MacBook Unibody Model A1342 Upper Case Replacement
Introduction
Go to step 1Replacing the upper case requires the removal of nearly every component in your MacBook.
Video Overview
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Remove the eight 4 mm Phillips screws securing the lower case to the MacBook.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery connector up out of its socket on the logic board.
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Remove the following screws from the optical drive side of the rear vent:
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Two 10 mm T8 Torx
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Two 5.2 mm Phillips
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Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the AirPort/Bluetooth ribbon cable up off the logic board.
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Remove the two Phillips screws securing the hard drive bracket to the upper case.
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Remove the hard drive bracket from the upper case.
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Open your MacBook so the display is perpendicular to the upper case.
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Place your opened MacBook on a table as pictured.
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While holding the display and upper case together with your left hand, remove the remaining T8 Torx screw from the lower display bracket.
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Before retightening the T8 Torx screws, close the display and adjust it so that the back edges of the upper case and display are aligned and the gaps at the ends of the hinge are equal.
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There are four orange and black rubber inserts that the hard drive sits in. One side has full circles and the other side has half circles. (The other side of the half circles are located on the hard drive bracket that was previously removed).
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The new upper case may not have these inserts. Be sure to remove them from the old and insert into the new.
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The inserts are easily pried out with a spudger or a flat tipped screwdriver. They are not glued in, but instead have notched sides to hold them in place.
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Remove the four 1.3 mm Phillips screws securing the upper edge of the trackpad to the upper case.
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Reinstall the four silver Phillips screws securing the trackpad to its steel brackets.
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Loosen all four silver screws about 1/16th of a turn.
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Flip the upper case over and adjust the position of the trackpad until the gap between the trackpad and the upper case is evenly spaced around the perimeter of the trackpad.
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Tighten the four silver screws to hold the trackpad in place.
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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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25 Guide Comments
Some of the screws are extremely tight, I stripped at least 6 Phillips screws during the upper case replacement.
I used the iFixit 54 bit kit and found that the Phillips 000 bit fits the screws better than the recommended 00 bit. When loosening or tightening I use plenty of downward pressure to keep the bit from rising out of the screw head and damaging it. The torx screws are so much easier to work with and I wonder why they don't use only those.
Definitely only use unworn, appropriately sized drivers when going into any Mac or iPhone. If the driver starts to slip, stop and access the situation. That said, I have encountered many screws with damaged screw heads. I usually first try the “rubber band” trick to loosen the ruined screw. If that doesn’t work, I often resort to using a dremel tool to cut a slot in the screw (while protecting everything from the debris generated). In all cases, be careful - one slip can do a lot of damage.
Lance J -
