CDP / Allen bolt problem

Hi all,

I'm after some of your collective wisdom again if you please

My CDP (a Consonance CD2.2 Linear) needs the valve replacing - I have ordered one from Alium Audio and it's waiting for me to pick it up from the Post Office.

I decided to try and remove the lid of the CD player so that I was sure I could get at the valve once the new one arrives.

The problem is that the allen bolts that secure the lid of the CD player seem to have been stripped away so that there is nothing for the key to grip when I try to undo them. I guess that when the CDP was sent back to be fixed (transport replaced) just after I purchased it that the bolts were damaged.

Does anyone have any bright ideas that I can use to remove the bolts (even if this renders them unusable - I can buy replacement bolts) but without damaging the case of the player? Or do I have no choice other than to return the CDP and valve to Alium Audio and have them take a look (which would be costly)?

If the case can't be opened without damaging the player do I have any legal standing when it comes to complaining to the shop that sold it to me (2nd hand) - I could be left in a situation whereby the valve cannot be replaced which diminishes the quality of the sound I get from the player.....

Thanks everyone.

Neil

 

Its possible that the threads on the bolt are fine but those one the case work are damaged.

In either case you can drill the bolt out or just fiddle until it comes free. It should do eventually. Try applying upwards relative to the bolt in effort to try and get the threads to grip and allow it to be turned out.

 

Are you sure they are allen keys and not torc head screws . In bad light they look similiar. You would have to be really ham fisted to damage an allen key. In all my years i have never seen this .Allways a first time though. I did have the top of a Consonance cdp off once and it was allen screws but the spec may have been changed since then. Ring Ian Large at allium audio he should know.

regards D Louth

 

Hi ShinOBIWAN,

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, the screws are "inside" an outer protective cup so I can't just work them out.

I'll try and take some photos and post them so you can see what I'm talking about.

D Louth - thanks also. I have spoken to Ian at Alium and he also seemed surprised that the bolts were damaged, but from what I can see that's the only thing that I can see has happened, they certainly don't appear hexagonal inside anymore, hence no grip for the keys.....

Cheers
Neil

 

With care you should be able to drill then out with a bolt extracter

 

Superglue the allen key into the bolt. Means you will need a new allen key but!!

 

Sounds like a good plan but there's four bolts and they all have the same problem!

I could buy four identical allen keys (or two and use both ends?), but then I would also need to buy new screws/bolts as well.....

 

TBH, having all four bolts stripped is highly unlikely! The odds against must be massive!

Have a look here:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/95315/Screwdriver-Bits/Security-Bits/Security-Bit-Set-75mm-32Pc

or here :

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/19557/Screwdriver-Bits/Standard-Bits/33-Piece-Screwdriver-Bit-Set

and see if any of the ends look right - there are many different types of bolt head driving shapes these days. It sounds to me as though the ones you have a just simply an unsual type.

 

This might help,my last cdp,coincidentally chinese,had a very unusual torc type fixing that appeared to be allen but wasnt.I had to search for a set of torc keys and find one that fitted it took a while as it was also an unusual size.

 

Nice one guys, I'll be checking those options out. Having spoken to Ian at Alium Audio he did seem to indicate that they were allen bolts but I'll check again....

Thanks all.

 

failing that ....if you can grip the outer of the bolt head with long nose pliers or the inner and outer surfaces with long noes pliers and turn out .....

this is likely to damage both pliers and bolts ...so replace the bolts with a hex bolts of the same thread ...

if you drill them use a hoover to suck up any metal filings ...don't let them get into the machine !!!!!