Apple imac 17 inch User Manual

							
• Remove the plastic cable retainer (under the fan). 
• Remove the neck cap spoke retainer. 
• Remove the blind mate connector screws. 
Procedure 
1.	Note: To make sure the computer is oriented correctly before taking the unit apart any 
further, the speaker should be on the left and the blind mate connector on the right, 
and the two black screws should be in these locations (shown below). 
2.	Bundle the neck cables to one side (as shown). Supporting the base, remove the two 
black screws. These screws connect the neck to the base assembly. 
68  iMac (Flat Panel) Take Apart	
 Chassis (Faraday Cage)  
						

							
3. Carefully feed the neck cables through the hole in the Faraday cage. Important: The 
Faraday cage is very heavy and has sharp edges; handle with care. 
Chassis (Faraday Cage)  iMac (Flat Panel)  Take Apart -
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4.	Pull the outer shell (with Faraday attached) away from the neck. Note: There is no 
need to remove the outer shell from the Faraday unless you are replacing a scratched 
or damaged outer shell.If you are removing the shell from the Faraday cage, go on to 
the next step. 
5. Note:  Perform this step only if you are replacing the outer shell. Remove the three 
screws in the base of the Faraday cage to separate the shell from the Faraday cage. 
70  iMac (Flat Panel) Take Apart	
 Chassis (Faraday Cage)  
						

							
Housing, Outer Shell, Plastic 

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. 
• Remove the user access plate. 
• Remove the bottom housing. 
• Remove the drive carrier assembly. 
• Remove the power supply. 
• Remove the power supply insulators. 
• Remove the fan. 
• Remove the plastic neck cable retainer (under the fan). 
• Remove the cap spoke holder. 
Housing, Outer Shell, Plastic iMac (Flat Panel)  Take Apart -
71 
						

							
• Remove the blind mate connector screws. 
Procedure 
1.	Carefully feed the neck cables through the hole in the Faraday cage. Important: The 
Faraday cage is very heavy and has sharp edges; handle with care. 
72  iMac (Flat Panel) Take Apart	
 Housing, Outer Shell, Plastic  
						

							
2.	Pull the outer shell (with Faraday attached) away from the neck. Note: There is no 
need to remove the outer shell from the Faraday unless you are replacing the outer 
shell.  Important:   Be careful not to scratch the white paint on the inside of the housing 
shell and the metal neck plate (with holes). 
3. Remove the three screws in the base of the Faraday cage to separate the shell from 
the Faraday cage. 
Housing, Outer Shell, Plastic	 iMac (Flat Panel)  Take Apart -
73 
						

							
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 to ensure the thermal pipe is firmly mated with th\
e top base. If the 
bottom housing is not securely attached to the base in this fashion, the\
 CPU may 
overheat and become damaged. Failure to follow either of these steps cou\
ld cause 
the computer to overheat and damage internal components. 
Refer to the topic, “Thermal Paste Application” for detailed infor\
mation. 
74  iMac (Flat Panel) Take Apart
 Housing, Outer Shell, Plastic  
						

							
Display, Flat Panel

Tools 
This procedure requires the following tools: 
• 1.5 mm hex tool 
• Plastic stylus to lift the panel 
Part Location 
Preliminary Steps 
Before you begin, do the following: 
• Position the computer in the service stand. 
Display, Flat Panel iMac (Flat Panel)  Take Apart -
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Procedure 
1. Remove ten screws connecting the back cover to the flat panel LCD display. 
2. It is not necessary to remove the two screws shown below; these attach to the 
wireless antenna.  Note: The wireless antenna screws are not self-tapping. 
76 iMac (Flat Panel) Take Apart
 Display, Flat Panel  
						

							
3. With a plastic tool, raise the display to access cables underneath the flat panel. 
4. Disconnect the inverter cable shown below. 
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