Introduction
The plastic part on the top of the iPod.
What you need
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Carefully insert a small flathead screwdriver or Jimmy in the seam between the metal casing and white plastic top. Use the screwdriver to pry up the white plastic top bezel. Be careful not to damage the soft plastic with your screwdriver.
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To make this job easier, heat up the adhesive with a hairdryer on low heat for a few seconds.
You can also gently use a metal spudger to lift up both the top and bottom bezels. Allow only 1/8" of the metal spudger (like the screwdriver in the picture) to get inside to get leverage, before fully lifting the bezel up. Please note where the little "teeth" are underneath the bezels, or you can damage those if you are not careful.
Also, using too big of a flathead screwdriver can cause damage to the plastic and chips away plastic from where you were trying to pry up the bezels, ruining the look of the iPod.
There should be a button here for "I did it -- EPIC FAILURE!!" When I put my iPod back together, the components on the mainboard were scraping against the clickwheel, and maybe the battery wasn't in perfect alignment, but the result was that there was a lethal amount of friction when sliding the assembly back into the case. As I was trying to relieve the pressure by tilting the board down using a spudger from the bottom, the top of the display bezel ended up scraping against the casing in such a way that it cracked from the center of the right edge. OUCH!! There goes a $50 repair job and a $40 replacement cost! Bye Bye perfectly working iPod Mini )-;
There are two safeguards that can be done when reassembling this iPod. First, use a stiff piece of plastic film as a shim and lubricant between the top of the logic board and the top inside of the case, such as anti-static packaging, or the clear bag packaging of Apple display dongles (use an exacto knife to cut a long strip of it). Don't cover the display with the plastic, just the logic board components. Second, instead of pushing down on the assembly from the top or sides of the display which will place dangerous pressure on it, connect a cable to the dock connector and pull on it from the bottom, and pull out the plastic shield deftly and easily after the assembly is in position.
If you have longish fingernails and don't mind ruining them, I found it helpful to run my thumbnail between the plastic and the metal casing before going at it with a screwdriver. The little "teeth" a previous commenter mentioned are at approximately the 1/3 and 2/3 marks on the long edge of the plastic casings.
Instead of gouging the end caps out with the flat screwdriver, try hot gluing a piece of wood (I used a tongue depressor-like ‘craft stick’) to the end cap, then just lever the cap out without damaging the aluminum. Removing the stick and the glue from the end caps takes a little patience but can be done without leaving a mark.
Don’t use any kind of metal tool to get these plastic caps off. Metal on metal will scratch up the body. I use a thin guitar pick, work it in between the cap and case, then turn it horizontal and slide around enough until you can use your fingernail to pull the cap the rest of the way off. Don’t be aggressive and break off the little fingers on the bottom side of the cap.
Use plastic picks or the back of an iSesamo tool to get in.
For a newbie, consider removing the bottom bezel first. In case of scratches due to lack of practice and expertise, the bottom bezel usually isn't as visible during usage.
Using your fingernail, determine which edge would be best for starting. Feel for an edge where the aluminum case is a tiny bit higher then the plastic when pressing down gently on the bezel.
Only use plastic tools. The plastic picks from Ifixit are good. A plastic spudger may work but it needs a very sharp edge.
As you work the pick in between the bezel and the aluminum case, note that you can push the pick in more toward the middle of the bezel and much less (1/8") elsewhere. Avoid deep probes at the 1/3 and 2/3 points where plastic clips reside.
For those who are looking at the suggested timeline and wondering how it is possible, this step alone took me 45 minutes. So, take your time as you see fit.
I found the bezel parts to be easiest to remove using a scalpel (to pry up) and the blue guitar pick looking things.
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Lift the top bezel off of the iPod.
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To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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