Repairing Nintendo GameCube Optical Drive Assembly

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  • Author: mwbisson
  • Time required: 30 minutes
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Add Note x

This guide will teach you how to disassemble the GameCube Optical Drive Assembly for the purpose of accessing the Optical Drive and the laser.

Sections
Tools
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Add Note Edit Step 1 — Exterior Case  ¶ 

  • Flip the unit over and locate the four screws shown in the second photograph. Remove the four corner screws located on the bottom of the unit using a 4.5 mm Gamebit screwdriver.

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Add Note Edit Step 2  ¶ 

  • With the GameCube placed upside down, pull the bottom half of the unit away from the top outer casing.

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Add Note Edit Step 3 — Front and Back Panel  ¶ 

  • Depress clips and remove back panel as shown.

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Add Note Edit Step 4  ¶ 

  • Carefully unclip controller ports in the front of the unit.

    • A ribbon cable is still attached to the unit. Do not disconnect this cable (outlined in yellow).

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Add Note Edit Step 5  ¶ 

  • Remove the two Phillips #2 screws.

  • Carefully pull gray outer casing from circuit board.

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Add Note Edit Step 6 — Optical Drive Assembly  ¶ 

  • On the left side of the unit you'll find the cooling fan and its housing. Remove the two (2) Phillips #2 screws holding the cooling fan housing onto the unit.

    • Do not pull out the cooling fan wire (red and black wire) from the main unit as it will not be necessary to do so.

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Add Note Edit Step 7  ¶ 

  • Time to remove the two memory card ground springs located at the front of the console.

  • Remove four (4) Phillips #1 screws retaining the ground springs.

  • Carefully remove the ground springs as shown in the second photograph.

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Add Note Edit Step 8  ¶ 

  • The optical drive is screwed down to a metal plate.

  • Unscrew a total of twelve (12) Phillips #2 screws around the outer edge of the optical drive unit metal plate.

    • There are three (3) screws to the left of the metal plate.

    • Four (4) screws around the back of the metal plate.

    • Five (5) screws holding the right side of the metal plate to the Gamecube unit.

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Add Note Edit Step 9  ¶ 

  • Carefully separate the optical drive assembly from the rest of the unit.

    • The optical drive assembly is secured to the motherboard underneath using a slot. So some force will be needed when lifting the assemble from the motherboard.

    • The metal plate will still remain attached to the actual optical drive at this point. As shown in picture 3.

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Add Note Edit Step 10 — Optical Drive Assembly  ¶ 

  • At this point, your optical drive assembly should be separate from your GameCube and look like this.

  • Flip the optical drive assembly over and remove 6 Phillips #1 screws as shown.

  • Remove the metal plate, being careful not to disturb the brown ribbon cable.

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Add Note Edit Step 11  ¶ 

  • Remove the blue wire

  • Using a #1 Phillips Screwdriver, remove 4 screws

  • The fourth screw is located behind the screwdriver in the third picture

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Add Note Edit Step 12  ¶ 

  • Flip out circuit board as shown, being careful not to sever the red wire or the white ribbon cable.

  • Red Wire

  • Ribbon Cable

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Add Note Edit Step 13  ¶ 

  • Use a flathead screwdriver to carefully release the four plastic clips holding the drive assembly together.

  • The last clip can be rather hard to find. Use a screwdriver as shown in the third image to get behind the plastic to release the last clip.

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Add Note Edit Step 14  ¶ 

  • Lift metal plate off of drive assembly, again being careful not to sever the two wires still attached to the two halves of the drive assembly.

  • Next, flip and rotate the drive assembly so that it resembles the one in the third picture.

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Add Note Edit Step 15  ¶ 

  • Using the screwdriver, release two more clips around the back half of the drive assembly.

  • The last clip doesn't need to be released, the top half of the drive assembly will slide away from the lower half.

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Add Note Edit Step 16  ¶ 

  • Finish removing the top half of the drive assembly, be careful as this piece is where the two wires (in yellow) that should not be removed are attached to (unless you want to do some soldering).

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Add Note Edit Step 17  ¶ 

  • Remove three final screws near the bars of the lens assembly. Once this is done the lens assembly can be removed.

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

For more information, check out the Nintendo GameCube device page.

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