Apple imac 17 inch User Manual

4.	With the drive door still positioned at the top, look for the white plastic clip attached to 
the side of the drive carrier. Open the clip and remove the Airport antenna and the 
video cable from the cable clip. 
38  iMac (Flat Panel) Take Apart	
 Drive Carrier Assembly (Optical and Hard Drive)  

5.	Grasp the carrier on both sides. Lift and pull the carrier in the direction of the arrow. 
Once the carrier is out, flip the carrier to the right to disconnect the power cables. 
Note:  The carrier fits snugly into the chassis. 
6.	 Disconnect the data cables. 
7.	Peel the white wrapper up to access the screws connecting the hard drive to the 
carrier. 
Drive Carrier Assembly (Optical and Hard Drive)	 iMac (Flat Panel)  Take Apart -
39 

8. Remove the hard drive from the carrier. 
9. Remove four screws (shown by circles) to remove the optical drive from the carrier. 
10. Slide the optical drive out of the carrier. Be careful of the black plastic dust filter on the 
carrier. It is very fragile and can rip easily if not handled properly.  Note: The silver 
insulator is part of the carrier assembly. 
Warning:  Whenever the bottom housing is opened for service, you must do two things: 
40 iMac (Flat Panel) Take Apart
 Drive Carrier Assembly...

1.You must clean the original thermal film from the surfaces joining the\
 thermal 
interface layer and reapply thermal paste to the thermal pipe. 
2. You must tighten the four torx screws on the bottom housing to a minimu\
m of 17 
in.-lbs. If you do not have a torque driver, you will have to make sure \
these screws 
are tightened by hand FIRMLY, BUT NOT FORCIBLY. Or, purchase the service\
 tool 
(076-0899) in order to ensure the thermal pipe is firmly mated with th\
e top base. If the 
bottom housing...

Power Supply

Tools 
This procedure requires the following tools: 
• Torx-10 screwdriver 
Part Location 
Preliminary Steps 
Before you begin, do the following: 
• Position the computer in the service stand and rotate the door to the ri\
ght. 
• Remove the user access plate. 
• Remove the bottom housing. 
• Remove the drive carrier assembly. 
42 iMac (Flat Panel) Take Apart
 Power Supply  

Procedure 
1. Remove the two power supply screws circled below. 
Power Supply iMac (Flat Panel)  Take Apart -
43
 

2.	Open the optical drive door as shown to locate the two hidden screws near the drive 
door. Remove the four screws.  Note: Support the metal plate and power supply as 
you remove the screws. 
Important:  The two screws near the door hinge are shorter than the other power 
supply screws. Failure to replace the shorter screws into their correct location will 
scratch the top housing. See step 4, Replacement Note. 
44  iMac (Flat Panel) Take Apart	
 Power Supply  

3. Remove the power supply from the chassis, keeping the two halves connected. 
4.	Replacement Note: When replacing the metal plate (see picture above) that sits on 
top of the power supply, make certain that the two shorter screws are inserted into the 
screw holes near the optical door. If the longer screws are inserted by mistake, the 
screws will scratch the top housing (circled below). 
Power Supply	 iMac (Flat Panel)  Take Apart -
45 

Warning: Whenever the bottom housing is opened for service, you must do two things: 
1.You must clean the original thermal film from the surfaces joining the\
 thermal 
interface layer and reapply thermal paste to the thermal pipe. 
2. You must tighten the four torx screws on the bottom housing to a minimu\
m of 17 
in.-lbs. If you do not have a torque driver, you will have to make sure \
these screws 
are tightened by hand FIRMLY, BUT NOT FORCIBLY. Or, purchase the service\
 tool 
(076-0899) in order...

Optical Drive Door

Tools 
This procedure requires the following tools: 
• Torx-10 screwdriver 
• Needlenose pliers 
Part Location 
Preliminary Steps 
Before you begin, do the following: 
• Position the computer in the service stand. 
• Remove the user access plate. 
• Remove the bottom housing. 
• Remove the drive carrier assembly. 
Optical Drive Door iMac (Flat Panel)  Take Apart -
47