Difficulty
Moderate
Steps
15
Time Required
30 minutes - 2 hours
Sections
4
- Lower Case
- 3 steps
- Battery Connector
- 3 steps
- Heat Sink
- 4 steps
- Fan
- 5 steps
Flags
0
BackMacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Late 2013
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Introduction
Don’t forget to follow our thermal paste application guide before you reinstall your heat sink.
What you need
Step 1
Lower Case
- Remove the following ten screws securing the lower case to the upper case:
- Two 2.3 mm P5 Pentalobe screws
- Eight 3.0 mm P5 Pentalobe screws
- Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your device.
Remove the following ten screws securing the lower case to the upper case:
Two 2.3 mm P5 Pentalobe screws
Eight 3.0 mm P5 Pentalobe screws
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your device.
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Step 2
- Wedge your fingers between the upper case and the lower case.
- Gently pull the lower case away from the upper case to remove it.
Wedge your fingers between the upper case and the lower case.
Gently pull the lower case away from the upper case to remove it.
Step 3
- The lower case is connected to the upper case with two plastic clips near its center.
- During reassembly, gently push down the center of the lower case to reattach the two plastic clips.
The lower case is connected to the upper case with two plastic clips near its center.
During reassembly, gently push down the center of the lower case to reattach the two plastic clips.
Step 4
Battery Connector
- If necessary, remove the plastic cover adhered to the battery contact board.
If necessary, remove the plastic cover adhered to the battery contact board.
Step 5
- Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery connector straight up out of its socket on the logic board.
- Be sure you lift up only on the connector itself, not the socket, or you risk permanent damage to the logic board.
Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery connector straight up out of its socket on the logic board.
Be sure you lift up only on the connector itself, not the socket, or you risk permanent damage to the logic board.
Step 6
- Bend the battery connector up out of the way to prevent accidental contact with its socket during your repair.
Bend the battery connector up out of the way to prevent accidental contact with its socket during your repair.
Step 7
Heat Sink
- Carefully remove the rubber fan bumper from the edge of the heat sink.
- The fan bumper wraps around the heat sink and fits into slots in the fan duct. During reassembly, be sure to fit the tabs into the notches in the fan duct.
Carefully remove the rubber fan bumper from the edge of the heat sink.
The fan bumper wraps around the heat sink and fits into slots in the fan duct. During reassembly, be sure to fit the tabs into the notches in the fan duct.
Step 8
- Use the flat end of a spudger to peel the four foam stickers off of the heat sink screws.
Use the flat end of a spudger to peel the four foam stickers off of the heat sink screws.
Step 9
- Remove the following screws securing the heat sink to the logic board:
- Four 2.6 mm T5 screws
- One 2.4 mm Phillips #000 screw
Remove the following screws securing the heat sink to the logic board:
Four 2.6 mm T5 screws
One 2.4 mm Phillips #000 screw
Step 10
- Remove the heat sink from the laptop.
- When reassembling your computer, follow our thermal paste application guide to reapply the thermal paste.
Remove the heat sink from the laptop.
When reassembling your computer, follow our thermal paste application guide to reapply the thermal paste.
Step 11
Fan
- Use the tip of a spudger to push on either side of the the iSight camera cable connector to walk it out of its socket on the logic board.
Use the tip of a spudger to push on either side of the the iSight camera cable connector to walk it out of its socket on the logic board.
Step 12
- Peel the iSight camera cable off the fan housing to fold it out of the way.
Peel the iSight camera cable off the fan housing to fold it out of the way.
Step 13
- Use the tip of a spudger to flip the tab on the fan’s ZIF connector.
- Carefully pull the fan cable straight out of its socket.
Use the tip of a spudger to flip the tab on the fan’s ZIF connector.
Carefully pull the fan cable straight out of its socket.
Step 14
- Remove the following screws securing the fan to the upper case:
- One 5.0 mm T5 Torx screw
- Two 3.6 mm T5 Torx screws
Remove the following screws securing the fan to the upper case:
One 5.0 mm T5 Torx screw
Two 3.6 mm T5 Torx screws
Step 15
- Lift the end of the fan closest to the display hinge and remove the fan from the upper case.
Lift the end of the fan closest to the display hinge and remove the fan from the upper case.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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Author
with 5 other contributors
Sam Goldheart
Member since: 10/18/2012
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park changho - Apr 2, 2017
Reply
in step#9, Phillips # 000 screwdriver did not fit in replacing fan?
toodarkpark - Oct 22, 2018
Reply
When putting it all back together:
Step 15
Make sure to put the end furthest away from the hinge under the ribbon cable first.
Then place the hinge side. The screw furthest away from the hinge is partially obscured by the ribbon cable.
Step 14 (Part 1)
Start the screws enough to hold the fan in place but don’t tighten them until after step 13.
Step 13
Since the screws are not tight from step 14, putting the fan cable back into the ZIF connector is easier.
Step 14 (Part 2)
Tighten the screws after step 13
Step 12
Continue doing the steps backwards as normal.
Charlie Nancarrow - Apr 17, 2020
Reply
Should the fan on this machine be on all the time, or only when needed?
