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

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.

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.

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 port side of rear vent:

• Two 10 mm T8 Torx
• Two 5.2 mm Phillips

Carefully lift the rear vent out of the upper case.

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

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.