kmcherry

I'm hoping someone might be able to help me. We just moved from an apartment to a house, and want to wall mount our Panasonic 42 inch plasma that previously was on a stand. But there are a few complications:

Two of the screws holding the base in the TV are not coming out. As in, at all. I had the movers and two contractors give it a try. No go. Even trying to shatter them with a drill was ineffective. (Panasonic's advice: Try WD40.) So it seems that I have to mount it with the base attached, which means it needs about a five inch clearance.

Unfortunately, the mount already installed in the house is flat mount, not a full motion mount, and it doesn't afford an adequate profile for the base. The mount is one of those that has two round bars and two pieces that attach to the TV.

The easy thing, of course, would be to remove that mount and install a new one, except that it is mounted not onto woods but into mortar. So I would like to avoid having to take this one out and put in a new one.

The one thing I'm thinking of--unless people have any ideas about the base coming off--is to try and find a mount that would fit in the same holes already in the mortar, which are about 26 inches long and have a vertical distance between them of 8.5 inches. So, in theory, if I could find a motion mount that has that space between the top and bottom racks, I should be able to screw them into the screw thread inserts that were left in the masonry.

But I am open to any and all ideas and thank you for your help!

Mr. Salty

Sounds like it's time for a trip to the hardware store for a set of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Smith-Wesson-S...8646432&sr=8-1

Ranger

http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-e...del.TH-42PX80U
That page has the user guide pdf, instructions on attaching the base are on page 7.

Keep trying to get the base off and worry about the wall mount later.

I took a quick look at the above pdf and it says there are eight screws (4 screws x 2 types). So you got six out but can't get two out? Did you put the base in yourself when you first got the tv?

kmcherry

Actually, I tried those (or, rather, something like them)--no go. There is nothing wrong with the head. Somehow the threads of the screw and the threads of the slot are misaligned and nothing is moving them. That's according to two contractors, three Home Depot guys, and the guys at the local hardware store, who all mocked me for trying to get the screws out this way.

There are indeed eight screws. Four of them attach the pole to the base, and four attach the base (through the poles) to the television. Unfortunately, you can't unscrew the four attaching the pole to the base without first getting the base off the television, and that's where two of the four are stuck

I could cut through the base, which is plastic, but there's a metal frame underneath, and it wouldn't make that much difference in terms of the profile I need.

kmcherry

I did, but I did it pretty carefully. I'm fairly good with electronics. Less so with actual hardware.

Ranger

Still might be a simple fix like trying a different screwdriver head that fits better. Only other thing I can think of to try is that maybe the screws need to be knocked back in place so try slapping the front of the base up or down.

pmreed

Those are round head screws holding the mount to the set. Use a rotary tool such as a Dremel with a cutting disc to cut the heads off the two offending screws. You'll be able to remove the stand and the remaining screw sections should be easy to remove with a pair of pliers or vice lock pliers.

JZ1276

mounting a tv on the wall with the pedestal still attached would look ridiculous. If youve tried everything (and then tried some more) to get it off and still cant, cut it off!...or just keep it on the pedestal and dont mount it.

kmcherry

JZ, I completely agree.

Unfortunately, no luck in getting the screws out. I tried banging the base around, as it was looser with two of the screws out, but no success.

I got the dremel and took off one of the heads (not quite as clean a cut as I would have liked, as I scratched the back of the TV a tiny bit), but that didn't work either. There's about 1/2 an inch of TV before you get to where the post comes up and where the screw seems to be stuck. I went out and bought a pair of needlenose pliers and a needlenose vice grip, and still nothing.


At this rate, it looks like a new TV is the answer.

andicus

If you mean you can't get the screws to turn, you could try a small impact driver. I picked one up on clearance a few years ago for about $60, and can't believe how useful it is. I've removed rusted old bolts with ease which I thought I'd have to cut off. Lemmy's suggestion is a good one, too, and certainly cheaper if you don't foresee any other use for the impact driver.

If they're just spinning and not backing out, can you pull the stand away from the TV while you try to turn them?

kmcherry

Lemmy, one of the hardware store guys actually mentioned those, but he recommended against doing it with a TV. You think it's okay to try? I'm willing to spend the three bucks it would cost--well probably six, now that I have one screw and one screw with its head cut off (I couldn't find a smiley that was appropriate there).

kmcherry

Yeah, this is why I am ambivalent about the power tools. The manual says you should always have the TV standing up or laying face down. So should I tilt it backwards a bit with the screen facing up?

kmcherry

I forgot to say: They aren't spinning; they're not moving at all. The local hardware store didn't carry the Irwins, so I'll have to order them online. I'll try placing the TV on its back first, of course. That makes more sense than holding it at an angle, so thanks for the tip.

The problem is definitely similar to the one you had, Lemmy: The screws are narrow, but deep. And the base into which they are screwed is a good ways back from where the head is.

Thanks all for your help in this saga. The new TV solution is less appealing as, thanks again to our new house, we need new gutters, which, according to my dear wife, takes precedence over the new TV.

DoubleDownAgain

Women....

kmcherry

No kidding. What's the point of a dry house if you can't mount a big screen TV on the wall?

Anyway, I tried getting the screws out with the TV on its back. This might have had some success at an earlier stage--before the head was snapped off one and I tried to drill out the other. However, not much luck: I was able to get a slightly better angle with the vise grip and needlenose pliers, but all that happened was that the screw refused to move and stripped off some of the "threads" on them.

I did try unscrewing the bottom, metal part of the base. (Beneath the plastic is a metal plate--for lack of a better word--which is what the poles going into the TV attach to.) I felt a little slack and thought I might be able to get something going that way. While I was unable to unscrew two of the four screws that hold the poles onto the base, I couldn't get them out: They were loose, but blocked by the TV itself once unscrewed. In either case, the other two screws were directly below the TV and I probably couldn't get those out, either.

I have to say, I am beginning to take this as a personal challenge from Panasonic to me.

kmcherry

Apropos of nothing, I thought I would inform you all that the base I am trying to destroy is listed as 122.09 for a replacement part on Panasonic's web site.

kmcherry

Well, I can testify that it is pretty durable. I wonder if they'd tell me what it is made of and whether I can cut through it with something short of a weapons-grade laser.

PS: Anyone know where I can find one of those?

kmcherry

Also the poles I am so frustrated by cost 37.50 each.

A Panasonic rep tonight (I call them just for kicks now) suggested applying heat to the screws, as long as it didn't get near the TV.

Spiky

Wouldn't that make them expand, thus be even tighter?

kmcherry

I'm no engineer, but I believe that metal expands when heated, yes.

Of course, maybe they meant heating it to such a level that its molecular structure collapsed. But then I would think they would have been more specific.

kmcherry

The good news is that the base is off. The bad news is that I cannot give a full account of how this happened.

I went to the local Ace hardware to order the removers mentioned above. When I got there and explained teh situation, the guy said, "You know, there's a Panasonic repair place in town. I know most of those places are pretty lousy, but this one's pretty good." He recommended giving them a call.

I called, and the manager talked to one of the techs, who quoted me a price of $60 to remove the screws. I almost fell out of my chair. I made sure they understood the issues, but they said while it might take a couple of days, it wouldn't be a problem.

So I dropped it off last Friday, and picked it up today. $60, start to finish, TV in fine shape, base in (almost) fine shape.

They were able, in fact, to get one of the screws out with a wrench. I asked if it was a special wrench. They laughed, and said, no, it's a special set of muscles. I guess experience matters.

With the screw whose head was already snapped off, they had a tougher time but ended up drilling the screw JUST far enough that they could slide the base off, far before it could damage the TV.

So the base is off, I can wall mount it--as soon as I can find 45mm M8 screws that have a Philips head . . . The only issue is that there's still a bit of screw left in the one hole in the base. I don't think that'll be an issue in the future, and if worse comes to worse, I think three screws will hold out--especially given that one, if not two, will get stuck . . .

Thank you to everyone in the forum. I am sorry I can't give a more scientific report of what worked, but for $60, and to avoid the stress of having to do work that I'm not really good at on a fairly expensive TV . . . it was worth it to me.

Spiky

Ah, professionals. Always seem to get the job done, eh?

JZ1276

heating the metal would make it expand. heating the plastic around the screws would soften it up making the screws able to turn.

Spiky

The screws go into metal, too. Plastic isn't strong enough to hold up a TV directly, so the holes are lined with metal, possibly attached to a metal frame inside. For quality TVs, anyway.

paradicelost

I've only had that problem with the new Samsung LEDs, we have a few of those that are supposed to be mounted at workbut are not because of the idiots who put the bases on when we first got them out(mainly me) stripped the screws and now its almost impossible to get the base off.
Glad it worked out for you.