba use 'F' to indicate the head is flat and 3 being the length, in millimetres, of the screw. It should have been a precision posi type screw in there originally.

As for removing it you could get a screw extractor (basically a boring tool), try a dab of superglue/araldite quick drying on the end of an old screwdriver or, as previously said, drill out the head with a small drill or a Dremel.

GunJack

other alternative is, if it's not countersunk, is a pair of flat-nosed pliers held vertically to grip & twist

OneADay

andy2004 wrote: »

erm, how about posting the model of the toshiba maybe we could google it, and find out what type of screw it is?

Toshiba M50-164 - embarrassingly rubbish model.

OneADay

GunJack wrote: »

other alternative is, if it's not countersunk, is a pair of flat-nosed pliers held vertically to grip & twist

Very little room to get any pliers I think in but its my next attempt.

Such a lousy design.

Figment

Almost all Toshiba laptops use cross-head (philips) screws. If the head is knackered I usually find a small flat-blade screwdriver can be wedged in the rounded off slots enough to get some purchase to undo it.

GunJack

Figment wrote: »

Almost all Toshiba laptops use cross-head (philips) screws. If the head is knackered I usually find a small flat-blade screwdriver can be wedged in the rounded off slots enough to get some purchase to undo it.

yup, that often works...a lot depends on how much threadlock they used when assembling it - I've had some where the whole length of the thread was caked in the bl00dy stuff