Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

21

Time Required

                          1 - 2 hours

Sections

5

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Battery
  • 1 step
  • Fan
  • 3 steps
  • Logic Board
  • 13 steps
  • Heat Sink
  • 2 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Remove the lower case screws
  • Remove the following 10 screws securing the lower case to the MacBook Pro 13" Unibody:
  • Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.
  • Three 13.5 mm Phillips screws.

Remove the following 10 screws securing the lower case to the MacBook Pro 13" Unibody:

Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.

Three 13.5 mm Phillips screws.

1024

Step 2

              Lift the lower case away
  • Slightly lift the lower case and push it toward the rear of the computer to free the mounting tabs.

Slightly lift the lower case and push it toward the rear of the computer to free the mounting tabs.

Step 3

              Battery
  • For precautionary purposes, we advise that you disconnect the battery connector from the logic board to avoid any electrical discharge.
  • Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery connector up out of its socket on the logic board.

For precautionary purposes, we advise that you disconnect the battery connector from the logic board to avoid any electrical discharge.

Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery connector up out of its socket on the logic board.

Step 4

              Fan
  • Use a spudger to pry up the fan connector out of its socket on the logic board.
  • It is useful to twist the spudger axially from beneath the fan cable wires to release the connector.
  • The fan socket and the fan connector can be seen in the second and third pictures. Be careful not to break the plastic fan socket off the logic board as you use your spudger to lift the fan connector straight up and out of its socket. The layout of the logic board shown in the second picture may look slightly different than your machine but the fan socket is the same.

Use a spudger to pry up the fan connector out of its socket on the logic board.

It is useful to twist the spudger axially from beneath the fan cable wires to release the connector.

The fan socket and the fan connector can be seen in the second and third pictures. Be careful not to break the plastic fan socket off the logic board as you use your spudger to lift the fan connector straight up and out of its socket. The layout of the logic board shown in the second picture may look slightly different than your machine but the fan socket is the same.

Step 5

  • Remove the following three screws:
  • One 7 mm T6 Torx screw
  • Two 5.4 mm T6 Torx screws

Remove the following three screws:

One 7 mm T6 Torx screw

Two 5.4 mm T6 Torx screws

Step 6

  • Lift the fan out of the upper case.

Lift the fan out of the upper case.

Step 7

              Logic Board
  • Grab the plastic pull tab secured to the display data cable lock and rotate it toward the DC-In side of the computer.
  • Gently pull the display data cable connector away parallel to the board.
  • Do not pull the connector upwards, or you may damage the connector.

Grab the plastic pull tab secured to the display data cable lock and rotate it toward the DC-In side of the computer.

Gently pull the display data cable connector away parallel to the board.

Do not pull the connector upwards, or you may damage the connector.

Step 8

  • Remove the following two screws securing the display data cable bracket to the upper case:
  • One 8.6 mm Phillips
  • One 5.6 mm Phillips
  • Lift the display data cable bracket out of the upper case.

Remove the following two screws securing the display data cable bracket to the upper case:

One 8.6 mm Phillips

One 5.6 mm Phillips

Lift the display data cable bracket out of the upper case.

Step 9

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the subwoofer and right speaker connector up off the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the subwoofer and right speaker connector up off the logic board.

Step 10

  • Pull the camera cable connector toward the optical drive to disconnect it from the logic board.
  • This socket is metal and can be easily bent. Be sure to align the connector with its socket on the logic board before mating the two pieces.

Pull the camera cable connector toward the optical drive to disconnect it from the logic board.

This socket is metal and can be easily bent. Be sure to align the connector with its socket on the logic board before mating the two pieces.

Step 11

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the optical drive, hard drive, and trackpad cable connectors up off the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the optical drive, hard drive, and trackpad cable connectors up off the logic board.

Step 12

  • Use your fingernail or the tip of a spudger to flip up the cable retaining flap on the ZIF socket for the keyboard ribbon cable.
  • Use your spudger to slide the keyboard ribbon cable out of its socket.

Use your fingernail or the tip of a spudger to flip up the cable retaining flap on the ZIF socket for the keyboard ribbon cable.

Use your spudger to slide the keyboard ribbon cable out of its socket.

Step 13

  • Peel the small strip of black tape off the keyboard backlight ribbon cable socket.

Peel the small strip of black tape off the keyboard backlight ribbon cable socket.

Step 14

  • Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the cable retaining flap on the ZIF socket for the keyboard backlight ribbon cable.
  • Use your spudger to slide the keyboard backlight ribbon cable out of its socket.

Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the cable retaining flap on the ZIF socket for the keyboard backlight ribbon cable.

Use your spudger to slide the keyboard backlight ribbon cable out of its socket.

Step 15

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the battery indicator cable connector up off the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the battery indicator cable connector up off the logic board.

Step 16

  • Use the tip of a spudger to pry the microphone off the adhesive attaching it to the upper case.

Use the tip of a spudger to pry the microphone off the adhesive attaching it to the upper case.

Step 17

  • Remove the following screws:
  • Two 7 mm T6 Torx screws from the DC-In board
  • Five 3.3 mm T6 Torx screws
  • Two 4 mm T6 Torx screws

Remove the following screws:

Two 7 mm T6 Torx screws from the DC-In board

Five 3.3 mm T6 Torx screws

Two 4 mm T6 Torx screws

Step 18

  • Removing the battery before lifting out the logic board is not strictly required, but makes removing the logic board easier and safer. If you leave your battery in, be especially careful not to bend the logic board against the battery’s case near its bar code.
  • Remove the following Tri-point screws securing the battery to the upper case:
  • One 5.5 mm Tri-point screw
  • One 13.5 mm Tri-point screw
  • Lift the battery out of the upper case.

Removing the battery before lifting out the logic board is not strictly required, but makes removing the logic board easier and safer. If you leave your battery in, be especially careful not to bend the logic board against the battery’s case near its bar code.

Remove the following Tri-point screws securing the battery to the upper case:

One 5.5 mm Tri-point screw

One 13.5 mm Tri-point screw

Lift the battery out of the upper case.

Step 19

  • Lift the logic board from its left edge and raise it until the ports clear the side of the upper case.
  • Pull the logic board away from the side of the upper case and remove it, minding the DC-In board that may get caught.

Lift the logic board from its left edge and raise it until the ports clear the side of the upper case.

Pull the logic board away from the side of the upper case and remove it, minding the DC-In board that may get caught.

Step 20

              Heat Sink
  • Remove the four 8.5 mm Phillips screws securing the heat sink to the logic board.
  • A spring is held under each of these screws. Be careful not to lose it.

Remove the four 8.5 mm Phillips screws securing the heat sink to the logic board.

A spring is held under each of these screws. Be careful not to lose it.

Step 21

  • Gently lift the heat sink off the logic board.
  • When you mount the heat sink back onto the logic board, be sure to apply a new layer of thermal paste. We have a guide that makes replacing the thermal paste easy.

Gently lift the heat sink off the logic board.

When you mount the heat sink back onto the logic board, be sure to apply a new layer of thermal paste. We have a guide that makes replacing the thermal paste easy.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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                    Walter Galan

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Pablo Klein - May 14, 2015

Reply

I enjoyed the process and the fixit guides are great. But I had one potentially fatal issue with the heat sink replacement guide (to apply thermal paste ). The guide says to “Pull the display data cable connector straight away from its socket” when it should say “gently pull it to the right in order to dislodge it from the socket, never pull upwards”. I pulled it upwards because I did not realize that it was a “sideways” socket, and almost broke the socket and had a blank screen on startup (gently righting the bent socket with a tweezers fixed it).

Ben Capehart - Aug 24, 2022

Very glad you’re able to fix the connector :)

William Roberts - Apr 15, 2020

Reply

Thank you for this write up. I was able to change out a bad logic board on my mid 2010 macbook pro that my ex wife had ruined with a spill of a soft drink. The heat sink on the new-used logic board was in worse shape than the original heat sink, so I had to swap them out. Wouldn’t have been able to do that without this guide. Once again, many thanks on helping to get new life into my 10 year old macbook pro :D

hassaan.rahim - Jul 2, 2021

Reply

having difficulties after changing my thermal paste, unable to get the MacBook to boot up. Tinkered around a bit and it booted up for one go then a few keys were not working so I had to reconnect the cable again then the laptop went off again. Please help.

Leo Magellan - Oct 16, 2022

Reply

Last night, I did the thermal paste on an Early 2011, 17" and had no trouble. Now, I just did the thermal paste for this one, Mid 2010, 13", but the machine won’t turn back on.

The battery indicator works on the outside of the machine works. I tried connecting the magsafe and its light did not turn on. I took the bottom case off, looked at the connectors, then tried the magsafe again. Now the magsafe seems to be working properly (green at first, then amber). I tried resetting SMC, got nothing.

I’m wondering if I damaged the hard drive cable. Would that cause the machine to be unresponsive? Is it safe to say the logic board is fine if the battery indicator is working?

Any other ideas? Thank you