Does anyone have any tips for getting the side panel back on? I just spent like an hour trying to get all the screws to line up, stay in place, and tighten up. I still have 3 that screwed in all sideways and I can't get to straighten out.
I had the panel off because the top fan was making a racket. I put in a cable tie to hold back all the cables away of the fan. There was also an extra nut bouncing around in the case (must have been dropped in during assembly). Everything's working great now but man those screws are a royal pain.
I put a strip of tape on both sides of the "nuts" or whatever they are to hold them in place, worked great. I tried to do it without first too, it's not fun when the last one falls in..
As a routine matter, I am careful not to press against the threads when I back a screw out of an instrument. I loosened the screw a half turn, then backed them out by hand. The nuts did not fall out for me until I tapped one with my finger. I used a bamboo skewer to hold it in place while I started the screw back in, and turned it by sliding my fingertip sideways so that the slots aligned.
The second time I removed the top, I did knock one loose. I used two of the skewers like chopsticks and plucked it out of the bottom of the Avalon.
I really like the foam jig idea. Jigs are great, I always forget to make them.
When re-attaching, I turn every other screw so that it is not loose, then finish all the others. Then I turn them to where they are just starting to snug. Then I try to wiggle the case to anneal the alignment. Then I tighten it down to snug. My torque wrench is packed for moving, and I don't know the torque specification anyway, but my step-dad was a mechanic and I worked with lab instruments a long time, so I think I did ok just by "feel."
I think some of the screws were over tightened at the factory. The lock washers were flattened, and the aluminum plate was severely galled in a few instances.
and it is VERY LOUD! It is drawing 728 Watts at the wall. 
