Featured

Featured Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

24

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 2 hours

Sections

6

  • Glass Panel
  • 2 steps
  • Display
  • 7 steps
  • Optical Drive
  • 4 steps
  • Optical Drive
  • 4 steps
  • Optical Drive Enclosure Faceplate
  • 4 steps
  • Dual Hard Drive
  • 3 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Glass Panel
  • Before beginning, unplug your iMac and lay it on a soft surface as shown.
  • Stick a suction cup near each of the two top corners of the glass panel.
  • To attach the suction cups we sell, first position the suction cup with the movable handle parallel to the face of the glass panel. While lightly holding the suction cup against the glass, raise the movable handle until it is parallel with the other handle.
  • If your suction cups refuse to stick, try cleaning both the glass panel and the suction cup with a mild solvent.

Before beginning, unplug your iMac and lay it on a soft surface as shown.

Stick a suction cup near each of the two top corners of the glass panel.

To attach the suction cups we sell, first position the suction cup with the movable handle parallel to the face of the glass panel. While lightly holding the suction cup against the glass, raise the movable handle until it is parallel with the other handle.

If your suction cups refuse to stick, try cleaning both the glass panel and the suction cup with a mild solvent.

1024

Step 2

  • Gently lift the glass panel perpendicular to the face of the LCD enough to clear the steel mounting pins attached along the underside of the top edge of the glass panel.
  • Pull the glass panel away from the lower edge of the iMac and carefully set it aside.
  • During reinstallation, be sure to meticulously clean the inside of the glass panel and the face of the LCD as any dust or fingerprints trapped inside will be annoyingly visible when the machine is turned on.

Gently lift the glass panel perpendicular to the face of the LCD enough to clear the steel mounting pins attached along the underside of the top edge of the glass panel.

Pull the glass panel away from the lower edge of the iMac and carefully set it aside.

During reinstallation, be sure to meticulously clean the inside of the glass panel and the face of the LCD as any dust or fingerprints trapped inside will be annoyingly visible when the machine is turned on.

Step 3

              Display
  • Remove the eight 8 mm T10 Torx screws securing the display to the outer case.
  • The last two pictures are detail shots of each side of the display.

Remove the eight 8 mm T10 Torx screws securing the display to the outer case.

The last two pictures are detail shots of each side of the display.

Step 4

  • Slightly lift the top edge of the display out of the outer case.
  • Do not lift it too much. There are several cables attaching the display to the logic board.

Slightly lift the top edge of the display out of the outer case.

Do not lift it too much. There are several cables attaching the display to the logic board.

Step 5

  • Pull the vertical sync ribbon cable out of its socket on the LED driver board near the top left corner of your iMac.
  • The vertical sync ribbon cable has a ZIF style end, but the socket has no lock or retaining flap. Simply pull the cable away from its socket toward the optical drive side of the iMac to disconnect it from the LED driver board.

Pull the vertical sync ribbon cable out of its socket on the LED driver board near the top left corner of your iMac.

The vertical sync ribbon cable has a ZIF style end, but the socket has no lock or retaining flap. Simply pull the cable away from its socket toward the optical drive side of the iMac to disconnect it from the LED driver board.

Step 6

  • Rotate the display out of the outer case enough to disconnect the LED backlight power cable from the LED driver board.
  • Disconnect the LED backlight power cable by depressing the locking mechanism while pulling the connector away from its socket (toward the bottom edge of the iMac).

Rotate the display out of the outer case enough to disconnect the LED backlight power cable from the LED driver board.

Disconnect the LED backlight power cable by depressing the locking mechanism while pulling the connector away from its socket (toward the bottom edge of the iMac).

Step 7

  • Squeeze the two display data cable connector arms together to unlock it from its socket on the logic board.
  • Pull the display data cable connector away from its socket on the logic board.
  • Be careful when disconnecting and reconnecting this cable, as it is easily damaged.

Squeeze the two display data cable connector arms together to unlock it from its socket on the logic board.

Pull the display data cable connector away from its socket on the logic board.

Be careful when disconnecting and reconnecting this cable, as it is easily damaged.

Step 8

  • Disconnect the LCD thermal sensor cable connector from its socket on the logic board.
  • If your fan is spinning full speed after completion, check this connection or the hard drive’s thermal sensor cable.

Disconnect the LCD thermal sensor cable connector from its socket on the logic board.

If your fan is spinning full speed after completion, check this connection or the hard drive’s thermal sensor cable.

Step 9

  • Carefully pull the display toward the top edge of your iMac and lift it out of the outer case, minding any cables that may get caught.

Carefully pull the display toward the top edge of your iMac and lift it out of the outer case, minding any cables that may get caught.

Step 10

              Optical Drive
  • Pull the optical drive thermal sensor connector straight away from its socket on the logic board.

Pull the optical drive thermal sensor connector straight away from its socket on the logic board.

Step 11

  • Remove the four 9 mm T10 Torx screws securing the optical drive to the outer case.

Remove the four 9 mm T10 Torx screws securing the optical drive to the outer case.

Step 12

  • Lift the inner edge of the optical drive and maneuver its connector past the frame attached to the logic board.
  • Carefully pull the optical drive off its mounting pins on the edge of the outer case to gain clearance for disconnecting the optical drive cable.

Lift the inner edge of the optical drive and maneuver its connector past the frame attached to the logic board.

Carefully pull the optical drive off its mounting pins on the edge of the outer case to gain clearance for disconnecting the optical drive cable.

Step 13

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to help disconnect the optical drive cable.

Use the flat end of a spudger to help disconnect the optical drive cable.

Step 14

              Optical Drive
  • It is not necessary to peel all of the EMI tape off the optical drive bracket. Only peel up the portion highlighted in red that is attached to the body of the optical drive.
  • Peel back the portion of aluminum tape highlighted in red, leaving the rest attached to the black plastic optical drive bracket.

It is not necessary to peel all of the EMI tape off the optical drive bracket. Only peel up the portion highlighted in red that is attached to the body of the optical drive.

Peel back the portion of aluminum tape highlighted in red, leaving the rest attached to the black plastic optical drive bracket.

Step 15

  • Remove the two T10 Torx screws from both sides of the optical drive (four screws total).

Remove the two T10 Torx screws from both sides of the optical drive (four screws total).

Step 16

  • If necessary, use the tip of a spudger to press each of the optical drive bracket tabs out of their slots on the bottom of the optical drive.
  • Rotate the optical drive bracket slightly away from the optical drive.
  • Pull the optical drive bracket away from the open end of the optical drive, minding any tabs that may get caught.

If necessary, use the tip of a spudger to press each of the optical drive bracket tabs out of their slots on the bottom of the optical drive.

Rotate the optical drive bracket slightly away from the optical drive.

Pull the optical drive bracket away from the open end of the optical drive, minding any tabs that may get caught.

Step 17

  • Use the tip of a spudger to peel back the piece of foam tape covering the optical drive thermal sensor.
  • Use the flat end of a spudger to carefully pry the thermal sensor up off the adhesive securing it to the optical drive.
  • If you have a disk or anything else stuck inside your optical drive, we have a guide to fix it.

Use the tip of a spudger to peel back the piece of foam tape covering the optical drive thermal sensor.

Use the flat end of a spudger to carefully pry the thermal sensor up off the adhesive securing it to the optical drive.

If you have a disk or anything else stuck inside your optical drive, we have a guide to fix it.

Step 18

              Optical Drive Enclosure Faceplate
  • Remove the three 3.0 mm Phillips screws from the optical bay enclosure.

Remove the three 3.0 mm Phillips screws from the optical bay enclosure.

Step 19

  • Starting from the left edge, gently pull open the optical bay enclosure.
  • Continue to pull open the two halves of the enclosure until they separate.

Starting from the left edge, gently pull open the optical bay enclosure.

Continue to pull open the two halves of the enclosure until they separate.

Step 20

  • Remove the two 3.0 mm Phillips screws securing the faceplate to the optical bay enclosure.

Remove the two 3.0 mm Phillips screws securing the faceplate to the optical bay enclosure.

Step 21

  • Lift the black plastic faceplate out of the optical bay enclosure.
  • You will no longer need the faceplate or the two Phillips screws that held it in place. Set those parts aside if you ever wish to put the faceplate back into the enclosure.
  • Reassemble the optical bay enclosure without the faceplate, reusing the original three 3.0 mm Phillips screws to keep it intact.

Lift the black plastic faceplate out of the optical bay enclosure.

You will no longer need the faceplate or the two Phillips screws that held it in place. Set those parts aside if you ever wish to put the faceplate back into the enclosure.

Reassemble the optical bay enclosure without the faceplate, reusing the original three 3.0 mm Phillips screws to keep it intact.

Step 22

              Dual Hard Drive
  • Remove the plastic positioner from the optical bay hard drive enclosure by pressing in on one of the clips on either side and lifting it up and out of the enclosure.

Remove the plastic positioner from the optical bay hard drive enclosure by pressing in on one of the clips on either side and lifting it up and out of the enclosure.

Step 23

  • Make sure that the hard drive connectors are facing down before placing it into the enclosure.
  • Gently place the hard drive into the enclosure’s hard drive slot.
  • While firmly holding the enclosure in place with one hand, use your other hand to press the hard drive into the enclosure connectors.

Make sure that the hard drive connectors are facing down before placing it into the enclosure.

Gently place the hard drive into the enclosure’s hard drive slot.

While firmly holding the enclosure in place with one hand, use your other hand to press the hard drive into the enclosure connectors.

Step 24

  • Once the hard drive is snug, reinsert the plastic positioner while holding the hard drive against the bottom of the enclosure.
  • Reconnect any cables you have removed from the original optical drive onto the optical bay enclosure.

Once the hard drive is snug, reinsert the plastic positioner while holding the hard drive against the bottom of the enclosure.

Reconnect any cables you have removed from the original optical drive onto the optical bay enclosure.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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                    Brittany McCrigler

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Allard Mosk - Sep 1, 2013

Reply

I followed this guide to place a samsung 840 EVO 750 GB ssd in the optical drive bay. The instructions worked near perfectly. However, I got many SATA CRC errrors. Not a connector seating problem. After placing the SSD in the hard drive bay (following the hard drive replacement guide) no more CRC errors.

I tested with an older laptop hdd: This works fine in the optical bay.

Apparently either the optical drive bay does not work well with the samsung 840 EVO or my optical drive cable is no good.

I reassembled my superdrive and placed the SSD in place of my built-in HDD for a nice speed increase.

Is there any listing of ssds that work well in the OD bay?

Ron kauvon - Apr 21, 2014

Reply

I recently replaced my HD with an SSD drive. Watching this guide actually helped too!

I would also like to replace the optical drive with a Hard Drive. Would it make much of a difference wether I use a SSD or a 7200rpm HD? I would be using it for video and audio files for Protools and Final Cut Pro that are running on the SSD..

It seems like the negotiated speed on the optical SATA is only 1.5 Gigabit..

Kevin Quinn - May 1, 2014

Reply

Do you attach the thermal sensor to the equivalent place on drive enclosure as it was on the optical drive?

Rob Wilderman - Nov 17, 2015

Reply

Would love to know how to re-use the optical drive externally, with an inexpensive enclosure.

jimwitte - Apr 19, 2017

There is the OWC SuperSlim (https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20…) The iMac drive looks at least half again as thick as a laptop drive, so there would be a gap between the top and bottom pieces of the SuperSlim - maybe build a thin wood frame to take up the gap? Four pieces, each about a quarter-inch thick, glued or lapped on the corners. If you want to be really nifty, maybe try to do a dove-tail on each corner - but that would require cutting about 2 mm “doves and tails”.