Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

6

Time Required

                          10 - 20 minutes

Sections

3

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Battery
  • 1 step
  • Left Fan
  • 3 steps

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0

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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 Phillips screws.
  • Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.

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

Three 13.5 mm Phillips screws.

Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.

1024

Step 2

  • Wedge your fingers between the lower case and the vent, and lift upward to release the two clips holding the lower case to the upper case.
  • During reassembly, carefully align the lower case and then press it firmly until both clips engage.
  • Remove the lower case.

Wedge your fingers between the lower case and the vent, and lift upward to release the two clips holding the lower case to the upper case.

During reassembly, carefully align the lower case and then press it firmly until both clips engage.

Remove the lower case.

Step 3

              Battery
  • Whenever working near the logic board, it is always wise to first disconnect the battery to avoid short circuits.
  • If present, grab the plastic tab attached to the battery connector and pull it toward the front edge of the device. For Late-2011 models the battery connector will not have a tab and is simply a plug that inserts straight down into the motherboard–to remove pry the plug straight up.
  • If the plastic tab is missing, use a spudger to pry the connector up from its socket.
  • Pull the tab parallel to the face of the logic board.

Whenever working near the logic board, it is always wise to first disconnect the battery to avoid short circuits.

If present, grab the plastic tab attached to the battery connector and pull it toward the front edge of the device. For Late-2011 models the battery connector will not have a tab and is simply a plug that inserts straight down into the motherboard–to remove pry the plug straight up.

If the plastic tab is missing, use a spudger to pry the connector up from its socket.

Pull the tab parallel to the face of the logic board.

Step 4

              Left Fan
  • Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the left 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 the flat end of a spudger to lift the left 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 three 3.1 mm Phillips screws securing the left fan to the logic board.
  • In the Late 2011 MacBook Pro 17" Unibody these screws will be T6 Torx.

Remove the three 3.1 mm Phillips screws securing the left fan to the logic board.

In the Late 2011 MacBook Pro 17" Unibody these screws will be T6 Torx.

Step 6

  • Remove the left fan from the upper case, minding its cable that may get caught.

Remove the left fan from the upper case, minding its cable that may get caught.

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

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                    Andrew Bookholt

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Leo Lambert Jr - May 1, 2019

Reply

As long as I had the machine open for the battery, made sense to replace the fans. I had forgot how quite my MacBook Pro was, until I put the new fans in. Thanks ifixit!!