Serious hinge crapout

[ab1jx]

I've had my PBP since January 13, 2020.  I didn't use it much for months but since November or so it was my main machine, using it sitting in a recliner.  Which means it got opened and closed maybe 6-10 times a day.  A month or so ago I noticed a crack in the case over where the power adapter plugs in, which opens up a bit as I'm opening the lid.

Suddenly today I hear snapping noises on the right side when I try to close the lid.  So I stopped with it open maybe 45 degrees, logged in over ssh and wifi from another machine to shut it down and there it sits.

Last time I looked a few days ago at the parts page I could no longer buy just the plastic case piece that failed first, I'd have to buy one with a keyboard.  I don't know what failed that's preventing it from closing.  Ameridroid doesn't seem to have many parts in stock so they'll have to come from China (months).  I'll try to get another nvme USB adapter and rescue my nvme drive out of it.  Hinge problems like this in laptops go back 20 years or more, I haven't seen one in years so I thought all the manufacturers had learned how to prevent them.

[vfr400racer]

I've had my PBP since January 13, 2020.  I didn't use it much for months but since November or so it was my main machine, using it sitting in a recliner.  Which means it got opened and closed maybe 6-10 times a day.  A month or so ago I noticed a crack in the case over where the power adapter plugs in, which opens up a bit as I'm opening the lid.

Suddenly today I hear snapping noises on the right side when I try to close the lid.  So I stopped with it open maybe 45 degrees, logged in over ssh and wifi from another machine to shut it down and there it sits.

Last time I looked a few days ago at the parts page I could no longer buy just the plastic case piece that failed first, I'd have to buy one with a keyboard.  I don't know what failed that's preventing it from closing.  Ameridroid doesn't seem to have many parts in stock so they'll have to come from China (months).  I'll try to get another nvme USB adapter and rescue my nvme drive out of it.  Hinge problems like this in laptops go back 20 years or more, I haven't seen one in years so I thought all the manufacturers had learned how to prevent them.

Mine cracked, too. It was due to the hinges, they were pretty firm, and put too much stress on the bottom case.
I got a new case, with improved plastics. I modified the hinges. Now I can open and close the lid without using
too much force. No problems with the hinges and the bottom case since then. (Although, around the screen, at
the corners, cracks started to appear. It's because of the type of plastic of the first batch of the PBP, I guess)

Have a look at this thread:

https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=9658

[ab1jx]

https://imgur.com/a/vw93wnP
Yes, I read those threads just now.  This was the ANSI model from the factory but I got it in January 2020 so it was maybe before the plastic change.

That hinge is too stiff, I tried to rotate that piece back flat and couldn't.  Maybe it's due to dust, I don't know, I didn't put it in a sand pile or anything.  I'd be curious to hear about your modifications.  It's cracked on the left side but now the right side has opened up.

I just ordered a USB housing/adapter for my nvme drive so I can pull it out and use it in that.  I have a feeling this is going to be apart for a while.

[moonwalkers]

I got mine in January 2020 too. The hinge is a bit on a stiff side, but so far I'm not seeing any issues. Though admittedly other than minor display tilt angle adjustments I rarely exercise the full range of lid motion on mine - with me mostly sitting at home due to COVID-19 I almost never need to pack it up.

[ab1jx]

OK, I read some more posts.  It's out of warranty so I don't need to baby it anymore.  Sounds like a rod going through a split sleeve, so prying the sleeve open a little more is probably good.  I wonder how it would be to smear the rod with a light coating of good quality automotive grease, maybe I've got some silicone.

I carried a laptop bag with various laptops in it for 15 years or so but I'm retired now.  If you use it in your lap you end up putting it down a lot so I closed it a lot.  Set the config file line to ignore lid close and I was off and running.  Before that I found that standing it up on one side but leaving it open works fairly well.  I don't take it many places but because of the long battery life I used it a lot for doing nature recordings with a USB sound card and experimental microphones and preamps.

Buying another USB adapter for the nvme, well, I wanted another anyway.  The speed of the SSD makes up for the slowness of the USB connection so they're quite handy to plug into various Linux boxes.  I have a 2 TB one plugged into an old Raspberry Pi downstairs.  180 year MTBF is hard to beat, Intel makes that claim on theirs.

[accassar]

Mine is cracked as well, not just the plastic but also up to the keyboard.

It is possible to remove, place the hinges in a vice and tap them out with a hammer. I gave it a clean with a 3.4mm drill bit, lubricated and put back together. It does free them up and the case no longer bends when opening/closing the lid.

Unfortunately sales@ have been unresponsive, I've had to use some fibre washers as spacers. So far they seem to be holding up, but as the base forms the support, with a single screw holding it into the plastic internals.

I'm not optimistic how long it will last.

[ab1jx]

I haven't taken it apart to look at it yet, still using it right now. I just leave the lid open at 90 degrees and pick it up and set it down that way. The fiber washers may not hold up but I have hopes for the rest of it, having not seen it. I worry about lubing the hinge too much and having it flop around. I think there's a way to bend the hinge open a bit so there's less friction. Having a screw to adjust the tension would be the ultimate, not sure it it's possible.

I know I'm missing one screw, I think one of the longer ones. I do have little collections of salvaged junk hardware around, I hope I have something that fits. I could also take the other long screw to a hardware store and try to match it. My nvme drive is fine and I bought another USB adapter for it in case I have to leave the laptop apart for a while to wait for parts. But it's been my daily companion over the winter, gottten a lot done wiith it.

Try https://www.fastenal.com/ as a source of screws and spacers, maybe only in the US. They do have retail locations. Hardware stores like Abuchon also have little cabinets of metric parts.

[ab1jx]

Finally dug into it and https://imgur.com/a/Y5SqnpS  The hinge screws are held to the case plastic by these eyelets being embedded in the case plastic.  Except these broke free and do nothing.  I'm just getting the moveable parts of the hinge moving again on the stationary rod.  But this I'm not sure how to fix or fudge.



There are replacement case pieces available like https://pine64.com/product/pinebook-pro-...-keyboard/  I have cracks in both the upper and lower case halves I think so I just put one of these and a screw set in my cart.

Giving up probably on it.   With the hinge area apart I turned it right side up and hit the power button.  The power LED only lit briefly then went out, battery has a full charge.  I could maybe replace the upper case half if I can manage to not break something.  I've fixed Dell laptops quite a bit, the parts in this look not so sturdy.