Macbook Unibody Model A1342 Heat Sink Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

Time Required

                          15 - 30 minutes

Sections

Lower Case
2 steps
Battery
1 step
Rear Vent
3 steps
Logic Board
14 steps
Heat Sink
2 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Lower Case

Remove the eight 4 mm Phillips screws securing the lower case to the MacBook.

Remove the eight 4 mm Phillips screws securing the lower case to the MacBook.

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Step 2

The lower case is constructed of rubber-coated aluminum. Do not excessively bend the aluminum during removal, as any permanent deformation will cause tolerance issues after reassembly.
Slightly lift the lower case near the vent opening.
Continue running your fingers between the lower and upper cases until the upper case pops off its retaining clips.
The location of these three clips is shown in the third picture.

The lower case is constructed of rubber-coated aluminum. Do not excessively bend the aluminum during removal, as any permanent deformation will cause tolerance issues after reassembly.

Slightly lift the lower case near the vent opening.

Continue running your fingers between the lower and upper cases until the upper case pops off its retaining clips.

The location of these three clips is shown in the third picture.

Step 3

              Battery

For precautionary purposes, we advise that you disconnect the battery connector from the logic board to avoid any electrical discharge. This step is optional and is not required.
Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery connector up out of its socket on the logic board.
It may be easier to use your fingernails to lift up on both sides of the connector.

For precautionary purposes, we advise that you disconnect the battery connector from the logic board to avoid any electrical discharge. This step is optional and is not required.

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

It may be easier to use your fingernails to lift up on both sides of the connector.

Step 4

              Rear Vent

Remove the following screws from the optical drive side of the rear vent:
Two 10 mm T8 Torx
Two 5.2 mm Phillips

Remove the following screws from the optical drive side of the rear vent:

Two 10 mm T8 Torx

Two 5.2 mm Phillips

Step 5

Remove the following screws from the port side of rear vent:
Two 10 mm T8 Torx
Two 5.2 mm Phillips

Remove the following screws from the port side of rear vent:

Step 6

Carefully lift the rear vent out of the upper case.

Carefully lift the rear vent out of the upper case.

Step 7

              Logic Board

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the AirPort/Bluetooth ribbon cable up off the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the AirPort/Bluetooth ribbon cable up off the logic board.

Step 8

Use a spudger to pry the fan connector straight up and 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 the fan connector straight up and 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 9

Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the upper case:
One 7.1 mm Phillips screw.
Two 5 mm Phillips screws.
Lift the fan out of the upper case.

Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the upper case:

One 7.1 mm Phillips screw.

Two 5 mm Phillips screws.

Lift the fan out of the upper case.

Step 10

Carefully pry the delicate rear speaker connector up off the logic board. These small L/R speaker connectors are quite easily broken.
Use extreme caution; this connector is easily destroyed.

Carefully pry the delicate rear speaker connector up off the logic board. These small L/R speaker connectors are quite easily broken.

Use extreme caution; this connector is easily destroyed.

Step 11

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the optical drive connector up off the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the optical drive connector up off the logic board.

Step 12

Use a spudger to pry the right speaker connector and sleep LED connector up off the logic board.
These connectors are very delicate and easily broken.

Use a spudger to pry the right speaker connector and sleep LED connector up off the logic board.

These connectors are very delicate and easily broken.

Step 13

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

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

Step 14

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

Use your fingernail to flip up the locking flap on the ZIF socket for the keyboard ribbon cable.

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

Step 15

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

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

Step 16

Use a spudger to pry the left speaker connector and microphone connector up off the logic board.
These connectors are very delicate and easily broken.

Use a spudger to pry the left speaker connector and microphone connector up off the logic board.

Step 17

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

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

Step 18

Gently pull the display data cable connector away from its socket on the logic board.
Pull the socket parallel to the face of the logic board.
The display data cable socket is made of very thin metal and is easily bent. Be sure to pull the connector straight away from its socket.

Gently pull the display data cable connector away from its socket on the logic board.

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

The display data cable socket is made of very thin metal and is easily bent. Be sure to pull the connector straight away from its socket.

Step 19

Remove the six 4.1 to 4.4 mm T6 Torx screws securing the logic board to the upper case.
Remove the two 4.1 to 4.5 mm T6 Torx screws securing the MagSafe board to the upper case.
On some models, these screws may be T7. Be careful not to strip away the head with a smaller bit.

Remove the six 4.1 to 4.4 mm T6 Torx screws securing the logic board to the upper case.

Remove the two 4.1 to 4.5 mm T6 Torx screws securing the MagSafe board to the upper case.

On some models, these screws may be T7. Be careful not to strip away the head with a smaller bit.

Step 20

Lift the side of the logic board opposite the ports out of the upper case.
Rotate the logic board away from the upper case until the ports clear the lip molded in the upper case.
Pull the logic board and MagSafe board away from the edge of the upper case as one piece.
The MagSafe board may get accidentally disconnected during this process. As a precaution, be sure the MagSafe board connector is securely seated in its socket before lowering the logic board back into the upper case.
Before lowering the logic board back into the upper case, be sure the left speaker and microphone cables are seated in their channels cut into the upper case (as seen in the third picture).

Lift the side of the logic board opposite the ports out of the upper case.

Rotate the logic board away from the upper case until the ports clear the lip molded in the upper case.

Pull the logic board and MagSafe board away from the edge of the upper case as one piece.

The MagSafe board may get accidentally disconnected during this process. As a precaution, be sure the MagSafe board connector is securely seated in its socket before lowering the logic board back into the upper case.

Before lowering the logic board back into the upper case, be sure the left speaker and microphone cables are seated in their channels cut into the upper case (as seen in the third picture).

Step 21

              Heat Sink

Remove the four 8.3 mm shouldered Phillips screws securing the heat sink to the logic board.
Keep track of the springs under each of the screws.

Remove the four 8.3 mm shouldered Phillips screws securing the heat sink to the logic board.

Keep track of the springs under each of the screws.

Step 22

Lift the heat sink off the logic board.
If you need to mount the heat sink back into the laptop, we have a thermal paste guide that makes replacing the thermal compound easy.

Lift the heat sink off the logic board.

If you need to mount the heat sink back into the laptop, we have a thermal paste guide that makes replacing the thermal compound easy.

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

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                                                                                      36 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 4 other contributors

                    Walter Galan

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João Medina - Apr 28, 2018

I really need to replace the thermal paste but, man, this is A LOT of screws!!!

Jorge Hernandez - Jun 15, 2018

yeah same bro. im going to upgrade the ram, replace the drive with another hard drive, and re paste it.

Spaced Invader - Sep 23, 2018

p.mikes - Mar 11, 2019

It works, thank so much guys.

lynn6202388 - Mar 28, 2020

Hi this Lynn I’m going to order a fan and a heatsink for a1342 laptop hope some one

Can do a video taking heatsink off and off

And putting it back together again

Thank you and be Blessed

Introduction#

What you need#

Introduction

What you need