My Problem
Google bricked my Nexus 7 (2nd gen) by forcing an OS update. I tried all the online suggestions to revive it. Nothing worked. So I ordered a replacement motherboard, since folks online said that that would work.
My Fix
The bottom line is that I got the replacement board in and now the Nexus is back to life. So it was a success.
The process of changing the board was not terribly hard, but it was slow going. The teardown guide on ifixit wasn't enough for me to get it done. I had to look up some videos and other advice online. For example, I couldn't get the case open with just a plastic prying tool. I found a video that showed using a blade first to start to open the case and then switch to the pry tool. That worked for me. I also had a bit of trouble finding help with the ZIF connectors (zero insertion force.) Even though ifixit had a special document that included those, but I don't think it showed me the way that the little flap thing opens. When I lift out the original motherboard, it didn't want to come up in one corner. Turned out that the camera was connected on the back side of the board and that was stuck down with some tape. I don't think that that part was covered in the ifxit guide. Connecting that to the underside of the replacement motherboard was tricky.
My Advice
Yes, just take things slow and don't try to force anything. I had bought a kit of tools. Turns out that the kit was great, because I used lots of the tools in it (screwdrivers, various sizes of pry tools, tweezers, thin blade knife). The small screwdrivers were magnetic which was nice for holding on to the tiny screws. Also, the case I have for my Nexus has magnetic closures. I used those magnets to hold the screws so they wouldn't roll away when I wasn't looking.
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