Chosen Solution
Hello Everyone - I bought a new 2014 Mac Mini. I decided to replace the hard drive with a SSD. I got the Mini apart well enough, but when I went to put it back together, I forgot there’s a bracket on the power supply that the screw that attaches to the case needs to go through. When it I noticed it was still sticking up, I applied a little more pressure, not a huge amount, but then realized I needed to put the PSU before attaching the screw. When I went to remove said screw, it’s not going anywhere. It spins, but won’t go in or out. I’m assuming it’s stripped badly on the inside. I tried the old tricks of using a putty knife to apply upward pressure when unscrewing and needle nose pliers, but it’s not budging. As a result of this, I can’t get the power supply back in until I find a remedy. I suppose I can cut it off, but I’d prefer a less drastic method to get the screw out. Anyone seen this before or have a suggestion? Thanks for any help. https://s18.postimg.org/et6m0bxvt/Screw….
Ted, instead of using the Putty knife, try a tack puller under the screw head, as they work well at applying more equal upper ward pull force, has always done the trick for me when small screw has stripped the thread in the plastic assy. boss of various devices. One other trick that works well is if enough of the head of screw is exposed, (tighten) the chuck of a drill on the screw and use the drill to reverse it out with upward force. Tack pullers are cheap and handy , found sometimes at the dollar store or any hardware store. Link shows tack puller. Good luck. I hope this helped you out, if so let me know by pressing the helpful button. http://www.acehardware.com/product/index…
Speed outs are your friend: https://www.amazon.com/SpeedOut-Damaged-… Order a replacement screw or three at the same time, since you will be ruining the screw. It happens to all of us, its not a big deal. In the future just remember that none of the screws require any kind of force when you are putting them in. I usually operate under the guide that finger tight is best. That’s the force I can apply with 2 fingers. If I’m cranking down on something, it usually means that I’m doing it wrong. Luckily, this is a cheap and easy fix.
Thanks for the replies. I think I’ll try the tack puller first as it looks like I can get one at the local hardware store. Does anyone know the screw replacement size is? Thanks again.
I figured out it’s an 8mm T6 screw according to this, but now where can I find one?
