How to replace IntelliFlo keypad cover?

[DYIpoolguy]

One of the rubber key covers on my 2007 IntelliFlo has punctured, and I find a new rubber cover is obsolete. Pentair now uses a plastic cover (#350601) which I am told is compatible with my unit. I ordered a 350601 online today, but decided to see how easy it will be to install. I removed the 3 long screws holding the plastic cover in place, then the rubber cover and found the keyboard flopping around loose inside the compartment holding the motherboard. I fished it out and found a couple metal brackets attached to the back of the keyboard which fell off. When I reattached them it seems impossible to get the keypad back into the cavity. It looks like I need to remove the main cover to the motherboard which the manual says "do not remove". When I looked at these screws I see they are proprietary and have never seen a tool offered anywhere that can remove these screws. Is it possible to buy the tool somewhere? I hate to have to pay a service man to come out and reinstall the keypad with the new cover. I also noted that the LCD display just kind of floats around on the keypad until held firmly in place by the rubber gasket. In most LCD applications the LCD panel is socketed or soldered to the circuit board.

I am a jack-of-all trades fix it man, but these proprietary screws are a deliberate Pentair roadblock. Can anybody help me? While studying the guts it is totally unclear how those metal brackets on the back of the keypad rest inside the cavity (if I could get the keypad back in). I'm pretty sure it will be clear if I can get those screws out to put the keypad in place from the inside of the cavity.

 

[Bama Rambler]

What does the screww head look like. There are tons of different style and size security screws out there. Harbor Frieght sells a security screw kit that has a bunch of different styles and sizes, from double pin to trilobe. I'm sure several other places sell them too.

 

[DYIpoolguy]

Looks like a torx head with a round post in the middle.

 

[Bama Rambler]

That's pretty common. It's called a security torx. You can find those tools at most big box stores. I have a folding set of those.

 

[DYIpoolguy]

Thanks, after checking online I find that most of these sets are made in China of inferior steel and break quite easily. It appears that the screws in the Pentair may need some force to remove so I am going to order a set of Vermont American extra-hard bits with lifetime guarantee which I found on Amazon along with all the breakable Chinese sets. Hopefully these will do the trick.

 

[DYIpoolguy]

This situation has now become more complicated. The Pentair tech I have been communicating with says under no circumstances to remove those case screws since underneath it are large capacitors whose stored voltage can easily kill. I was not planning on messing around in there just to lift it enough to reinsert the keypad with metal brackets attached into the cavity. The tech says if I can't get the keypad back in without taking out those screws I will need a need a new drive for the pump. Having built several tube and transistor televisions in my earlier life I am well aware of the need to discharge large capacitors to ground when working around them. Anything different about this situation? Comments appreciated.

 

[DYIpoolguy]

Just got off the phone with senior tech supervisor at Pentair and he admitted I got bum advice from tech but said Pentair can do nothing to help me. He also suggested I buy a new drive unit. They are only a seller and farm out warranty work so they have no old units laying around to play with or pirate parts from. All he could say was he wished he could help but he could not. He said drives were assembled by a third party and it was impossible for him to contact them to try and get either a new keyboard with cover or just the cover.

I will be on my own on this one. The new driver for the proprietary screws comes on Monday so will tackle the job then.

 

[DYIpoolguy]

Well the job is complete. Again Pentair tech had no idea what was under the cover with the proprietary screws. I removed them and lifted off the metal cover to find just the bottom of the circuit board one could see when the keypad was out. No protruding capacitors or anything I could see which could be dangerous other than poking around on the bottom of the circuit board. With the cover off, the keypad slipped back inside and was firmly in place in seconds. Cover back on and I am back in business without having to buy a new drive like Pentair said would be necessary.