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DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement

What you need

  1. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove Propellers: step 1, image 1 of 1
    • Push down and twist the propellers counter-clockwise to release from the drone.

  2. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove Battery: step 2, image 1 of 2 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove Battery: step 2, image 2 of 2
    • Firmly press the battery tabs on top and bottom of the battery and slide out the battery.

  3. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove Gimbal Lock: step 3, image 1 of 1
    • If gimbal lock is still on, remove it from the drone.

  4. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove the Shell's Main Screws: step 4, image 1 of 2 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove the Shell's Main Screws: step 4, image 2 of 2
    • Using a T8 screwdriver, remove the eight Torx screws from the plastic shell.

  5. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove Gimbal Assembly Screws: step 5, image 1 of 3 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove Gimbal Assembly Screws: step 5, image 2 of 3 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove Gimbal Assembly Screws: step 5, image 3 of 3
    • Using a T6 screwdriver, remove all eight screws on the grey gimbal assembly.

  6. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove Gimbal Assembly: step 6, image 1 of 1
    • Using a plastic spudger or pick, gently pry the gimbal assembly from the drone.

    • Do not try to pull the gimbal assembly away from drone just yet—there are cables that must be unplugged first.

  7. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove the Gimbal Cable's Screws & Bracket: step 7, image 1 of 2 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove the Gimbal Cable's Screws & Bracket: step 7, image 2 of 2
    • Using a Phillips #000 screwdriver, remove the two screws and the gimbal bracket.

  8. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Unplug the Gimbal: step 8, image 1 of 1
    • Using your fingers or needle-nose pliers, gently unplug the left (red box) cable by pushing in the white clips on the sides and sliding the cable out.

    • Using a spudger, unplug the 3-in-1 cable on the right (orange box) by gently prying up.

  9. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove the Antenna Screws & Bracket: step 9, image 1 of 2 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove the Antenna Screws & Bracket: step 9, image 2 of 2
    • Using a Phillips #000 screwdriver, remove the two screws and the antenna bracket.

  10. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Unplug Antenna Cables: step 10, image 1 of 2 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Unplug Antenna Cables: step 10, image 2 of 2
    • Using a spudger, gently disconnect the four antenna cables.

    • Remember the order in which the antenna cables are plugged in, or refer to this step during reassembly.

  11. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove Plastic Clip Screws: step 11, image 1 of 2 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove Plastic Clip Screws: step 11, image 2 of 2
    • Using a Phillips #000 screwdriver, remove the two screws located on the white plastic tabs.

  12. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Bend Metal Clips Up: step 12, image 1 of 2 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Bend Metal Clips Up: step 12, image 2 of 2
    • Using a spudger, carefully bend the two metal clips upwards.

    • Be gentle and do not break the clips. You will need to bend them back down upon reassembly.

  13. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove LED Cover and Sticker: step 13, image 1 of 3 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove LED Cover and Sticker: step 13, image 2 of 3 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove LED Cover and Sticker: step 13, image 3 of 3
    • Using a spudger or flathead screwdriver, gently pry up the LED cover.

    • Using a spudger or flathead screwdriver, carefully pry up the underlying sticker.

    • PRO TIP: Stick the sticker to the smooth side of the plastic LED cover to keep it clean and from losing stick. PRO TIP on reassembly: be sure to align the stickers so the tab fits in the snap slot.

    • Repeat this step on all four LED covers.

  14. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Remove Shell/Motor T8 Screws: step 14, image 1 of 1
    • Using a T8 screwdriver, remove the 3 screws that attach the shell and motors together.

    • Repeat this step on all 4 motors.

  15. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Separate Body Shell: step 15, image 1 of 2 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Separate Body Shell: step 15, image 2 of 2
    • Using a spudger or pick, carefully pry your way around the seam, undoing the clips that attach the shell together.

    • PRO TIP: If you are replacing the shell because your old shell is trashed, don't worry about cracking or damaging the broken shell. Just go for it.

    • Do not try to pull the shell completely apart just yet, there are some cables that must be unplugged first.

  16. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Unplug 2 Cables: step 16, image 1 of 1
    • Using your fingers or needle-nose pliers, gently unplug the cables by pushing in the white clips on the sides and sliding the cables out.

  17. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, LED Rivets: step 17, image 1 of 2 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, LED Rivets: step 17, image 2 of 2
    • Using a knife or flathead screwdriver, remove the melted plastic rivets holding down the LED board. Be careful to not damage the LED.

    • Carefully pry up the LED board from the drone shell.

    • Repeat on all four wings.

    • During reassembly use a dull soldering iron tip to remount the LED board to the new shell.

  18. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Wire Glue: step 18, image 1 of 1
    • Using a small screwdriver, carefully pry up the motor and LED cables where they are glued down to the shell.

    • Repeat on all four wings.

  19. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement: step 19, image 1 of 3 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement: step 19, image 2 of 3 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement: step 19, image 3 of 3
    • Desolder all 12 of the motor wires that connect to the drones mother boards.

    • DO NOT cut the cables with wire cutters—they are enameled wire and are a pain in the butt to solder back together and have them still work. Do yourself a favor and just desolder them from the board.

    • For reassembly, note the order of the cables. While the drone is upside down, black is the top wire, grey is middle, and white is bottom.

  20. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, The Brains: step 20, image 1 of 3 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, The Brains: step 20, image 2 of 3 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, The Brains: step 20, image 3 of 3
    • Using a T8 screw driver, remove the four screws that mount the battery bay and brains from the upper shell.

    • Carefully remove the brains out of the upper shell.

  21. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Shielding: step 21, image 1 of 2 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Shielding: step 21, image 2 of 2
    • Carefully peel the shielding sticker from the upper shell. Note that you can't remove it all the way until you remove three screws.

    • Using a Phillips #000 driver, remove the three screws that are mounting the board to the upper drone shell.

  22. DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Legs & Antenna Cables: step 22, image 1 of 3 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Legs & Antenna Cables: step 22, image 2 of 3 DJI Phantom 4 Shell Replacement, Legs & Antenna Cables: step 22, image 3 of 3
    • Carefully pry off the screw covers on the legs that are attached to the lower shell.

    • Using a T6 screwdriver, remove the two screws. Repeat on all four corners.

    • Take note on where you are removing the cables from, and install them in the new lower shell in the same way you found them.

Conclusion

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

46 other people completed this guide.

ForumHermit

Member since: 08/16/13

1,730 Reputation

2 Guides authored

26 Comments

**Note that if you crashed your drone and are replacing the body shell, there may be more problems with your drone internally. I replaced my drone shell and kept getting ESC status errors when I would try and take off. I had to send my drone in to DJI to have them fix it. They ended up replacing three of the motors (they were a bit stiff to turn so I wasn't surprised), the ESC board (left), and the left and right landing gear modules. That all cost me $215 USD which was mostly for the two hours of labor, the parts were cheap.

ForumHermit - Reply

hreat guide but why do you need the heat Gun/shrink?? I'd add a glue gun to secure the motor wires in the arms again...

john racovelli - Reply

Yeah sorry about that @wahoo66, I've removed them from the guide now but I had them in there because I made the mistake of cutting the motor wires instead of just unsoldering them so I used heat shrink tubing and a hot air gun on mine but I don't recommend people doing what I did.

ForumHermit -

Great guide thanks or putting it together, it helped me transplant my P4 to a new shell.

To note #22 my landing gear actually had T6 screws not phillips.

Thanks again.

julio Benitez - Reply

Thank you Julio! I’ve just corrected this to saying T6. I’m glad this guide was helpful for you.

ForumHermit -

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