What are the size of the screws that are needed for the hard drive in the Empeg?

M3.

Thanks, added to drive upgrade guide.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to get these out easily? I have some small eye-glass screwdrivers but I can't seem to get the tiny drive screws to loosten up.

try a screw driver with more torque. i.e. a bigger handle
i use a fairly large screw driver, which comes down to a point fine enough to fit in and still do the job.

Yeah, eyeglass screwdrivers suck for anything but eyeglasses. You need a screwdriver with interchangeable heads...

And make sure you use the correct size phillips head driver. It's either a #2 (regular size) or #1 (next size smaller). Try them both. It should be obvious which fits better.

And don't use an already-rounded-over screwdriver. It's only going to strip the screws.

And if they're already slightly stripped, use a smaller screwdriver.

I've always used an M4 pozidrive for both the case screws and the drive mount screws.

Unless those are pozidrive screws (I don't think they are), a pozidrive screwdriver will be more likely to strip the screws than the correct screwdriver, as the additional vanes will tend to hold it out of the screw rather than sitting in properly.

I don't think I'd agree with Roger's assessment to ever use the wrong screwdriver, but if it's already stripped, try anything. I'd still try the right size first. Of course, once you've got it out, you ought to replace the screw.

I think we should just use Torx or something I've never had a stripped torx screw apart from when somebody before has decided to get it out by jamming in a normal screwdriver.
They should put warnings on electric screwdrivers though. I've seen countless numbers of totally stripped screws because somebody didn't use the right bit and then used an electric screwdriver. It strips the entire head in about 0.5 seconds and you get a nice round smooth hole in the top. Much fun drilling those out again...

Hey, if David used an M4 posidrive, it had to work well. I mean, he did all the support and player repair for a long long time, right?

Anybody tried those Sears cutting drivers for removing stripped screws?

Stu

For stripped screws I usually just cut a slot in the screw head with a dremel and use a flathead.

Sears cutting drivers for removing stripped screws

??

What are they? Sounds interesting, can you link to a picture or anything?

tanstaafl.

Here's a link.

If that doesn't work, go to sears.com, click on ``As seen on TV'', then look for ``Screw-Out™ Damaged Screw Remover Set''.

Here's a link.


Wish I'd known about those tools two months ago when I had to deal with a broken bolt that held my egr valve to the intake manifold.

After drilling the bolt and then breaking off an E-Z-Out inside it, I had to take the manifold to a machine shop where they used a needle-point Heli-Arc welder to burn out the bolt and E-Z-Out, then drill, tap, and install a heli-coil insert. Cost me $92.

tanstaafl.

They are all posidrive IIRC.

those are pretty coo