Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

17

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

5

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Battery
  • 1 step
  • Rear Vent
  • 3 steps
  • Optical Drive
  • 9 steps
  • Optical Drive
  • 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

              Optical Drive
  • Remove the single 12 mm Phillips screw securing the top of the rear speaker housing to the upper case.

Remove the single 12 mm Phillips screw securing the top of the rear speaker housing to the upper case.

Step 8

  • Remove the single 2.2 mm Phillips screw inserted horizontally into the side of the optical drive.
  • This screw is located in a gap within the right speaker assembly, and is visible only from the hinge edge.

Remove the single 2.2 mm Phillips screw inserted horizontally into the side of the optical drive.

This screw is located in a gap within the right speaker assembly, and is visible only from the hinge edge.

Step 9

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

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

Step 10

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the rear speaker connector up off the logic board.
  • Pry up underneath the wires.
  • This connector is very delicate and easily broken.

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

Pry up underneath the wires.

This connector is very delicate and easily broken.

Step 11

  • Carefully rotate the rear speaker assembly (with AirPort/Antenna cables still attached) out of the lower case.

Carefully rotate the rear speaker assembly (with AirPort/Antenna cables still attached) out of the lower case.

Step 12

  • 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 13

  • Remove the single 4.5 mm Phillips screw securing the optical drive bracket to the upper case near the fan.

Remove the single 4.5 mm Phillips screw securing the optical drive bracket to the upper case near the fan.

Step 14

  • Remove the two 2.5 mm Phillips screws securing the optical drive to the upper case near the optical drive opening.

Remove the two 2.5 mm Phillips screws securing the optical drive to the upper case near the optical drive opening.

Step 15

  • Lift the optical drive near its connector and pull it away from the upper case to remove it from the computer.

Lift the optical drive near its connector and pull it away from the upper case to remove it from the computer.

Step 16

              Optical Drive
  • Pull the optical drive cable connector away from the body of the optical drive.

Pull the optical drive cable connector away from the body of the optical drive.

Step 17

  • Remove the two black Phillips #0 screws securing the small metal mounting bracket. Transfer this bracket to your new optical drive or hard drive enclosure.

Remove the two black Phillips #0 screws securing the small metal mounting bracket. Transfer this bracket to your new optical drive or hard drive enclosure.

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

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                    Walter Galan

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aliautaud - Apr 8, 2012

Reply

Step 16, check that your new drive has the optical drive bracket from step 13. If not, transfer the optical drive bracket from step 13 to your new drive.

Steven Keplinger - Feb 13, 2016

Reply

Step 4-5 There is a screw in the center of the bar that looks like it might not be a hold down. It is. Be sure to remove it along with the other screws at each end of the bar per step 4 & 5 instructions.

Step 4-5

There is a screw in the center of the bar that must be removed, in addition to the screws noted in the instructions for step 4 and step 5. It looks like the bar might go over the screw. It doesn’t. The center screw holds the bar down. Remove it.

Nate - Dec 5, 2016

Reply

FYI, I replaced the drive and tried to cut a corner by not replacing the screw in step 8. This was a big mistake as it vibrated horribly even when level and still. Once I replaced the screw, the vibration was almost non-existent.

skully557 - Feb 24, 2017

Reply

Could I remove the drive completely and still use the computer?