Installing MacBook Pro 15" Core 2 Duo Model A1211 Lower Case

  • Author: iRobot
  • Difficulty: Very difficult
  • Add Note x
  • x 10

Replacing the metal bottom case.

Sections
Tools
Tools (continued)
Relevant parts
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Add Note Edit Step 1 — Battery  ¶ 

  • Use your fingers to push both battery release tabs away from the battery, and lift the battery out of the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 2 — RAM Shield  ¶ 

  • Remove the three identical Phillips screws from the memory door.

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Add Note Edit Step 3  ¶ 

  • Lift the memory door up enough to get a grip on it, and slide it toward you, pulling it away from the casing.

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Add Note Edit Step 4 — Upper Case  ¶ 

  • Remove the two 2.8 mm Phillips screws in the battery compartment near the latch.

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Add Note Edit Step 5  ¶ 

  • Remove the following 6 screws:

    • Two 10 mm T6 Torx screws on either side of the RAM slot.

    • Four 14.5 mm Phillips screws along the hinge.

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Add Note Edit Step 6  ¶ 

  • Remove the four 3.2 mm Phillips screws on the port side of the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 7  ¶ 

  • Rotate the computer 90 degrees and remove the two 3.2 mm Phillips screws from the rear of the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 8  ¶ 

  • Rotate the computer 90 degrees again and remove the four 3.2 mm Phillips screws from the side of the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 9  ¶ 

  • Do not yank the upper case off quickly. The case is attached to the logic board via a ribbon cable.

  • Lift up at the rear of the case and work your fingers along the sides, freeing the case as you go. Once you have freed the sides, you may need to rock the case up and down to free the front of the upper case (there are some hidden plastic clips that need to be clicked off).

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Add Note Edit Step 10  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the trackpad and keyboard ribbon cable from the logic board, removing tape as necessary.

  • Remove the upper case.

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Add Note Edit Step 11 — Optical Drive  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the orange SuperDrive ribbon cable from the logic board, removing tape as necessary.

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Add Note Edit Step 12  ¶ 

  • Remove the following 4 screws:

    • Two 3.3 mm silver Phillips screws on either side of the SuperDrive.

    • One 4.7 mm silver T6 Torx screw from the top left corner of the drive

    • One 6.2 mm black Phillips screw at the top right corner of the drive.

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Add Note Edit Step 13  ¶ 

  • Lift the optical drive up and out of the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 14 — Logic Board  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the hard drive and ExpressCard connectors from the left side of the logic board.

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Add Note Edit Step 15  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the iSight and display data cables from the logic board by sliding the cables out of their connectors, removing tape as necessary.

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Add Note Edit Step 16  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the eight indicated connectors by placing a spudger beneath each cable and lifting up.

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Add Note Edit Step 17  ¶ 

  • Remove the silver T6 Torx screw securing the ground loop in the display data cable to the casing.

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Add Note Edit Step 18  ¶ 

  • Remove the single T6 Torx screw securing the clear plastic shield over the right ambient light sensor.

  • Lift the clear plastic shield off the right ambient light sensor.

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Add Note Edit Step 19  ¶ 

  • Peel up the orange Kapton tape securing the right thermal sensor cable to the logic board.

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Add Note Edit Step 20  ¶ 

  • Remove the following 15 screws:

    • One 4.4 mm black Phillips screw to the right of the ram slot.

    • Eight 4.7 mm silver T6 Torx screws securing the logic board to the lower case.

    • One 6.2 mm black T6 Torx screw on the right side of the left fan.

    • Five 9.4 mm silver T6 Torx screws securing the left and right fans.

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Add Note Edit Step 21  ¶ 

  • Hold the logic board down with one hand and use your other hand to lift the left fan up from its housing. There is a piece of black tape securing the fan to the heat sink. Carefully peel this tape up from the heat sink as you lift the fan up.

  • Place the fan above the Airport card. It is not necessary to remove the fan from the computer entirely.

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Add Note Edit Step 22  ¶ 

  • Lift the right fan up and carefully peel up the tape securing the fan to the heat sink as you go.

  • Remove the right fan from the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 23  ¶ 

  • Lift up the left side of the logic board and disconnect the gray and black power cable from the bottom of the board.

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Add Note Edit Step 24  ¶ 

  • Grasp the logic board at the left side and at the thin section, and rotate the logic board out of the lower case.

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Add Note Edit Step 25 — Lower Case  ¶ 

  • Lift the heat sink out of the computer.

  • 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.

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Add Note Edit Step 26  ¶ 

  • Peel up the left ambient light sensor cable from above the left fan, removing tape as necessary.

  • Remove the left fan from the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 27  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the three antenna cables attached to the Airport Extreme card.

  • Apple was kind enough to include a label showing where each color antenna cable plugs in - just make sure to look at this when reconnecting the antenna cables.

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Add Note Edit Step 28  ¶ 

  • Deroute the Airport antenna cables from their channel in the left speaker.

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Add Note Edit Step 29  ¶ 

  • Remove the single black T6 Torx screw located just above the Airport Extreme card.

  • Lift the small silver metal retaining bracket up and out of the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 30  ¶ 

  • Lift the Airport Extreme card up and slide it out of its connector.

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Add Note Edit Step 31  ¶ 

  • Peel up the orange hard drive cable from above the ExpressCard cage.

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Add Note Edit Step 32  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the speaker cable from the corner of the left I/O board.

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Add Note Edit Step 33  ¶ 

  • Carefully peel up the black adhesive tape securing the speaker cable along the rear edge of the lower case.

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Add Note Edit Step 34  ¶ 

  • Continue to free the speaker cable from the black tape until it is free from all three sections of tape.

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Add Note Edit Step 35  ¶ 

  • Remove the single black T6 Torx screw securing the right speaker to the lower case.

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Add Note Edit Step 36  ¶ 

  • Use a spudger to pry up the right speaker from the lower case.

  • Remove the speakers from the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 37  ¶ 

  • Support the display with one hand while removing the following 3 screws:

    • Two 9.5 mm silver T6 Torx screws with threads on only part of the shaft on the inside of the display hinges.

    • One 9.5 mm silver T6 Torx screw with threads on the entire shaft on the outside of the left hinge.

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Add Note Edit Step 38  ¶ 

  • Grasp the display assembly on both sides and lift it up and out of the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 39  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the IR and sleep light cables from their connectors above the hard drive.

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Add Note Edit Step 40  ¶ 

  • Remove the two silver Phillips screws securing the hard drive retaining bracket to the lower case.

  • Lift the hard drive retaining bracket up and out of the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 41  ¶ 

  • Lift the hard drive up from the right side and remove it and the attached cable from the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 42  ¶ 

  • Remove the following 7 screws/standoffs:

    • Four black T6 Torx screws securing the left I/O board to the lower case.

    • Two silver T6 Torx screws securing the battery connector to the lower case.

    • One 4 mm standoff located between the audio jacks.

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Add Note Edit Step 43  ¶ 

  • Lift the left I/O board up from the right side and slide it out of the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 44  ¶ 

  • Peel up the orange Kapton tape covering the right thermal sensor.

  • Use a spudger to pry the right thermal sensor off the lower case.

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Add Note Edit Step 45  ¶ 

  • Use a spudger to pry up the PRAM battery off the lower case.

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Add Note Edit Step 46  ¶ 

  • Lower case remains.

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

For more information, check out the MacBook Pro 15" Core 2 Duo Model A1211 device page.

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