Question ARRGGGH!!!! I'm looking for help finding a replacement screw ?

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Franknj229

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May 12, 2020
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Finally started my build. One of the parts I couldn't get at Microcenter was the Lian Li Hydroshift 2 AIO. Bought it from Newegg. Mounted the pump to the CPU and popped on the first 3 nuts to the mounting bracket. When I grabbed the 4th nut from the bag, it was defective. It looks like the end where the screw would insert was crimped in a vice or pliers.

I understand my options include disassembling and sending the entire cooler back for a replacement, but I'm hoping to avoid that. I reached out to Newegg and Lian Li. No response from Newegg, and it took a couple weeks for Lian Li to reply, at which point they said it would take at least 30 days for them to send me a replacement and suggested I find the part in a store or online.

I'm looking for suggestions. I haven't been able to find this particular nut online. I found 1 ebay listing that looked promising in the pictures (it was a mounting bracket and nuts from a Lian Li Galahad 2 cooler), but when it arrived the nuts were not compatible with mine. I drove an hour to Microcenter today and the service tech searched through their supplies, but didn't find any compatible nuts. None of the products they sell containing replacement screws/nuts have anything related to coolers.

Any ideas? I hate the thought of sending the whole thing back over a single nut and then possibly having some other issue with the new one in a month or so when I finally get it... Ugh.

Thank you for any help,

-Frank
https://imgur.com/7sY4cVe
 
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The knurled part is mostly for convenience/"tool less" installation.

Take one of the other nuts to a Home Depot, Lowes, or some large scale hardware store.

They will likely have a gauge that you can use to determine the diameter and threading of the damaged end.

Often hung somewhere in "Hardware - Nuts and Bolts".....

Reference.

Nut and screw sizing


Then look for a regular, size and thread matching hex nut.

If cooler/case room permits you may be able to use one of those nuts along with a nut/hex driver (similar to a screwdriver but holds and fastens hex head nuts and screws.

Interim solution that may end up permanent.


:)
 
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Gururu said:
in the manual is that part K?
Click to expand...
Yes, it is part K.

COLGeek said:
contact a local mom/pop PC shop to see that they may have.
Click to expand...

I have one near my house, but they were unexpectedly closed today. I'll try again tomorrow...

Ralston18 said:
The knurled part is mostly for convenience/"tool less" installation.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, the damaged end is the part that the screw goes into, and that end needs to be the exact length and diameter to fit through the opening in the pump bracket and reach the screw on the mounting bracket (pics below). It's like the company said, "let's make it as inconvenient as possible if someone needs to replace one of these nuts. They'll never find a suitable part! Mwuahahahaha!!!

https://imgur.com/0usZpCVhttps
https://imgur.com/78ZSvUjhttps
 
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For now you could buy a matching nut and screw of appropriate length and diameter to go through the bracket. The nut can sit on the top and you can hold it in place with pliers while you put the screw through. Just make sure you torque enough.
 
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I second the Home Depot idea.(above)

Remove the water cooler and bring the bolt to Home Depot.(Ace Hardware, Lowes, etc) Find the correct nut size, problem solved. My current CPU heatsink has nuts and bolts in it from Home Depot. I brought the whole motherboard into Home Depot to make sure I walked out with the correct sized fittings.

Now call the manufacturer. They'll send you another one. Remove the spare nut in a few weeks from now and it will be as if nothing happened.
 
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ezst036 said:
I second the Home Depot idea.(above)
Click to expand...
I understand the concept of what you and the other posters are suggesting, and it's a good idea in certain setups. I just can't see any way it would work with this exact cooler.

(See picture above) The bolt/screw is permanently fixed to the mounting bracket on the MB, and recessed slightly in the hole. Then there is a gap between the mounting bracket and the pump bracket. So any theoretical hardware I could use as a temporary fix would need to be long enough to span the gap, have a female end to go over the screw on the mounting bracket, and a male end that I could attach another nut to on top of the pump bracket... And even if I found something like that, it would also have to be the correct diameter and thread class as the mounting bracket screw, etc... (For the record, I just went to Home Depot, because I honestly think the basic idea is a good one, but they have nothing even remotely close to something I could use to rig up a temporary fix. I even showed it to the guy at the pro desk and he just shook his head.)

It's looking more and more like I'm going to have to bite the bullet and just send the whole cooler back. :-(
 
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Standoff, plus washer, plus another standoff? Might have to shave one down, both to fit in the hole in the first place, and for height.

Drill out all of them and replace with nuts and bolts is probably what I would do for a quick/permanent fix.

Have you checked the used market for non-working coolers? Might be able to more quickly get another mounting kit that way.

To actually make a part similar to that, isn't that hard. Could do most of it with hand tools. Just need some aluminum rod that is wide enough to take the thread, drill it, tap it until it mates with that part, then cut it down, etc. You could also drill out the bad part of the nut there and insert a new threaded part made in the same way, some strong epoxy and it would work fine. Of course we are talking a lot in tools if you don't have access to any.
 
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The knurled "nut" appears to be one that screws the connector down onto a standoff of some sort.

Is there access to the underside of the motherboard?

If so, you may be able to remove the existing standoff with a longer threaded standoff that will reach out beyond the bracket and allow you to use a regular nut of the appropriate diameter and threading.

Another possibility would be to use a small coupling nut to connect the bracket. Especially if the existing standoff thread is long enough to reach and make a connection.

Does not necessarily need to be hex (six-sided) - I found a cylindrical one that was slotted for a small regular screw driver. (Original source unknown. Likely salvaged from some other computer or peripheral device and added to my "jar collection" of such things....)

This is one of those situations where you first make it work and then late, if necessary, make it "pretty".

Never let form get in the way of function.

Ask around: family, friends, computer stores, work. Someone may have a fastener of some sort that will serve the purpose. With or without some spacers.
 
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