Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

30

Time Required

Suggest a time??

Sections

3

  • Lower Support Bracket
  • 2 steps
  • Display
  • 23 steps
  • Right Speaker
  • 5 steps

Flags

0

  • BackiMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2544

  • Full Screen

  • Options

  • History

  • Save to Favorites

  • Download PDF

  • Edit

  • Translate

  • Get Shareable Link

  • Embed This Guide

  • Notify Me of Changes

  • Stop Notifications

Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Lower Support Bracket
  • Remove the following five Phillips screws holding the lower support bracket in place:
  • Four 3.2 mm screws
  • One 1.7 mm screw
  • On at least some EMC 2544 machines, all five screws are the same size.
  • You may need to peel up the display adhesive lining the bottom edge of the iMac enclosure to access the screws.

Remove the following five Phillips screws holding the lower support bracket in place:

Four 3.2 mm screws

One 1.7 mm screw

On at least some EMC 2544 machines, all five screws are the same size.

You may need to peel up the display adhesive lining the bottom edge of the iMac enclosure to access the screws.

1024

Step 2

  • Remove the lower support bracket from the iMac enclosure.

Remove the lower support bracket from the iMac enclosure.

Step 3

              Display
  • With the hinge free to move, the iMac will be unbalanced and hard to work on. Repairs can be completed as shown, but are faster and easier with an iMac service wedge.
  • If you are using the iFixit cardboard service wedge, follow these assembly directions to put it together.
  • Before beginning any work on your iMac: Unplug the computer and press and hold the power button for ten seconds to discharge the power supply’s capacitors.
  • Be very careful not to touch the capacitor leads or any exposed solder joints on the back of the power supply. Only handle the board by the edges.

With the hinge free to move, the iMac will be unbalanced and hard to work on. Repairs can be completed as shown, but are faster and easier with an iMac service wedge.

If you are using the iFixit cardboard service wedge, follow these assembly directions to put it together.

Before beginning any work on your iMac: Unplug the computer and press and hold the power button for ten seconds to discharge the power supply’s capacitors.

Be very careful not to touch the capacitor leads or any exposed solder joints on the back of the power supply. Only handle the board by the edges.

Step 4

  • Starting on the left of the display, near the power button, insert the iMac Opening Tool into the gap between the glass panel and the rear enclosure.
  • The hub on the iMac Opening Tool will keep you from pushing the wheel in too far. If using a different tool, insert no more than 3/8" into the display. Otherwise, you risk severing antenna cables and causing serious damage.
  • Be gentle! The glass may crack if pried too much. Use a hairdryer to heat the edges and loosen the tape if the room temperatures are low.

Starting on the left of the display, near the power button, insert the iMac Opening Tool into the gap between the glass panel and the rear enclosure.

The hub on the iMac Opening Tool will keep you from pushing the wheel in too far. If using a different tool, insert no more than 3/8" into the display. Otherwise, you risk severing antenna cables and causing serious damage.

Be gentle! The glass may crack if pried too much. Use a hairdryer to heat the edges and loosen the tape if the room temperatures are low.

Step 5

  • Use the tool like a pizza cutter—roll it along through the gap, and it will cut the foam adhesive through the center.
  • Be sure to always push with the handle behind the cutting wheel. If you pull, the wheel might get pulled out of the handle.
  • Run the tool up along the left side of the display.

Use the tool like a pizza cutter—roll it along through the gap, and it will cut the foam adhesive through the center.

Be sure to always push with the handle behind the cutting wheel. If you pull, the wheel might get pulled out of the handle.

Run the tool up along the left side of the display.

Step 6

  • Continue running the tool up around the top left corner.

Continue running the tool up around the top left corner.

Step 7

  • Cut the adhesive along the top left of the display.

Cut the adhesive along the top left of the display.

Step 8

  • Continue along the top of the display.
  • You may want to run the tool back and forth through what you’ve already cut a few times, to ensure you get as much of the adhesive separated as possible.

Continue along the top of the display.

You may want to run the tool back and forth through what you’ve already cut a few times, to ensure you get as much of the adhesive separated as possible.

Step 9

  • Push the tool around the top right corner of the display.

Push the tool around the top right corner of the display.

Step 10

  • Wheel the tool down along the right side of the display.

Wheel the tool down along the right side of the display.

Step 11

  • Finish pushing the opening tool to the bottom of the right side of the display.
  • At this point, you’ll want to run the tool back around the entire display, to ensure you cut as much adhesive as possible.

Finish pushing the opening tool to the bottom of the right side of the display.

At this point, you’ll want to run the tool back around the entire display, to ensure you cut as much adhesive as possible.

Step 12

  • While the opening tool cut most of the adhesive, the display will still be slightly adhered to the case. A plastic card will be necessary to free up the last of this adhesive.
  • Set the iMac face-up on a table.
  • Starting from the top right corner of the iMac, wedge a plastic card between the display and frame.
  • Be careful not to insert the plastic card more than 3/8", or you may damage internal components.

While the opening tool cut most of the adhesive, the display will still be slightly adhered to the case. A plastic card will be necessary to free up the last of this adhesive.

Set the iMac face-up on a table.

Starting from the top right corner of the iMac, wedge a plastic card between the display and frame.

Be careful not to insert the plastic card more than 3/8", or you may damage internal components.

Step 13

  • Gently twist the plastic card sideways to create a gap between the display and frame.
  • Move slowly and be careful not to stress the display glass too much—you only need to make a gap of about 1/4".

Gently twist the plastic card sideways to create a gap between the display and frame.

Move slowly and be careful not to stress the display glass too much—you only need to make a gap of about 1/4".

Step 14

  • Slide the card toward the center of the display to cut any of the remaining adhesive along the top right corner of the iMac.
  • Be sure to stop before the iSight camera, or you may damage it.

Slide the card toward the center of the display to cut any of the remaining adhesive along the top right corner of the iMac.

Be sure to stop before the iSight camera, or you may damage it.

Step 15

  • Wedge the plastic card into the top right corner once again and let it stay there to keep the adhesive from resettling.

Wedge the plastic card into the top right corner once again and let it stay there to keep the adhesive from resettling.

Step 16

  • Insert a second plastic card into the gap between the display and frame located at the top left corner of the iMac.

Insert a second plastic card into the gap between the display and frame located at the top left corner of the iMac.

Step 17

  • Gently twist the card upward, slightly increasing the space between the display and frame.
  • As with the other side, twist slowly to allow the adhesive time to separate, and be careful not to over-stress the display glass.

Gently twist the card upward, slightly increasing the space between the display and frame.

As with the other side, twist slowly to allow the adhesive time to separate, and be careful not to over-stress the display glass.

Step 18

  • Slide the plastic card toward the center, again stopping just before the iSight camera.

Slide the plastic card toward the center, again stopping just before the iSight camera.

Step 19

  • Wedge the plastic card back into the top left corner.

Wedge the plastic card back into the top left corner.

Step 20

  • With both plastic cards inserted as shown near the corners, gently twist the cards sideways to increase the gap between display and case.
  • If there are any sections that seem to stick and won’t separate, stop twisting and use one of the cards to cut the remaining adhesive.
  • Begin to lift the top of the display up from the frame.
  • Only lift the display a few inches—the display data and power cables are still connected to the logic board.

With both plastic cards inserted as shown near the corners, gently twist the cards sideways to increase the gap between display and case.

If there are any sections that seem to stick and won’t separate, stop twisting and use one of the cards to cut the remaining adhesive.

Begin to lift the top of the display up from the frame.

Only lift the display a few inches—the display data and power cables are still connected to the logic board.

Step 21

  • While holding the display up with one hand, use the other hand to unplug the display power cable. Make sure that you pull the cable out from the plastic tab, and not by pulling on the color wires.
  • Lift the display up enough to have easy access to the connector, but not so much that you stretch the cables and stress their connections (about 8").

While holding the display up with one hand, use the other hand to unplug the display power cable. Make sure that you pull the cable out from the plastic tab, and not by pulling on the color wires.

Lift the display up enough to have easy access to the connector, but not so much that you stretch the cables and stress their connections (about 8").

Step 22

  • Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the metal retaining bracket on the display data cable.
  • Carefully pull the display data cable from its socket on the logic board.
  • Be sure to pull the display data cable connector straight out of its socket.

Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the metal retaining bracket on the display data cable.

Carefully pull the display data cable from its socket on the logic board.

Be sure to pull the display data cable connector straight out of its socket.

Step 23

  • Lift the display up to a near-vertical position.
  • At this point there is still a strip of adhesive along the bottom of the display, that will hold the display to the frame like a hinge. You can loosen this adhesive by working the display up and down a few times.

Lift the display up to a near-vertical position.

At this point there is still a strip of adhesive along the bottom of the display, that will hold the display to the frame like a hinge. You can loosen this adhesive by working the display up and down a few times.

Step 24

  • Be very careful not to touch the capacitor leads or any exposed solder joints on the back of the power supply (boxed in red).
  • Grasp the small tab at the end of one of the bottom edge display adhesive strips and pull the adhesive toward the top of the iMac to remove it.
  • Repeat this step with the other adhesive strip and remove it.
  • If either adhesive strip breaks before it’s removed, use a plastic card to slice through the remaining adhesive.

Be very careful not to touch the capacitor leads or any exposed solder joints on the back of the power supply (boxed in red).

Grasp the small tab at the end of one of the bottom edge display adhesive strips and pull the adhesive toward the top of the iMac to remove it.

Repeat this step with the other adhesive strip and remove it.

If either adhesive strip breaks before it’s removed, use a plastic card to slice through the remaining adhesive.

Step 25

  • Lift the display up from the frame and remove it from the iMac.
  • It may be necessary to slowly lift from one side, to peel against the remaining adhesive.
  • Be very careful handling the display—it’s big, heavy, and made of glass.
  • During reassembly, head over to our display adhesive guide to install the new adhesive.

Lift the display up from the frame and remove it from the iMac.

It may be necessary to slowly lift from one side, to peel against the remaining adhesive.

Be very careful handling the display—it’s big, heavy, and made of glass.

During reassembly, head over to our display adhesive guide to install the new adhesive.

Step 26

              Right Speaker
  • Use a spudger to loosen the right speaker cable’s connector from its socket on the logic board.
  • It is useful to push downward on both short sides of the connector to “walk” it out of its socket. Be careful with the corners of the connectors, they can be easily broken off.
  • Pull the connector downwards to remove it from its socket.

Use a spudger to loosen the right speaker cable’s connector from its socket on the logic board.

It is useful to push downward on both short sides of the connector to “walk” it out of its socket. Be careful with the corners of the connectors, they can be easily broken off.

Pull the connector downwards to remove it from its socket.

Step 27

  • Remove the two 10.0 mm T10 screws securing the right speaker to the rear enclosure.

Remove the two 10.0 mm T10 screws securing the right speaker to the rear enclosure.

Step 28

  • Pull the top of the right speaker away from the rear enclosure, about half an inch, to expose the antenna cable running down its right side.

Pull the top of the right speaker away from the rear enclosure, about half an inch, to expose the antenna cable running down its right side.

Step 29

  • Insert the tip of a spudger between the right speaker and the antenna cable that is routed into the speaker’s right side.
  • Run the spudger down along the right side of the speaker to pry the antenna cable from its channel in the right speaker.

Insert the tip of a spudger between the right speaker and the antenna cable that is routed into the speaker’s right side.

Run the spudger down along the right side of the speaker to pry the antenna cable from its channel in the right speaker.

Step 30

  • Pull the right speaker straight up about an inch, toward the top of the iMac.
  • Lift the right speaker straight up and remove it from the iMac. This may take some force, both hands and rocking the speaker right and left to get it out.

Pull the right speaker straight up about an inch, toward the top of the iMac.

Lift the right speaker straight up and remove it from the iMac. This may take some force, both hands and rocking the speaker right and left to get it out.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse and use our Adhesive Strips Guide to reattach the display glass.

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

Author

                                      with 7 other contributors 


                    Sam Goldheart

Member since: 10/18/2012

455,549 Reputation

                                      548 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       48







                                                        +45 more badges

Team

                       iFixit                        

                                                  Member of iFixit 



                    Community                     


                                            141 Members                     


                                            15,767 Guides authored