On Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:41:34 -0400, Bob wrote:

Hello,

The pushbutton, all plastic, piece that opens my microwave door broke,
but I was able to get a new one from a parts place on the internet.

But, the screws that hold the metal microwave cover in place are
apparently some kind of a safety-screw, which I'm having a lot of
trouble with.

Obviously, Whirlpool doesn't want the home user to take the cover off.

Absolutely. I had to beg the woman on the phone at the Amana parts
counter for a schematic of my Model-2, and convince her I knew what I
was doing and wouldn't kill myself. Even then I think she gave me
instructions on putting the metal microwave gasket back in exactly the
same place it was to begin with. (But you don't have to touch that.)

(The first parts person thought it was the microwave tube, $150; the
second thought it was the diodes ($50), and it turned out all I had to
do was put GE Silicone all over the wires to the diodes and it lasted
another 10 years (under a dollar).)

The small screw heads look like either Allen or Torex, but they have a
pin in the center to prevent any normal wrench from engaging.
Have never seen any Allen or Torex or..., with a hole in the center for
getting over the screw's pin.

It's probably a torx and the pin in the middle makes it a security
torx.

Before screwdriver tips were available, I'd drill out special screws
using a reversible drill running in reverse, and a left-handed drill
bit. Usually the bit would catch the screw and unscrew it before I
was done drilling, but not always.

There are probably a lot of places that sell sets of tips. HF does
and they are also the only place I know that sells left-handed drill
bits cheaply. I think there is only one name-brand maker of them, and
they're sold one at a time.

But drilling is a bad idea now that the bits are sold.


Any idea what kind of wrench might be called for ?

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Thanks,
Bob