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T6 Torx for SSD install??

A

AppleGoat

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 14, 2010
655
8
I have a 13-inch MacBook Pro Unibody, early 2011. Yesterday, I took delivery of a Crucial M4 and have been eager to pop it in. I picked up a 00 Phillips screwdriver, but apparently I need a Torx T6 to free the HDD. I held off installing the SSD last night for that reason; however, a couple trips and calls to hardware stores today have been ineffectual. Of course when something needs to be upgraded, Apple must require a screwdriver that is hard to come by. Could I possibly get the job done without one?
 
No. Order one online and don't be impatient. Impatience = stripped screws(if you do it wrong) = heartache supreme.

And if you're in the states you can get tX from Home Depot. Sears sells the individuals as well.
 
Eddyisgreat said:
No. Order one online and don't be impatient. Impatience = stripped screws = heartache supreme.

And if you're in the states you can get tX from Home Depot. Sears sells the individuals as well.
Click to expand...

The Home Depot I called had a T-10 (not any smaller). I'll have to check out Sears.
 
AppleGoat said:
The Home Depot I called had a T-10 (not any smaller). I'll have to check out Sears.
Click to expand...

i got mine from sears. go to the store with the hard drive because i went the first time and the labeled t6 was not a t6. so i had to got back with my HD and they found one that fit. it was 6 dollars i think.
 
I was trying to find a 10 and a 15 a few months back and was having the same problem, but I found a whole screwdriver set that had 5 different torx bits including a T6 with about 15 other bits for like 8 bucks at a home depot. Make sure you check out the sets.
 
Lowes also has a "precision" Torx driver with bits.

Ace Hardware affiliates will always have the right bit or they can get it for you pretty quickly.
 
I swapped out my 250GB disk with a OCZ Agility 3 (MBP 2010 so only sata2) and also found out about the Torx screwdriver right after I removed my hard drive. I already wanted to experience the SSD feeling so I put it in my laptop and on both sides I taped a nice amount of kitchenpaper. Basically the underside of the case now pushes against the kitchenpaper and holds it firmly into place.

I don't often take my laptop with me during the day so it's not shaking or moving alot (except within my apartment). I'm still looking for a Torx screwdriver and once I find one, I'll fix the SDD in place, however so far it's working perfectly this way.

I simply didn't want to wait enjoying the SSD pleasure over a Torx screwdriver ;)
 
Sorry buddy but Torx bits are nothing out of the ordinary in many electronics and easily obtainable at Lowes, Home Depot or basically any hardware store.
 
Yeah I just picked up one 30 minutes ago at my local Home Depot.

It's an inconvenience but they're not hard to find really.
 
Are you sure Home Depot didn't have what you needed?

I don't think they sell any individual bits below a certain size (T10, apparently), but I picked this up at the one near my house and it did the job nicely:
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/tools-hardware/hand-tools/husky/6-piece-hex-screwdriver-set-114546.html

Given what the bits cost on their own, it's not a bad buy. I'm as much of an improvisational hack mechanic as anyone, but trust me when I tell you that you'll want the right bit for this.

(sad that I didn't have the appropriate tool in advance, but I figured one of the numerous Torx bits in one of my automotive toolkits would do the job...)
 
I changed out mine using my Leatherman multitool instead of Torx... since I didn't have one. You only need the Torx to get the 4 little pins out of the sides of the old HDD to put into the new one so it sits tight in the bracket.

I was careful and just used the needle nose pliers side of the multi took to loosen the pins enough to unscrew the rest of the way by hand. I did it no problem... but I do have very steady hands. Don't attempt it that way unless you trust yourself!!
 
The HD will come out and SSD fit in damn snug without messing with the Torx on the side of the old HD (at least for the 2011 MBP).

I did this, installed Lion, apps, then headed to the store to pickup the Torx and make the final adjustments.

Yes it involved opening it up twice, but I didn't really care about that - if your anxious to see the speed of the SSD in your system, I'd have to assume this is plenty safe (just don't move the laptop around a ton until you add the Torx screws to your SSD and reseat it.
 
AppleGoat said:
The Home Depot I called had a T-10 (not any smaller). I'll have to check out Sears.
Click to expand...

Home Depot does have it, just not separate. They sell a "Husky 23-piece precision Screwdriver set" and it's only $4.99.

It has everything you need and looks like this:
P1010002-vi.jpg
 
I had a hell of a time trying to find a T6 locally when I swapped my hd. I just ended up using a pliers to remove the torx screws. I don't know if I'd recommend 'just using a pliers' for many precision jobs on a very expensive computer but honestly it worked fine, didn't take a lot of force, and didn't seem to mar the screws at all. YMMV, of course.

Best of luck
 
Unless they've again changed something, at least on my mid-2009 MBP the HDD is secured by a bar with two philips screws and four torx screws on the hard drive. Those four torx screws can be easily removed and reinstalled with pliers.
 
kasakka said:
Unless they've again changed something, at least on my mid-2009 MBP the HDD is secured by a bar with two philips screws and four torx screws on the hard drive. Those four torx screws can be easily removed and reinstalled with pliers.
Click to expand...

I would caution against using pliers on any screw - besides damaging the head (although on a torx it wouldn't be harder to do due to the design than on others such as cap screws) you risk over tightening and stripping or cross threading on reinstallation since you can really put some torque on it and you lack the feel you get with the proper tool.
Pliers are not an adjustable socket set or universal screwdriver.
 
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