Mid/late 2010 13" Macbook Pro bottom-case screwdriver question

[Miss Terri]

Hi folks,

I'm going to upgrade the RAM in my late 2010 Macbook Pro 13" and I need to buy the appropriate screwdriver to get the bottom case off. Searches here and elsewhere show that the recommended size is #00 phillips, but I have seen multiple people comment that #00 was too large and they had to then buy #000.

If I buy individual screwdrivers, I would rather just buy the right size the first time.

I looked at some of the kits, and they look great with the phillips, the Torx, spudgers, and everything else, but they all seem to come with #00 phillips as the smallest size. So the kit would still not work if one does, indeed, need a #000 phillips to get the bottom case off.

If I had just seen one person have a problem with the #00, I would figure they had a dud screwdriver or something, but I have seen at least three mentions of this in my search.

Can anyone speak to this, so that I can get the screwdriver(s) coming? (I live out in the sticks so I will be ordering them. With shipping and all it is a $$ and time pain to get it wrong the first time.)

Thanks!
Miss Terri

 

[altecXP]

Hi folks,

I'm going to upgrade the RAM in my late 2010 Macbook Pro 13" and I need to buy the appropriate screwdriver to get the bottom case off. Searches here and elsewhere show that the recommended size is #00 phillips, but I have seen multiple people comment that #00 was too large and they had to then buy #000.

If I buy individual screwdrivers, I would rather just buy the right size the first time.

I looked at some of the kits, and they look great with the phillips, the Torx, spudgers, and everything else, but they all seem to come with #00 phillips as the smallest size. So the kit would still not work if one does, indeed, need a #000 phillips to get the bottom case off.

If I had just seen one person have a problem with the #00, I would figure they had a dud screwdriver or something, but I have seen at least three mentions of this in my search.

Can anyone speak to this, so that I can get the screwdriver(s) coming? (I live out in the sticks so I will be ordering them. With shipping and all it is a $$ and time pain to get it wrong the first time.)

Thanks!
Miss Terri

For the last 7yrs I've just used what ever I have thats fits... no problems.

 

[Genocyde]

I got the 5 pc toolkit free from OWC with a hard drive upgrade kit purchase. the one with the phillips #00, T6, T8, flat and spudger. The #00 fit perfect, no stripping of screws whatsoever.

 

[skidmarc]

I used the screwdrivers from a set of 5 or 6 (also referenced as jewelers screwdrivers, though I don't know if this is accurate) that I bought from Home Depot or Lowes. It's worked for every laptop I've ever owned, minus a few security bits but those were desktops if I recall correctly.

For the harddrive torx screws that act as pegs I just used some flat tipped pliers I bought from Harbor Freight in a kit of about 6.

Pretty much what altecXP said.

 

[blevins321]

I got the 5 pc toolkit free from OWC with a hard drive upgrade kit purchase. the one with the phillips #00, T6, T8, flat and spudger. The #00 fit perfect, no stripping of screws whatsoever.

I just purchased an OWC SSD last week with the toolkit package. It had the required Phillips #00 screwdriver, but was missing the required Torx and Tri-Wing Screwdriver. A quick look at iFixIt shows that the #00 is all you really need for the ram (you can accomplish the spludger's job with a plastic pencil). When I took the bottom case off, the #00 worked fine for the job.

Here's the iFixIt link: HERE

 

[Miss Terri]

AltecXP: Well if I were at your house I guess I would be fine I don't have anything here that fits, so I'm going to have to order something.

blevins321: I looked at the iFixit pages before, and it was on one of them (maybe the RAM replacement one) where I saw comments that the #00 screwdriver didn't fit, but that a #000 did. Then I did some searching and found more comments saying that. So that's why I posted here. But I do still appreciate your input, thanks.

The weird thing is that Apple has a great long page showing exactly how to remove the case and work on the RAM, complete with diagrams of all the screws, their lengths, and etc., yet NOWHERE that I could see did they list the size or type of screwdriver to use. That would have been a nice addition.

Looking at mine (boy, they are hard to see!), I started to wonder if they might be JIS instead of phillips and if that might explain the problems some people have had with phillips? Still, places like iFixit and others do recommend the phillips. I wonder if they are not the same on all MBP's?

Has anyone tried a #00 JIS screwdriver and had it fit? Anyone NOT had the phillips #00 fit? (I guess that's what I should have asked... oops).

Miss Terri
MBP, late 2010, 13"

 

[walterwhite]

All the apple store Genius Bars use Wiha Tools - http://www.wihatools.com/pro_Precision.htm

Not all screwdrivers are made to a good standard... the Wiha ones are always well made... the #00 is what is used on all the portables... the #000 is what is used to take apart the iPhones (3G, 3Gs and 4) unless of course you need the secret special one.
The only other tool you need on the portables is the trilobe for the batteries.

 

[Miss Terri]

All the apple store Genius Bars use Wiha Tools - http://www.wihatools.com/pro_Precision.htm

Hi walter, and thanks for the recommendation. Sounds like maybe the people whose #00 phillips did not fit were using non-precise screwdrivers. I guess they are not a JIS then. I will order a good #00 phillips today.

Oh, added question now that I look at their site: Do I want standard screwdrivers or ESD Static Disspative ones? Might as well order the best option

The only other tool you need on the portables is the trilobe for the batteries.

Hmm, I was thinking I would need a Torx 6 for (future) hard drive upgrade. Has this changed and I would no longer need it? iFixit shows the T-6 for removing the hard drive.

Much appreciate the input

Miss Terri

 

[Genocyde]

Hi walter, and thanks for the recommendation. Sounds like maybe the people whose #00 phillips did not fit were using non-precise screwdrivers. I guess they are not a JIS then. I will order a good #00 phillips today.

Oh, added question now that I look at their site: Do I want standard screwdrivers or ESD Static Disspative ones? Might as well order the best option



Hmm, I was thinking I would need a Torx 6 for (future) hard drive upgrade. Has this changed and I would no longer need it? iFixit shows the T-6 for removing the hard drive.

Much appreciate the input

Miss Terri

The standoffs are T-6. If you're going to order a high quality #00 why would you not get the correct tool for the T-6 instead of making something else fit?

 

[Miss Terri]

The standoffs are T-6. If you're going to order a high quality #00 why would you not get the correct tool for the T-6 instead of making something else fit?

Hi Genocyde,

My whole purpose in starting this thread was so that I *could* order the correct, high-quality too(s)l. I simply wanted to make sure I ordered the proper size(s).

My project for right now is to upgrade my RAM, and I believe that for this one only uses the phillips #00 (of course correct me if I'm wrong). I may, in future, upgrade my hard drive, and coincidentally walterwhite mentioned a couple of posts ago that only the phillips #00 is needed for any projects on the late 2010 MBP, but, I had read that the Torx T-6 was needed.

Since walterwhite sounds like he knows what he's talking about, I left open the option that he might be right, and asked for clarification. If I do upgrade my hard drive in the future, and if a Torx screwdriver is the proper one, I will most certainly buy one.

I just called McMaster-Carr because I already have a pending order with them for some (other-project) parts, and they have some screwdrivers on their site that look a lot like Wihas (they don't usually show brands on the site but will get you the information if you ask). I called them and asked what brand the screwdrivers I was looking at were, and they said they were Wiha. Great, now I can get the phillips #00 included in my pending order and not pay extra shipping to order it elsewhere

They don't carry the Wiha Torx, but since I'm not upgrading the hard drive at this time I can wait on that.

The one question I still have is whether I should order the "standard" Wiha or the "static dissipative" one. I plan to order today, so if no-one knows I will probably get the standard.

Sorry if anything I wrote implied that I was going to try to "make do" with something that wasn't a proper tool or fit. As I said, my whole intention in starting this thread was to not do that.

Miss Terri

 

[Miss Terri]

By the way, I just called Wiha and spoke to Mike in the tech department. I asked him about whether I should be ordering the regular (insulated) screwdriver or the ESD static-dissipative one.

He recommended the static dissipative one (which, I realize that Apple recommends touching a metal part of the case to dissipate static electricity, and I see some sites recommend a special wristband). I asked about electricity concerns, since the battery cannot be removed from the MBP before commencing work, and he said that as long as it is not plugged into 110 (i.e. wall outlet) that the 12v battery should not be a concern.

With the static-dissipative screwdriver then the screwdriver does the same job as touching the metal or wearing a wrist strap, apparently.

If anyone has a good reason to NOT order the static dissipative one, please chime in. I have no desire to fry!

 

[Fubar1977]

I personally would not bother with the static dissipative driver if it`s much more expensive.
When I swapped out my drive I simply used a small jewellers phillips driver on the bottom case and flat nosed pliers to remove the drive pegs, no problems whatsoever.
I have had the bottom off this thing about 6 times now for various reasons and never had a problem so beware of spending big-bucks unnecessarily.

 

[Miss Terri]

It's $5.28 vs. $4.56, which is negligable to me, so I'd like to get whichever one is better for the job.

Miss Terri