Replacing MacBook Air 11" Mid 2013 Heat Sink

Step 1 Lower Case


Tool used on this step:
P5 Pentalobe Screwdriver Retina MacBook Pro and Air
$5.99
Buy
• Shut down and close your computer. Lay it on a soft surface top-side down.
• Remove the following ten screws:
• Two 8 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws
• Eight 2.5 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws
• The special screwdriver needed to remove the 5-point Pentalobe screws can be found here.
Step 2

• Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.
Step 3 Battery Connector
• In this step you will disconnect the battery to help avoid shorting out any components during service.
• Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both short sides of the battery connector upward to disconnect it from its socket on the logic board.
• Bend the battery cable slightly away from the logic board so the connector will not accidentally bend back and make contact with its socket.
Step 4 Fan
• Use the tip of a spudger to carefully push on each side of the iSight camera cable connector to loosen it out of its socket on the logic board.
• We recommend you gently "walk" the connector out of its socket.
Step 5
• Peel the iSight camera cable up off the adhesive securing it to the fan.
Step 6
• Use the tip of a spudger to carefully flip up the retaining flap on the fan cable ZIF socket.
• Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.
Step 7
• Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the upper case:
• Two 5.5 mm T5 Torx screws
• One 4.6 mm T5 Torx screw
• In some models this is a 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw.
Step 8
• Lift, but do not remove the fan out of its recess in the upper case.
• Carefully pull the fan ribbon cable out of its socket as you remove the fan from the Air.
Step 9 Heat Sink
• Remove the four 2.5 mm T5 Torx screws securing the heat sink to the logic board.
Step 10
• If the heat sink seems to be stuck to the logic board after removing all four screws, use a spudger to carefully separate the heat sink from the face of the CPU.
• Remove the heat sink from the logic board.
• When reinstalling the heat sink, be sure to apply a new layer of thermal paste. If you have never applied thermal paste before, we have a guide that makes it easy.

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Sam Goldheart

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