Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

7

Time Required

                          20 - 30 minutes

Sections

3

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Battery Connector
  • 2 steps
  • Left Fan
  • 3 steps

Flags

0

  • BackMacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Lower Case
  • Remove the following ten screws securing the lower case to the upper case:
  • Three 13.5 mm (14.1 mm) Phillips screws.
  • Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.
  • When removing these screws, note how they come out at a slight angle. They must be reinstalled the same way.

Remove the following ten screws securing the lower case to the upper case:

Three 13.5 mm (14.1 mm) Phillips screws.

Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.

When removing these screws, note how they come out at a slight angle. They must be reinstalled the same way.

1024

Step 2

  • Using both hands, lift the lower case near the vent to pop it off two clips securing it to the upper case.
  • Remove the lower case and set it aside.

Using both hands, lift the lower case near the vent to pop it off two clips securing it to the upper case.

Remove the lower case and set it aside.

Step 3

              Battery Connector
  • For certain repairs (e.g. hard drive), disconnecting the battery connector is not necessary but is recommended as it prevents any accidental shorting of electronics on the motherboard. If you do not disconnect the battery connector, please be careful as parts of the motherboard might be electrified.
  • Use the edge of a spudger to pry the battery connector upwards from its socket on the logic board.
  • It is useful to pry upward on both short sides of the connector to “walk” it out of its socket.

For certain repairs (e.g. hard drive), disconnecting the battery connector is not necessary but is recommended as it prevents any accidental shorting of electronics on the motherboard. If you do not disconnect the battery connector, please be careful as parts of the motherboard might be electrified.

Use the edge of a spudger to pry the battery connector upwards from its socket on the logic board.

It is useful to pry upward on both short sides of the connector to “walk” it out of its socket.

Step 4

  • Bend the battery cable slightly away from its socket on the logic board so it does not accidentally connect itself while you work.

Bend the battery cable slightly away from its socket on the logic board so it does not accidentally connect itself while you work.

Step 5

              Left Fan
  • Remove the three 3.4 mm T6 Torx screws securing the left fan to the logic board.
  • In some models, these T6 Torx screws may be 3.1 mm long.

Remove the three 3.4 mm T6 Torx screws securing the left fan to the logic board.

In some models, these T6 Torx screws may be 3.1 mm long.

Step 6

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the left fan connector from 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 the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the left fan connector from 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 7

  • Lift the left fan out of the upper case.

Lift the left fan out of the upper case.

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

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                                                                                      61 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 3 other contributors 


                    Walter Galan

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Karen Ratte - Mar 4, 2016

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IT is unclear as to which is the LEFT fan. Not having opened the case. It appears that the LEFT FAN is on the right as you look at the screen monitor. yes?

marbordom - Jan 7, 2017

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jrthom96 - Apr 7, 2017

Reply

I’d assume that the left fan is on the left side of the computer when you’re using it. The pictures show that after the back plate is off, he’s working on the right side of the computer. When I did this, i ordered the left fan, and when i flipped the computer over to replace it, the fan i ordered worked.

Goulven Bazire - Jun 21, 2017

Reply

Super facile, et quel silence … enfin.

rockportcentennial - Sep 27, 2018

Reply

I tore the connectors off the logic board when removing the fan connector. Wasted my time and money on the new fans. Hopefully machine will operate with only one fan since that’s all I have now.