With the hinge free to move, the iMac will be unbalanced and hard to work on. Repairs are fast and easy with an iMac service wedge, but can be completed without one.
Before beginning any work on your iMac: Unplug the computer and press and hold the power button for ten seconds to discharge the power supply's capacitors.
Be very careful not to touch the capacitor leads or any exposed solder joints on the back of the power supply. Only handle the board by the edges.
Starting on the left of the display, near the power button, insert the iMac Opening Tool into the gap between the glass panel and the rear enclosure.
The hub on the iMac Opening Tool will keep you from pushing the wheel in too far. If using a different tool, insert no more than 3/8" into the display. Otherwise, you risk severing antenna cables and causing serious damage.
You may want to run the tool back and forth through what you've already cut a few times, to ensure you get as much of the adhesive separated as possible.
While the opening tool cut most of the adhesive, the display will still be slightly adhered to the case. A plastic card will be necessary to free up the last of this adhesive.
Set the iMac face-up on a table.
Starting from the top right corner of the iMac, wedge a plastic card between the display and frame.
Be careful not to insert the plastic card more than 3/8", or you may damage internal components.
At this point there is still a strip of adhesive along the bottom of the display that will hold the display to the frame like a hinge. You can loosen this adhesive by working the display up and down a few times.
Lift the display up from the frame and remove it from the iMac.
It may be necessary to slowly lift from one side to peel against the remaining adhesive.
Be very careful handling the display—it's big, heavy, and made of glass.
After the adhesive is cut, it cannot be used to re-seal the display in place. Follow this guide to replace the adhesive strips that secure the display to the rear enclosure.
Remove the two 10 mm T10 Torx screws securing the right speaker to the rear enclosure.
Rubber washers keep the screws snug in the speaker even when loosened. You can use tweezers or a fingernail to remove the screws, or simply leave them with the speaker assembly.
Insert the tip of a spudger between the right speaker and the antenna cable, running it down the right side of the speaker to de-route the cable from its channel.
If the channel is not easily accessible, you can tip the speaker slightly forward (away from the rear case) to gain access to the antenna cable.
The next few steps bring your hands close to the exposed face of the power supply. Do not touch the face of the power supply or any of the exposed solder. Touching it risks a high voltage shock from the many large capacitors attached to the board.
Use the tip of a spudger to push each side of the power button cable connector and gently walk it out of its socket.
When working on the power supply, be very careful not to touch the capacitor leads or any exposed solder joints on the back of the power supply. Only handle the board by the edges.
When reinstalling the logic board, take care to align the exterior I/O ports correctly. The logic board can sit crooked even when secured with all its screws.
You can use a USB flash drive and/or ethernet cable to ensure the logic board is seated correctly while you screw it in.
Loosen but do not remove the four captive T8 screws securing the heat sink over the CPU.
Remove the two 5.4 mm T8 screws securing the heat pipe to the logic board.
Some iMac models have a straight heat pipe rather than a curved one—regardless, the screws will be the same size/type and the ones over the CPU will be captive to the heat sink.