Stuck Norco 4020 Case Top

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pirivan

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
346
I posted this issue more or less on my WHS upgrade plan thread but I thought it might be better to try starting a new thread about it so that I might get a few suggestions.

I have a Norco 4020 case which I have been very pleased with. Unfortunately, recently, I attempted to open the case (after REMOVING the 4 screws) and found that it literally will not budge more than ¼ of an inch or so. I have tried pushing on the locking mechanism buttons and attempting to ‘slide’ the case top backwards and it barely moves. The lock mechanism appears to be stuck.


  1. Anyone know of a work-around for a stuck case lid?
  2. Once I get the darn top off, is it possible to order a top for my Norco 4020 that does NOT have a locking mechanism?
    1. If I can’t order one, is there a way to cleanly disable the locking mechanism for the Norco 4020 case top? I don’t want it to ever get stuck like this again.
  3. Does anyone have any pictures of the bottom of their case lid? I don't know what the locking mechanism looks like and I thought it might be helpful to see it so that I could guess at where/what it might be getting stuck on.
I've tried to force it back with some screwdrivers under the case top but it doesn't appear to budge very far. I thought it would be better to get some suggestions before I potentially mess with it further. As usual any feedback would be much appreciated!
 
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Cant give yo much feedback. Just keep futzing with it. I eventually had to access machine parts and I just forced it off and it bent the teeth used for the locking mechanism so mine pretty much doesn't lock anymore. This was my old crappy 4020 that had bad LED's though so I wasn't that sad about it getting a little messed up.
 
Thanks for the reply Houkouonchi ! How did you force it off? Did you jam screw-drivers into the front under the "lip" of the cover and then hammer em or something else? I'm not thrilled with the idea about really messing it up but I have to get at the internal components somehow.

It's sad when you "google" for potential other resolutions to an issue and the most relevant result is your own post looking for a solution! It's like looking into a mirror looking into a mirror.
 
HAHA yeah I hate that! Basically I have had the top get stuck a bunch of times but the last time it was really bad. You can try putting a screw driver between the top and the case itself (on the side of the case) and another screw driver in the front (both flat head).

You can then try to have the top go up and down with the screw driver on the sides (I know it usually will only go a little bit) and try to use the other screw driver as a wedge in the front to see if you can get it to come off.

I totally took the front off and stuff and came tot he conclusion I wasn't gonna get it off unless I forced it (you might not be there yet). So I finally think I did use a rubber malletand a flat head screw driver to force it off (going the same way it would normally come off) and it basically just bent the tabs that were holding the top at its position (kind of in the middle-edge area of the top).

Sorry I couldn't be much more help. I know how much of a PITA it is as even getting it off at all I probably spent 30 minutes or more futzing with it before I got it off by damaging the case.
 
Houkouonchi, a great many thanks to you sir! In case this comes up for anyone else, I did pretty much exactly what you said. I was able to force it up with screw-drivers on the left side and then force up the little top "lip" in the front (until it popped up over the black 'top' portion) and then pop the right side up with more flat-head screw drivers. All-in-all I only scratched a bit of the black paint off in the front so it's not very noticeable. That really was a huge pain in the ass. What an atrocious little locking mechanism! I think I am just going to completely flatten the 'security' little metal tabs/flaps so that it can't "lock" anymore but so that I can still use the top.

Anyhow, thank you so much again. I am positive that you saved me many additional hours of agony!

@Tolyngee

I am glad I didn't need to go THAT route haha!
 
I feel your pain (literally...the metal edges on that case are SHARP). Anyway, what works for me is to put on some heavy cowhide work gloves and pull HARD on the rear lip of the lid (i.e. in the back of the case). You have to get the lock buttons to release before you do this of course. I'd be careful about trying to pry at it with screwdrivers from the front. The front bezel doesn't look like it's attached too strongly and you could bend or break it off.

I've also found that it helps a bit to lube the parts of the lid and case that slide against each other with a teflon dry lubricant. I made a post about this in the big Norco storage thread floating around this forum.

Also, sometimes the lid can get twisted if one side releases and the other doesn't, so if it feels jammed, try pushing hard on it from the back (i.e. like you were sliding the lid back on) to square it up, then start over again.
 
Interesting, good points Metaluna. I wish I had thought of using some sort of lubricant on the lock area; did not occur to me. Either way I have "modified" the case lock by bending the little "tabs" on the bottom of the case top straight down so that the case can move into place but so that it can't lock. Ultimately I'm not at all pleased with how much trouble it was but Norco DID mention to me that they might have a case cover without a lock on it for the 4020/4220/4224 case in a month or so so at least there is that.
 
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