Installing iBook G3 Clamshell Upper Case

  • Author: iRobot
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Add Note x

Changing the top case will also give you a new trackpad.

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Relevant parts
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Add Note Edit Step 1 — Battery  ¶ 

  • Use a coin to turn both battery locking screws 90 degrees to the left.

  • Remove the battery cover.

  • Remove the battery from the computer by pulling up on the plastic tab.

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Add Note Edit Step 2 — Airport Card  ¶ 

  • Pull the keyboard release tabs toward you and lift up on the keyboard until it pops free. Note that the keyboard ribbon is still attached to the logic board, so you cannot completely remove the keyboard yet.

  • If the keyboard does not come free, use a small flathead screwdriver to turn the keyboard locking screw (between F4 and F5 key) 180 degrees in either direction and try again.

  • Rotate the keyboard away from the screen and rest it face-down on the trackpad area.

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Add Note Edit Step 3  ¶ 

  • If your computer does not have an airport card, you can skip the next two steps.

  • Grasp the clear plastic tab on the airport card and pull up and toward the display.

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Add Note Edit Step 4  ¶ 

  • Hold the airport card in one hand and use your other hand to remove the antenna cable.

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Add Note Edit Step 5 — Keyboard  ¶ 

  • Remove the two Phillips screws that secure the RAM shield.

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Add Note Edit Step 6  ¶ 

  • Grasp the wire metal bracket on top of the RAM shield and pull upward to remove the shield.

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Add Note Edit Step 7  ¶ 

  • Pull up the keyboard connector cable by its clear plastic loop.

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Add Note Edit Step 8 — Upper Case  ¶ 

  • Use a straightened paperclip to manually eject the CD-ROM tray.

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Add Note Edit Step 9  ¶ 

  • Turn the computer over so that the bottom is facing up.

  • Remove the following Torx screws:

    • Four short T8 Torx near the battery compartment.

    • Two long T8 Torx near the hinges.

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Add Note Edit Step 10  ¶ 

  • Pull the CD-ROM drive tray partly out.

  • Remove the silver Phillips screw from the plastic casing.

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Add Note Edit Step 11  ¶ 

  • Turn the computer over.

  • Remove the three Phillips screws.

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Add Note Edit Step 12  ¶ 

  • This is a diagram of the trackpad ribbon clamp connector you will disconnect in the next step.

  • 1) With your fingernails, grasp the locking bar on either side and pull up a small amount (about 1/16" or 2 mm).

  • 2) After disengaging the locking bar, slide the cable out of the connector.

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Add Note Edit Step 13  ¶ 

  • Loosen the trackpad clamp by pulling the top piece up slightly, freeing the trackpad ribbon.

  • Slide the orange trackpad ribbon out of the clamp.

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Add Note Edit Step 14  ¶ 

  • Do not lift the upper case too far without first disconnecting the audio cable.

  • Push out the rim of the lower case and pull up on the upper case, grasping it just to the left of the optical drive.

  • Repeat the above step on the upper left corner of the upper case, grasping the bottom left corner of the upper case.

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Add Note Edit Step 15  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the audio cable.

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Add Note Edit Step 16  ¶ 

  • Grasp the upper case on either side of the keyboard space and rotate up and away from the screen.

  • You may be thinking you're about to break your upper case. Not to worry - the tabs holding the upper and lower cases together are very strong. Simply apply even pressure and continue to rotate the upper case up and away from the screen until it comes free.

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

For more information, check out the iBook G3 Clamshell device page.

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