Legit OREO FIX DIY - Warning! Experts only!!!

[turtle3]

DISCLAIMER: IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO THIS TO YOUR PHONE, I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE AND/OR VOIDED WARRANTIES YOU CAUSE. THIS PROCEDURE TAKES A VERY STEADY HAND AND IS SOMEWHAT METICULOUS. IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE YOU CAN PERFORM THIS PROCEDURE WITHOUT DAMAGING YOUR PRE, DO NOT TRY THIS!!! A WORKING PHONE WITH A LITTLE "OREO" ACTION IS BETTER THAN A NON-WORKING, TIGHT PHONE. PROCEED WITH CAUTION....

Background: My first Pre (launch day) developed a significant oreo effect after about 25 days. I did my exchange for a new Pre which was tighter and was very happy. Unfortunately, I dropped my new one in a parking lot a week in and then all of a sudden it had a moderate oreo.

Frustrated with my hasty action, I started the google and precentral search for an answer. All I found were a few "tighten the screws" threads and the dreaded "add two drops of hot glue" thread. I was unimpressed and agreed with most of the comments that the screws are not the problem - they have next to nothing to do with the slider mechanism.

So, I took out my battery to check the innards and see what I could diagnose about my slider. I was sure my drop had bent or loosened the connection between the flange and slider track. This is almost exactly what I found.

My oreo effect only occurred in a screen-clockwise direction. If you get behind your battery you'll see that the flange for the right slider (looking at the back it is on the left) is twice as wide as the flange for the left slider. In addition, right slider is anchored to its base in a different manner than the left - the right seems sturdier.

So I could now visualize what happens when my screen oreos - the left, smaller flange (visualized on the right from the back) was the source. I didn't see any major gaps, but I certainly saw increased play between it and the track in the closed position. The other flange barely moved at all.

I could also see that the track is curved, which I believe is why the oreo doesn't occur in the open position. As the screen slides up, more tension is created between the flange and the track. There is a rubberized black tape on the whole track that also increases sliding tension and smoothness.

So, now I believed I was getting somewhere. My theory: My Pre fall had somehow bent the flange just enough that in the closed position it no longer in solid contact with the track. I figured my options were to either A. bend the flange back B. bend the track at the very end or C. try to build up the thickness of the track only at the end where the flange sits while in the closed position.

A and B are impossible - trust me. Here's how I did C and it worked beautifully

1. Mark where you're going to add thickness: With your screen closed, visualize your flange and where it sits on the track. Mark just above the flange with an exacto knife (a tiny scratch works) on the track so when you open the screen, you'll still know where on the track to add thickness.

2. Adding thickness with Super Glue: This is the tough part. I highly recommend going slow and adding tiny layers of super glue at a time. Let each layer TOTALLY DRY or you may mess up your entire track and/or glue your phone shut. I used a tiny sewing needle that I heated the tip and bent about 1 cm to a 90 degree angle. This gave me something to "scoop" a tiny amount of glue up and spread it smoothly over the zone identified in Step 1. I held the needle with needle-nose locking pliers.

3. Spread a tiny amount of glue on the top from your marke (step 1) all the way to the end of the track. I think this layer helped a little but was NOT what fixed the oreo ultimately. Next, turn the phone on it's side and using the 90 degree portion of the needle, spread some glue on the SIDE OF THE TRACK....it doesn't take much. It's a kind of a b**** to get the needle in this tiny area, but go slow and it can be done without getting glue everywhere - remember the game Operation?!?! yea, very similar.

If you watched your flange move with the oreo, you'll realize what I mean that the SIDE of the track needs the thickness most to close the gap between the track and the flange and inhibit rotation.

4. Let each coat dry completely. I had the 5 min glue and still gave each coat 15 min - you don't want to glue your phone shut.

5. Test the slider and add more thickness as appropriate. You DO NOT want to add too much thickness or it'll be difficult to open the phone, it'll also probably "stick" as you close it and possibly not completely close. SLOW AND STEADY WINS THIS RACE.

That's it. Once you achieve the right thickness (depending on how much your flange is bent) your oreo will be gone in the closed position. Yup. GONE.

I have attached my best attempt at pictures of my finished product (crappy digital shots, sorry) and a schematic to help. I'll try to follow this thread and answer questions if people have any.

Best of luck. The Pre is a fantastic phone. In my opinion, this slider is just built with too thin of materials making it susceptible to micro-damage that changes the characteristics of the slider in the closed position. Palm could easily remedy this by having some slightly stronger metal for the flange piece, but I'll bet it's a manufacturing headache to have the tolerances that perfect with unforgiving materials.

turtle3

PS--I now have theories about what is causing the oreo on so many phones. Any lateral stress on the screen portion of the phone will essentially bend these flanges. On my first Pre I routinely opened and closed the phone with only 1 hand (my left hand). Opening I would basically "thumb" the screen up, but to close I would put my thumb more on the side of the screen and leverage it down. The flange support had to support all of this stress - hence the oreo. With my new Pre, I know exactly where my phone hit the concrete first (very small ding) and it fits perfectly with the theory that the fall "bent" the flange support and loosened the connection between the flange and the track.

My recommendation: always open and close your pre with both thumbs trying to minimize the side-to-side action. Oh, and don't drop your pre.

[roor]

this is pretty interesting, and scary at the same time.

Ill give this a shot if my new pre has any problems.

[Young HoV 718]

My repair center tightened my phone for me. I don't know how and they won't tell me.

[iclimb513]

When you say "spread some glue on the SIDE OF THE TRACK" you mean on the outside, and not on the side facing toward the center of the phone? Also, you're just doing the one side with the smaller flange?

This is very interesting. I got my phone yesterday and already dropped it twice. It developed minor oreoing, not bad but it certainly won't get better on its own.

[va2thadeath]

Preciate the knowledge homie. I've dropped my Pre a couple times already as well. Thankfully, I haven't had any oreo problems as of yet.

[ranzchic]

I actually understood all that.

If you put too much glue in, can't you just use a solvent like alcohol to loosen it up a bit?

[poopsie]

So hot glue is dreaded but super glue is the fix all?

[sothrowd08]

This seems like a great fix, but on my 4th phone there is no oreo effect at all. The flange that you call still has the play that my oreo phones had, but it seems that the part behind the battery is much tighter and holds the two pieces really snug. I think there is a more complicated but a correct way of doing this. I think this requires that you get underneath it all.

[edlex]

That made for a very interesting read, thank you. I wouldn't even begin to consider doing anything like this but it shows how resourceful and ingenious this group can be. I hope Palm and Sprint appreciate the lengths people are going to, to use their products.

[Syphon]

I would like to see a video on the procedure.

[atoy74]

I think you're on to something. Are you saying to apply the glue to the tiny gap between the rails? If so, we're talking about a minuscule amount of glue.

[santos]

I don't like how the twisting is called "oreo effect". What, does it have a creamy center in the middle?

[skyheli]

Originally Posted by ranzchic

I actually understood all that.

If you put too much glue in, can't you just use a solvent like alcohol to loosen it up a bit?

A little acetone "finger nail polish remover" will dissolve the glue. I use it all the time with my Radio Controlled Models.

[02589]

Thanks for the tip, but I'd go with option A. It would be for experts only and not for the ones tied in a personal relationship with their phone.

Hello Everyone,

Be VERY careful with Acetone--it will also attack some plastics.

KAM

[ronlongo]

Thanks for the very clear and detailed instructions for this procedure. I can only imagine how long it took you write that all up.

[imtravis]

Originally Posted by skyheli

A little acetone "finger nail polish remover" will dissolve the glue. I use it all the time with my Radio Controlled Models.

I remember reading someone's post on another thread, and acetone ate through the plastic pretty quickly.

[tripsbacks]

I had thought about using super glue in those tracks before, but I never even thought of using a needle to apply it. I would assume over time that the glued area would become worn and would need to be applied again?

If you have a steady hand you might have yourself a small business!

[scoobdude]

a: i have tried bending the flange from the side and have not had any success
b: rail does not bend ...at least not with the tools i am using

c: i am gonna try this. But when i was trying to bend teh rail, the rubber rail came off. I still had the oreo affect, but this time the other "clasp" was moving in an arched motion. And a suggestion if i may on this, what about puttign the glue under teh rubber part of the rail?

I am still trying to bend the rail as to me it seems the whole side of the phone needs to be pulled tighter. So if anyone actually figures out how to bend the rail please let me know. I can not get in there with anything i have to bend it. tried thos plaque scrapers, kitchen knife, small screwdriver... nothing seems to put a good bend on it, at least without putting pressure on another piece of plastic.


p.s. i even tried puttign a rubberband around the top of the phone and used a hair dryer to heat them up (change the shape of the plastic may help). nut no success there either

[niospecv]

Wow...major props but I'm too chicken to do this to my phone. lol I'm wondering if I can take it to a sprint repair center to tighten it up for me.