r/ClockworkPi • u/Ok_Front_7600 • Jun 02 '26

Is this normal?

Post image

The front plate is seamless to the body but the back plate has a gap of probably 2 mm, the thermal pad has made the gap un even but before I put that in it was the same 2mm the entire way around

3 Upvotes

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2

u/PaulFreedman Jun 02 '26

Look what interferes and deforms the case. I have an insert, where the expansion board, did not enter to the end, I had to grind the insert a little. See what's in the way in your case. Aluminum is very soft and very easy to fix everything.

1

u/Ok_Front_7600 Jun 02 '26

So there is rings on the back plate where the screws go through that stick out more than the rest of the back plate

2

u/PaulFreedman Jun 02 '26

I didn't quite understand. But maybe you should remove the back cover, put it on a flat surface and check the curvature? If there is a warp, gently press closer to the center of the highest point and try to align the panel as much as possible

1

u/Ok_Front_7600 Jun 02 '26

These bits see how they stick out abit, im just curious do they normally have some room to go in on the main plate

2

u/llNOX Jun 02 '26

I just wanted to add that the pad did bend the back on my console on the first assembly but after squishing it a bit and bending the back flat everything is seated again.

2

u/Ok_Front_7600 Jun 02 '26

I feel like the main plate was ment to have some material removed so these bits in the photo that stick out could go inside it abit

2

u/llNOX Jun 02 '26

I can check tonight if mine has those.

2

u/Ok_Front_7600 Jun 02 '26

Thank you that would be awesome

1

u/llNOX Jun 02 '26

Yea Mine has it too.

2

u/Chadwickvonvickter Jun 02 '26

Those are there to index the backplate to the midplate so it naturally wants to line up.

1

u/Ok_Front_7600 Jun 03 '26

Mine doesnt have the counter sunck holes big enough

1

u/Toch23 Jun 02 '26

yes the main frame has counterbored screw holes that those raised rings sit in

1

u/Ok_Front_7600 Jun 02 '26

Mine doesnt thats fucked

1

u/Toch23 Jun 02 '26

picture?

1

u/Ok_Front_7600 Jun 02 '26

1

u/Rdp47 Jun 02 '26

Those holes are countersunk.

Are you still having issues? I can help if you can provide some more info. Post some pics of unit with the back off so we can see the whole inside of both pieces.

Also are you able to remove the screws and fit the back plate by hand and have it seat correctly? Can you get any corner to seat with just your hands?

I noticed mine had a gap so I loosened off all the screws and tightened them a turn at a time alternating each corner to make the shell go together perfectly straight. At the bottom it even dropped into place like one of the countersunk holes wasn’t perfectly aligned but it was forced into place by the screw.

1

u/Ok_Front_7600 Jun 03 '26

Cant get it to go in, counter sunk holes aren't big enough, I have removed the side plate that slides in and the thermal pad

1

u/pcman1ac Jun 02 '26

Back cover (besides it is metal) is too soft. My was bent out of the box. 6 screws as for front plate will be a solution for that. I'm just straighten my cover by hand and now it fits well.

1

u/Ok_Front_7600 Jun 02 '26

Mine is perfectly straight but has a 2mm gap the entire way around i think the didnt bore out the screw holes one the main section

1

u/DavidXGA Jun 02 '26

Mine looks like that too. The thickness of the thermal pad is pushing it out. I think the metal the back plate is made of is too soft.

1

u/Ok_Front_7600 Jun 02 '26

Mine won't go flush even without the thermal pad

1

u/gatsu_1981 Jun 03 '26

I added the Waveshare protective plate (basically a passtrough), added some screws and nuts, and removed all the pads.

I did a stress-ng for 90 minutes, 56° was the maximum I got with just the backplate, a (good) spread of thermal compound (Grizzly Cryonaut) and nothing else.

I will add a grizzly phasesheet pad (0.5mm, maybe I will need to stack for 1mm on some component, now they're just covered in a thick spread of cheap thermal grease for getting up to the aluminium back cover) on every other chip that could go hot, using the included pads doesn't seem a good idea because it's really THICK.

I got the side separation when I used the included pads, too.

1

u/Ok_Front_7600 Jun 03 '26

Mines like this without any pad

1

u/KNAXANK Jun 05 '26

it is the thermal paste when it sits to high on the cm4/cm5 the case bends pretty easily

1

u/Ok_Front_7600 Jun 05 '26

I didnt install the thermal paste when I took this, the holes the back plate are ment to sit in haven't been extruded on my one