Introduction
Use this guide to replace a noisy or burned-out fan.
-
-
Remove the following ten screws:
-
Three 14.4 mm Phillips #00 screws
-
Three 3.5 mm Phillips #00 screws
-
Four 3.5 mm shouldered Phillips #00 screws
-
-
-
Use the edge of a spudger to pry the battery connector upwards from its socket on the logic board.
Prying the battery connector off does not take much force. I did exactly what the guide suggested (walked it off back and forth) with the spudger without any problems. Just be very gentle, much like with anything inside laptops, they are very fragile and need to be worked with carefully. A+ instructions, battery replacement was a success.
Be patient on disconnecting this one. It worked for me step by step, little by little.
-
-
-
Bend the battery cable slightly away from its socket on the logic board so it does not accidentally connect itself while you work.
I put some tape between the connector and socket while working on the drive.
That's a good tip
Anrothan -
One other note: The screw heads fit flush with the curvature of the case -- which means that they aren't exactly horizontal. In other words, they aren't perpendicular to the table that the computer is resting on. Don't try to force them straight in vertically, because you'll risk cross-threading them. (nearly ruined one screw hole myself!)
On my MacBook Pro, the connector seems to be an integral part of the battery.
-
-
-
Use the edge of a spudger to gently pry the fan connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.
I successfully soldered the fan connector back on for a friend. I used a small soldering iron (maybe 6-10 watts) and ground the tip down to a very fine point. Also used a magnifying light and very fine rosin core solder. I took my time and lined everything up and was careful not to heat any other junction unnecessarily.
Yup. Be careful on this one. I was trying to gently pry up and popped it off the socket. Computer working fine after replacing magsafe board, but no fan for cooling…
This one is really delicate, as pointed out. Be careful if using the pointed end of a spudger NOT to dig down and under ….there’s a layer of plastic-y insulation that can be torn. I accidentally gored it with the pointy end of a spudger and it was slightly ripped. Fortunately, I was able to press it down and there was no problem when the cable was reinserted.
For less than $16 I ordered a new fan from amazon. Fans eventually start making noise. If they fail, your system could expire from heat. Consider simply replacing your fan since this model is now about five years old. Here’s link:
-
-
-
Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the logic board:
-
One 7.2 mm T6 Torx screw
-
Two 5.3 mm T6 Torx screws
I think so too, (maybe on a certain batch?) tried a T6 and its too big
-
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
Cancel: I did not complete this guide.
72 other people completed this guide.
One Comment
Help! I bought this fan in hope to fix the loud original part. But now my fan doesn't spin freely it just bounces. My MBP still gets hot.
How much weight can I save by removing the optical drive?
gunes314 - Reply
You can save a lot of weight if lets say your installing a solid state drive or putting in a second hard drive but if you know that you use the CD/DVD disc drive a lot then you might just want to leave the drive alone.
Marshall WahlstromHelgren -
Tip: Use one of those weekday pill holders to have a cheep way to store screws you remove and each day of the week can be for different sizes or parts. It has been handy to have (much less expensive than the magnetic mat.
Robert Wacker - Reply
Great tutorial. I found that using a Phillips #0 in lieu of the #00 worked much better.
kschmesk - Reply
Hello, where can I buy the screws I need in case I lose one of them?
taylornya - Reply
iFixit sells a kit: MacBook Pro Unibody Lower Case Screw Set
Darrell Johnson -
I have one stripped screw... How opening without drill it?! Any suggestions please?
rodrigosady - Reply
I also stripped a couple screws. I wasn’t able to open it up without drilling. After drilling the heads and removing the cover it was easy to hacksaw the tip and unscrew with a standard driver.
Michael Wilkens -
My top tip - make sure you buy good quality Phillips screwdrivers and a magnetic holder. Cheap screwdrivers won’t get the screws undone safely. Without a magnetic holder you have no chance of getting the tiny crews in and out safely.
jeremyyoung - Reply
A good Phillips 00 is your friend here. Also, when reinserting the screws, gently start anticlockwise and you wil feel a click at the start of the thread. This tells you you’re in the right place and less likely to cross-thread through force in the wrong place.
Iain Boyd - Reply