Help! Noctua NH-D14 Won't Screw In!

[yuckotheclown]

I'm trying to install my Noctua NH-D14 to my Asus Z87-Pro motherboard. The issue I'm encountering is when I try to screw the tower into the the brackets. I can't get them to catch, even when adding a lot of pressure. If I tilt the tower to one side, I can get that screw to catch but I won't be able to get the other from it being uneven. It's almost as if the screws on the brackets are too short. Help!
Pics: http://imgur.com/a/CalR5

 

[terry4536]

Hi,
The screws are under spring tension. And they are difficult to get started the first time. It's strange but after you do it the first time, it's not nearly as hard to do the next time. First of all, you should get a screw driver that is long enough to get a good grip on the handle above the cooler (not the supplied screwdriver). Once you get one screw threaded, you can press down gently on soldered tubes above the other screw while getting the threads started. Once screws are started, you should tighten each screw a little at a time until both are tight without any binding.

 

[veikkohy]

I'm having the same problem with NH-D15 and Asus Maximus VII Hero motherboard. It really feels like the screws on the brackets are too short to make contact. You'll have to bend the heatsink so much that it unattaches from the processor and the air gets between the thermal paste and heatsink... Is this normal?

 

[terry4536]

The screws are under spring tension. You have to depress the spring a bit to be able to engage the screw threads. And yes it is normal. It provides some stress relief for the heat sink / motherboard mount. It also provides a steady firm connection to promote the effective transfer of heat from the CPU to the heat sink.