Carriage rod to service station screws stuck

[Westy247365]

Hi, I am trying to remove the service station on my HP Z5200. There are 2 screws of some type that go through the carriage rod/rail that secure the service station in place. The service manual states these are T15 but they are not. They look like a hex head of some sort. I have tried all the hex heads available and the largest that fits the hole is 2mm, although there is some play and even when turning hard the screws will not move and it is starting to round them off, which I don’t want.

This is driving me crazy and I just can’t inderstand how to get these 2 screws undone. Is there a special tool or am I missing something here?

Any help would be much appreciated.

[Valsimot]

If original they are Torx T15 maybe the head is damaged by previous removal, or replaced with different type of head.

If you are installing new service station 2 new screws should be included to install new ones and old to trash.

[Westy247365]

Hi, thank you for your reply. The manual does say T15, but no way are they T15 as they are not that big and the hole in the rail would not even support T15 and is only 5mm diameter itself. To my knowledge the service station is original and never been removed, printer has had very light use. These look like a hex head and the biggest hex tool we have that fits the hole is 2mm, but no matter how hard we turn it we can’t get it to undo and it eventually slips and this is damaging the head. We know that a T7 is 2.1mm and it might well be that it is what is needed as although it looks like just a hex, it is hard to tell and may be a torx head. We tried T8 and it is too big for the hole so T7 should fit it. If it is not that then I really am at a loss.

[Valsimot]

The Torx T15 is 3,35 mm in diameter. Are you sure you have a T15 screwdriver ?

It seems like you are using HEX 7 that will not fit for sure. I have replaced like 50 of those service stations with Torx T15.

[Westy247365]

Hi, I have a 2mm hex Allen key that does fit but has a lot of play and will slit when turned too hard. I have a T10 torx that does not fit the hole and I have a T8 torx that does not fit the hole. The reason I said maybe a T7 is because it is 2.1mm and the 2mm hex fits so maybe the T7 will also fit. 

I can get a T15 and try it but if the T10 and T8 do not fit in the head then how would the larger T15 fit?

this is a photo of the screw. I am not sure if you can see it though as all I see is a triangle in place of the image I uploaded. Are images not allowed here?

Edit - I had not actually tried a T8 at this point as it was another T10 I was trying in error. 

[Valsimot]

I'm confused, forget about T15.

I don't get it how a T8 will not fit in the hole, the T8 diameter is 2,4mm  T7 is 2,1mm (says Wikipedia) . Are you sure the screw head is not damaged? A thin flat head tip can unscrew damaged Torx, and those 2 are not very tightly screwed.

Do you have a new service station? The 2 new screws should be included and Allen key for removal of those 2 screws.

[Westy247365]

As I say the biggest hex that will fit is 2mm, the T7 is 2.1mm so will likely fit. The T8 is too big. It is not damaged that I can see other than where the 2mm hex slipped a couple of times. The thing is the actual opening in the screw head is a fraction over 2mm, so anything above that simply won’t fit the hole.

Edit - It was not a T8 we were trying, it was a T10 in error.

[Repairatrooper · Accepted solution]

If you are talking about this screw circled in red, second one not visible. That is a T-8 screw (torx8)

[Westy247365]

Hi, thank you for your input. As you can see from my images I attached earlier it does not look like a star shape, it looks more like a hex, but of course I could be wrong. Also I was telling the other guy who was giving some input that I had tried a T8, but in fact I have not, it was another T10 I was trying which is why it didn’t fit.

I will get a T8 tomorrow and try it out. I hope I did not hurt the socket too much trying to use the 2mm hex Allen key on it. Hopefully I can get them out with a T8.

How is it that you know this? Do you have the same printer and have first had experience of these screws on it?

[Repairatrooper]

That picture is from my T1120 which is pretty much identical to your 5200, and uses the same service station.