Step 7: The Fun Begins: Screws, Washers, and more screwyness!
So far, we've prepped the heatsinks and the motherboard case for these 5MM screws. Now we get to make sumtin of it!
With the case sitting flat, fan hole in the back on the right, take note of where you need to stick these screws. the 4 holes on the left X are for your GPU, the 4 holes to the right will be for the CPU screws.
Now put the 5x15MM screws in the GPU screwholes, screwheads on the outside, so that they come into the case. Put tape over the heads to keep them from falling back out, as shown in the second photo. Now put the 5x20MM screws into the CPU screwholes, and tape them just like the GPU screws. This tape is very important, so don't take it off until I say so! Ha ha.
Lay the case flat again, and all the screws should be poking up at you, as they are in the main photo. Place 3 or 4 5MM washers on each of them, the idea being to get them level with the motherboard standoffs. Use a straightedge to check. If they come up too short or too high, the motherboard will get warped, and you won't be fixing anything.
Now the fun begins. You gotta get the motherboard back in the case, with the goal of getting the screws into those orange holes that the X-Clamp posts went through. All while you try to keep those washers on the screws! If they fall off at any point, you'll have to take the motherboard out, put them back on the screw(s), and repeat. So try not to do it, eh?
Tilt the case onto it's right side(where the hard drive connector would be), so that you can reach the screws underneath. Angle the back of the motherboard into the case, and push it all the way to the rear of the case. Lower the board until it gets held up by the rear CPU screws you installed(they should be the CPU screws if the screws were taller than the GPU screws). Now, untape one of those rear CPU screws, and point it into it's hole. Give it a few twists to hold it in place, and thread the other one in. Now, while carefully holding the motherboard and those untaped screws, lower the motherboard until more screws hold you up, and get them into their holes. Don't let those washers fall out!
When it's all said and done, you'll have screws poking through those holes. Tape the heads back to the case so they don't fall out. Now press on the motherboard around the screws, it should be solid at each screw. If not, you'll need to get back to those washers and pop another one on.
But if it's all nice and immobile, throw two washers onto each GPU screw, one onto each CPU screw, and head to the next step!
With the case sitting flat, fan hole in the back on the right, take note of where you need to stick these screws. the 4 holes on the left X are for your GPU, the 4 holes to the right will be for the CPU screws.
Now put the 5x15MM screws in the GPU screwholes, screwheads on the outside, so that they come into the case. Put tape over the heads to keep them from falling back out, as shown in the second photo. Now put the 5x20MM screws into the CPU screwholes, and tape them just like the GPU screws. This tape is very important, so don't take it off until I say so! Ha ha.
Lay the case flat again, and all the screws should be poking up at you, as they are in the main photo. Place 3 or 4 5MM washers on each of them, the idea being to get them level with the motherboard standoffs. Use a straightedge to check. If they come up too short or too high, the motherboard will get warped, and you won't be fixing anything.
Now the fun begins. You gotta get the motherboard back in the case, with the goal of getting the screws into those orange holes that the X-Clamp posts went through. All while you try to keep those washers on the screws! If they fall off at any point, you'll have to take the motherboard out, put them back on the screw(s), and repeat. So try not to do it, eh?
Tilt the case onto it's right side(where the hard drive connector would be), so that you can reach the screws underneath. Angle the back of the motherboard into the case, and push it all the way to the rear of the case. Lower the board until it gets held up by the rear CPU screws you installed(they should be the CPU screws if the screws were taller than the GPU screws). Now, untape one of those rear CPU screws, and point it into it's hole. Give it a few twists to hold it in place, and thread the other one in. Now, while carefully holding the motherboard and those untaped screws, lower the motherboard until more screws hold you up, and get them into their holes. Don't let those washers fall out!
When it's all said and done, you'll have screws poking through those holes. Tape the heads back to the case so they don't fall out. Now press on the motherboard around the screws, it should be solid at each screw. If not, you'll need to get back to those washers and pop another one on.
But if it's all nice and immobile, throw two washers onto each GPU screw, one onto each CPU screw, and head to the next step!
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That way, the screw and washer combination would be held in place securely and when the heatsinks are screwed into place, they have an adjustable tension that is far cheaper and effective than the original X-Clamps were.
Maybe something like this:
If one were to fix the screws in place using my method they would then be, um, fixed. The half nut/spring washer combo may well provide the perfect standoff height but then you wouldn't be able to screw into the heat sinks as the screws have been rendered immovable.
However, this doesn't stop us from drilling though the heat sink, using the same clearance drill that was used to enlarge the holes in the motherboard case, use longer screws and another M5 nut and spring washer at the other end.
The X-Clamps are then gone, the "stand-off" height is perfect and the tension between heatsink and CPU/GPU can be controlled with easier access.
I don't know if this would pose problems when reintroducing the motherboard to the case, I haven't tried it yet, but if it doesn't then I certainly think it might have some merit.
I just recently acquired a older 360 (Zephyr) that had been hacked badly, and thanks to your indepth article, I was able to restore it perfectly ( so far). I don't know how long it will last, but Im hopeful, as I did it as per the instructions. Mine took almost two minutes to overheat though, if that matters.
I wanted to say thanks so much for the article, as without this exhaustive work you have done, I doubt I would have been able to get mine to work . The clincher for me, was the washers. The hacked job ( when I got the console) had 3 washers on each gpu and cpu, but fixing that as per instructions worked perfectly.
Thanks so much.
lee
I was wondering why the screws are different sizes if you could please explain that would be great
Hey, I have done everything to this point...BUT...can someone please explain this part to me -->
"Lay the case flat again, and all the screws should be poking up at you, as they are in the main photo. Place 3 or 4 5MM washers on each of them, the idea being to get them level with the motherboard standoffs. Use a straightedge to check. If they come up too short or too high, the motherboard will get warped, and you won't be fixing anything."
What are the motherboard standoffs? How do I make sure the washers are level with the motherboard standoffs?
Thanks for the help
THIS STEP IS VERY IMPORTANT.
If you do not line up the washers to the top or even slightly higher, you will get all kinds of errors and freezes.
what i think happens is the mother board has room to warp concaved and then other components on the mother board ground out on the GPU heat sink fan by slightly touching the metal.
i noticed this one day by how warped my mother board was after it had been working fine for 15hrs of game play...about a week before the freezes began again.
i applied (4) 5 mil nylon washers and (1) 5 mil metal washer inbetween the metal case and the mother board. once you install the underside screws once again, the mother board now is slightly up higher at the xclamp screws than the rest. 6hrs of gameplay so far and no freezes or RRODs. The fans even run very quite now too
I"m currently repairing two Xbox 360's at the moment.
1.) I have not expand any holes, although, once the Xbox has begun to over heat it starts to cool off. I then try and reboot and still I am hunted by the RROD.
2.) I have tighten the screws very tight, to the point where you can not. I have also tried to loosen and then re-tighten to not the very same affect.
Note: I have followed all instructions carefully and exactly. I have only placed one nylon on every screw. The fan is unplugged and the hard-drive is not intact during over heating. I used #10-32 X 1/2" screws for the GPU and #10-32 x 1 screws for the CPU. I have used thermal material remover and purifier to clean both GUP and CPU chips.
Is there a solution toward this?