Sostituzione scheda Airport/Bluetooth iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2638

Passo 1

Con il cardine libero di muoversi, l'iMac sarà sbilanciato e la lavorazione risulterà difficoltosa. Le riparazioni saranno più rapide e facili con un cuneo di supporto per iMac, ma potranno essere completate anche senza di esso.
Se intendi usare il Cuneo di cartone di supporto dell'iMac di iFixit, segui queste istruzioni di assemblaggio per montarlo.
Prima di iniziare a lavorare sull'iMac, scollega il computer dall'alimentazione e tieni premuto il pulsante di alimentazione per 10 secondi per scaricare i condensatori dell'alimentatore.
Fai molta attenzione a non toccare i contatti dei condensatori o qualsiasi punto di saldatura esposto sulla parte posteriore dell'alimentatore. Maneggia la scheda tenendola solo dai bordi.

The wedge is an extremely tight fit for this model. I was worried that the amount of force needed to use it as shown might damage the stand, so I used it with the long side down instead. It worked fine that way and didn’t need anywhere near as much force to insert.

roberttrevellyan - 19/09/17

Here’s a good YouTube vid on upgrading the RAM: Can a Normal Person Upgrade the RAM in the 2017 21.5" iMac?

Dan - 12/02/18

Here are a couple tips from me:

1) Expose the adhesive to extreme temperatures. I did this by transporting my iMac in my car, screen-down on a piece of cardboard on a cold February morning (in Chicago). When I went to pick up the iMac, the screen practically fell off the chassis. I would have been distraught by this if I hadn’t already planned this replacement. So it was a happy accident.

2) Remember to expell the residual power from the power supply by pushing the power button while the iMac is unplugged. This does NOT guarantee it’s safe to touch, but when I accidentally brushed the solder and exposed capacitors, I didn’t get shocked.

jerrid_foiles - 31/03/19

Instead of using the wedge, I placed the iMac faced up with the top side (web cam) facing me while I ran the pizza roller around. It worked out great!

Sam Fung - 06/06/19

“All iMacs also come with a traditional hard drive” mine doesn’t!! it’s HDD bay is completely empty, no SATA cable or anything. I guess I’ll have to upgrade the PCIe SSD instead.

Chris Hughes - 10/11/19

There is no replacement glass for this model, it is part of the LCD and impossible to remove or replace- the entire LCD has to be replaced unfortunately if the glass is cracked or damaged. You will have to Google search for a replacement. Also be careful with some of the lock tight tork screws as I broke one of my screw mounts taking one out.

Phil Tesone - 18/01/21

I used this service wedge but also found it a very tight fit. The same stabilization can be achieved by using a big rolled up towel.

Ernst -

While this is a good instruction guide, I recommend to also look at OWC’s instruction video about drive installation, before starting the exercise. Those install videos are very detailed and useful.

Ernst -

Main advice: TAKE YOUR TIME with the pizza roller.

Make several passes, until you really feel like there's no more sticker in the way. Stay away from the camera though (approx. 1inch / 2.5cm on both sides). This will reduce the work left with the plastic card. Adhesive is really on the edge of the screen so there is absolutely no need to go any further than the recommended 1cm / 3/8inch depth.

Where are the sensitive parts?

Facing your iMac, imagine you're looking at a watch. There are antennas on 1, 2 and 4 o'clock. Do not insert any metal piece there (nor anywhere else, btw). Other than that AND the screen cables underneath the camera, not much danger.

Froggy Manny - 23/03/23

Passo 2

Iniziare sulla parte sinistra del display, accanto al pulsante di alimentazione, inserire l'attrezzo per l'apertura dell'iMac nello spazio fra il pannello di vetro e il case posteriore.
Il perno sull'attrezzo per l'apertura dell'iMac impedisce di inserire la ruota troppo a fondo. Nel caso di utilizzo di un altro attrezzo, non inserirlo nel display per più di 0,95 cm, In caso contrario, si rischia di tranciare i cavi dell'antenna e provocare danni gravi.

Don’t get too worried about starting exactly where the picture says. The glue is stronger in some parts so just start wherever is easier and then work slowly and patiently around in the direction shown.

Richard Cook - 15/02/19

As this guide doesn’t cover replacing the adhesive strips, I found referring to the following was useful (noting that it’s not for the same model of iMac, so the modification they mention wasn’t necessary): Sostituzione strisce adesive iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2544

Alan Digby - 24/06/20

It is very easy to crack the glass in front of the LCD during this step. I used the guitar pick, maybe it was too thick… crack is just on the frame but anyway it is disappointing :(

Nikolay - 30/06/20

This part of the exercise should be done with extreme patience. I took my sweet time with the opening tool, rolling it through the entire panel and enclosure gap over and over again, until I was very sure no parts were sticking together anymore. And when I thought I was I done, I decided to do it over again.

Ernst -

You can "warm up" the adhesive before try to cut it with the tool using a hair dryer. Heat the edges for about a minute, keep moving it so you don't cause stress in the glass. Also the above note.. use the tool and then the cards. Do not use a guitar pick or other objects as the thickness will cause you to break the front glass, which is a bonded part of the display (expensive).

Carl Schultz -

Merci pour ce conseil

bry nicolas -

Passo 3

Utilizzare l'attrezzo come una taglierina per la pizza: ruotarlo lungo lo spazio per tagliare la schiuma adesiva al centro.
Effettuare sempre una pressione con l'impugnatura dietro il disco tagliente. Tirando, il disco potrebbe uscire dall'impugnatura.
Far scorrere l'attrezzo lungo il lato sinistro del display.

Erreur de traduction: "de bas en haut" et non de" haut en bas" sur le côté gauche de l'écran

Moreau - 15/04/17

If re-opening a screen that was opened and re-attached using iFixit’s adhesive strips, I would strongly recommend heating it first with an iOpener, heat gun or hair dryer. 20 minutes after attaching with the iFixit adhesive I tried to open it again with the pizza slicer to fix something and cracked the screen on the left-hand side.

plasticpool - 08/12/20

Passo 4

Continuare a far scorrere l'attrezzo attorno all'angolo superiore sinistro.

Ne pincez pas l’écran avec l’autre main. Vous exercez une pression inutile sur le verre et empêchez la roulette de couper le joint.

phfoglia -

Passo 5

Tagliare l'adesivo lungo il lato sinistro del display.

Passo 6

Continuare lungo la parte superiore del display.
È consigliabile far scorrere ripetutamente l'attrezzo avanti e indietro lungo la parte già tagliata, per fare in modo di separare il più possibile l'adesivo.

In this step can I cut along the display without make any damage to the front camera?

arisnordico - 22/01/15

Hi! Actually - there is no need to cut the tape around the camera area - there is no tape to cut at all! And so, the way go is easy - just pass 10 mm to the left and to the right from camera and start cutting!

P.S. Just did the whole procedure to replace a RAM and to add SSD on PSIe an hour ago! Seems to be different reading the instructions... you know - 2/10 and so on. But it's really not that hard, trust me. I'll give it 5/10.

P.P.S. By the way there is one trick to pass the difficult steps. Any action which requires pulling smth (motherboard, speaker, power supply unit) from the narrow crack (or should i say - slit?) at the bottom of your Imac is really not so easy.

And the trick is to first remove a thin metal stripe with some kind of insulation on it which held by 5 small (very small!!) screws at the bottom of your Imac. After you done it - it's easy to pull everything! Pay attention to the fact that one of this 5 screws at the center are more shortly than others.

dv1977 - 24/01/15

I did all steps like this manuell but now the Display wont work only some colered strips are to see! Whats happend??

Can anybody help me ? Maybe the connector cable is broken?

djfanta - 28/05/15

Check both connectors, probably one of them not seated well

pzhivulin - 12/06/15

You can add a SATA SSD if you already have a PCIe SSD Factory?

kaserlik - 30/05/15

If you're changing cracked EMC 2638 display to new assembly, there's two more steps:

Step 24: 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 display assembly.

Step 25: Use the tip of a spudger to unplug bracket of the thermal sensor small cable near display data cable.

Carefully remove scotch tape covering thermal sensor. Using iSesamo or flat tip of the spudger carefully peel the thermal sensor away.

pzhivulin - 12/06/15

omg - forgot to switch the termal sensor from the old display...

now fan runs like crazy...

Andrei Balotescu - 05/02/16

The key thing is to never put any force on the opening tool when working through the tape. Just roll it back and forth with ease.

Ernst -

Passo 7

Premere l'attrezzo attorno all'angolo superiore destro del display.

Passo 8

Far scorrere l'attrezzo verso il basso, lungo il lato destro del display.

Passo 9

Terminare l'applicazione dell'attrezzo per l'apertura nella parte inferiore del lato destro del display.
A questo punto, si consiglia di ripassare nuovamente l'attrezzo lungo tutto il display, per fare in modo di tagliare il più possibile l'adesivo.

Yes, do it many times to loosen the adhesive.

Noah Ralston - 19/07/18

Would be good data to show the 3 areas (wifi antennas where the "tape" is larger and covers them. The rest of the "tape" is 1.4" and easy. Also after removing the display, be sure to remove the old "tape" from both the display and the rubber parts of the case. Use the spudger to start an end and it should pull off easily. Careful on the baackside of the display as you can scratch off the black paint/covering.

Carl Schultz -

Passo 10

Sebbene l'attrezzo per l'apertura tagli la maggior parte dell'adesivo, il display sarà ancora leggermente attaccato al case. Occorre una scheda di plastica per liberare la parte restante dell'adesivo.
Poggiare l'iMac su un tavolo, rivolto verso l'alto.
A partire dall'angolo superiore destro dell'iMac, inserire una scheda di plastica fra il display e il telaio.
Fare attenzione a non inserire la scheda di plastica per più di 0,95 cm, in caso contrario si rischia di danneggiare i componenti interni.

this step is extremely important NOT to stick in the cards too far….. doing so, you risk a 600 euro replacement as I experienced………

Edgar Broekema - 18/11/17

I drew a 3/8” line on my cards with a marker first.

Max Romano - 27/09/20

I’m reading this on the EU store, please change all measurements to cm/mm.

Morgana Devina - 30/10/20

@ifixit The next batch of cards you create should have a line printed on the card 3/8” in from the edges. Would make a nice reference.

Richard Giratd -

Here’s where OWC provides glass removal suction cups, which is a better solution than plastic cards.

The suction cups help to easily lift the glass panel, without risking the damaging of any internal wiring that the plastic cards could cause.

Ernst -

Better to remove stand wedge at this point? Can’t see from pics

derekrobinson -

Passo 11

Ruotare delicatamente la scheda di plastica lateralmente per creare uno spazio fra il display e il telaio.
Eseguire movimenti lenti, facendo attenzione a non fare troppa pressione sul vetro del display, poiché occorre solo uno spazio di circa 0,63 cm.

This part must be done very carefully or you can damage the flat cable from display, despite it was under a iron cover.

Cassio Machado - 17/09/16

Passo 12

Far scorrere la scheda verso il centro del display per tagliare il resto dell'adesivo lungo l'angolo destro dell'iMac.
Occorre fermarsi prima della fotocamera iSight per non danneggiarla.

You don't need to do it like this, simply open the iMac bendidng the LCD completely and use the pizza cutter to remove the adhesive.

Felix - 31/05/20

Using glass removal suction cups will avoid running this risk of damaging the camera (or any wiring).

Ernst -

Passo 13

Inserire la scheda di plastica nell'angolo superiore destro nuovamente e lasciarla in sede per evitare che l'adesivo si riattacchi.

Passo 14

Inserire una seconda scheda di plastica nello spazio fra il display e il telaio, vicino all'angolo superiore sinistro dell'iMac.

Passo 15

Ruotare delicatamente la scheda verso l'alto per aumentare leggermente lo spazio fra il display e il telaio.
Come sulla parte opposta, ruotare lentamente la scheda, per consentire la separazione dell'adesivo, senza esercitare una pressione eccessiva sul vetro del display.

Passo 16

Far scorrere la scheda di plastica verso il centro, fermandosi nuovamente prima della fotocamera iSight.

Passo 17

Reinserire la scheda di plastica nell'angolo superiore sinistro.

Passo 18

Mantenendo entrambe le schede di plastica inserite vicino agli angoli come indicato, ruotarle delicatamente sui lati per aumentare lo spazio fra il display e il case.
In presenza di sezioni ancora incollate che non si separano, fermare la rotazione e utilizzare una delle schede per tagliare l'adesivo restante.
Iniziare a sollevare la parte superiore del display dal telaio.
Sollevare il display di pochi centimetri, poiché i cavi di alimentazione e dei dati sono ancora collegati alla scheda logica.

Passo 19

Mentre tieni lo schermo alto con una mano, usa l'altra mano per scollegare il cavo di alimentazione.
Alza lo schermo abbastanza da avere un accesso facile al connettore, ma non troppo (circa 20 cm) in modo da evitare di tirare i cavi e forzare i relativi connettori.

Pulling the display power cable by the wires makes me nervous..

bstaud - 28/03/18

I had a small flight light ready so I could see. Follow the directions - don’t blindly pull.

Noah Ralston - 19/07/18

Head lamp gives you the best hands free view!

Macrepair SF - 28/06/19

bstaud - The display power cable has two squeezable levers on each end of the cable’s width.

Squeeze the left lever with your thumb while you simultaneously squeeze the right lever with your

index finger, and gently pull the cable straight back and out, and the cable comes out very easily.

Ted Horodynsky - 10/08/19

When reassembling, make sure you get a “click” confirmation that both the levers have locked AND the pins have seated on this connector. I was treated to a black screen upon startup, and had to re-cut my newly installed adhesive strips to get back in to firm up this connection. Better would be power up with the bottom adhesive in place, screen resting in place and held on top with blue painter tape to confirm connections, THEN pull off screen-side adhesive tape covers for final re-bonding.

Robert McKillip -

Can someone post a link to actually purchase these cables?

Jay Hernandez -

E-bay had one for me

Roger -

Passo 20

Usa la punta del tuo spudger per alzare la staffa in metallo che blocca il cavo dati dello schermo nella sua presa.
Estrai con delicatezza il cavo dati dello schermo dal suo zoccolo sulla scheda madre.
Assicurati di tirare il connettore del cavo dati dello schermo in asse con lo zoccolo.

Sure could use a magnified picture of this connector and socket, especially the first time you go in. And it is the most critical step of the whole operation — bung it up and we’re toast.

bstaud - 28/03/18

Hi bstaud! If you hover over the image you can click on the magnifying glass and get a large image of any guide photo. Hope that helps!

Sam Goldheart - 29/03/18

To clarify, the connector pulls out in the plane of the logic card, not perpendicular.

David Thompson - 20/12/18

Passo 21

Alza lo schermo in modo tale che sia quasi verticale.
A questo punto c'è ancora una striscia di adesivo sul bordo inferiore dello schermo, che lo tiene ancorato alla scocca come una cerniera. Puoi allentare l'adesivo tirando su e giù lo schermo per un po' di volte.

Where can I find a replacement display for my iMac?

Braydon Boyce - 26/11/17

iFixit has listings for replacements. Go to the Parts section

jerrid_foiles - 04/05/19

Passo 22

Stai molto attento a non toccare i contatti dei condensatori o qualsiasi saldatura esposta sul retro dell'alimentatore (cerchiato in rosso).
Prendi la piccola aletta all'estremità di una delle strisce adesive dello schermo sul bordo inferiore e tirala verso il bordo superiore dell'iMac per rimuoverla.
Ripeti questo passaggio con l'altra striscia adesiva e rimuovila.
Se una delle due strisce adesive si rompe prima di essere rimossa, usa una scheda di plastica per tagliare l'adesivo rimasto.

Cutting through this extra adhesive on the bottom took a bit more effort than the step and picture implied (to me). Unlike the other edges, here don't be afraid to really push the card in there to break the seal, there's nothing behind that adhesive that is breakable.

phil - 13/02/16

cutting through the adhesive is unnecessary if it's not been opened before (outside of an apple store) there will be a tab at the end of each VHB strip that you can use to simply pull the vhb strips off.

Rory McKenna - 20/09/16

YES, exactly the same here. more but more simple.

Lucio Alves - 14/09/19

To save a few steps and a bit of time, if you have a helper, they can hold the display at a 90° angle while you unscrew the brackets and remove/replace the hard drive rather than remove the display entirely. Also reduces the likelihood of damaging the display as you remove and handle it.

marty - 03/09/17

The proper way to remove the display according to the Macintosh tech manual and videos is as Rory McKenna and Lucio Alves have learned is to pull the tab at the end of each VHB strip until it is off.

Ben Varela - 05/03/20

This worked great! look for small left over adhesive on either edge of the bottom of the screen and pull each one towards the center. Screen assembly removes after that with no fuss.

Miguel Rivas -

Passo 23

Alza lo schermo e separalo dalla scocca dell'iMac.
Potrebbe essere necessario sollevare lentamente lo schermo da un lato per far in modo che il restante adesivo si stacchi.
Fai estrema attenzione a maneggiare lo schermo: è grande, pesante e fatto di vetro.
Per il riassemblaggio, vai alla nostra guida per l'adesivo dello schermo per riattaccare il display.

Passo 24

Rimuovi le seguenti cinque viti a croce Phillips che tengono in posizione la staffa di supporto inferiore:
Quattro viti da 3,2 mm
Una vite da 1,7 mm
Su almeno alcune macchine EMC 2544, tutte e cinque le viti hanno le stesse dimensioni.
Potrebbe essere necessario rimuovere l'adesivo del display che riveste il bordo inferiore della custodia dell'iMac per accedere alle viti.

I used the CR-V 4.0 standard screwdriver head to help peel away the adhesive lining. My fingers were too big to grab it, and my fingernails too short to get the removal started. This 4 screw head worked perfectly.

airshack - 07/02/20

Passo 25

Rimuovi la staffa di supporto inferiore dalla custodia dell'iMac.

Of all the parts of this entire procedure, replacing this one piece is the hardest part! The screws are tiny and they just don’t seem to want to grab the support piece. Also it seems to perform no function which is also annoying.

John M - 25/01/19

I left mine out. LOL

jerrid_foiles - 04/05/19

Line up the screw holes and press on the bracket from the back to help the screws grab. If your fingers are too big, press with the flat side of your spudger. As long as there’s no gap between the bracket and the iMac’s frame, the screws should grab easily.

Jeff Suovanen - 07/05/19

I put it in at a slight angle lining up the right hand side holes, screwed in the two screws and gently pressed my finger behind it on the rest

jmorphett5 - 30/04/20

If you only want to replace the HD and RAM, take a big shortcut and leave the logic board in, as well as all the parts needed to remove it (speaker, power supply etc). Once the display is removed, just take out the fan and the top two logic board screw. There is than sufficient space to gently remove and insert the two ram modules. HD can easily be replaced with an SSD by just removing the HD mounting brackets...

diddl14 -

Voces mudaram de modelo iMac, desta foto para proxima, esse modelo desta foto nao tem slot nvme. O da proxima foto sim. Voces me fizeram comprar un nvme por engano...

tgb4rr0s tege -

Passo 26

Usa uno spudger per allentare il connettore del cavo dell'altoparlante destro dalla sua presa sulla scheda logica.
Puoi spingere verso il basso su entrambi i lati corti del connettore per accompagnarlo fuori dalla presa. Fa' attenzione agli angoli dei connettori, perché possono rompersi facilmente.
Tira il connettore verso il basso per rimuoverlo dalla presa.

Passo 27

Rimuovi le due viti T10 da 10,0 mm che fissano l'altoparlante destro al case posteriore.

Passo 28

Inserisci la punta di uno spudger tra l'altoparlante destro e il cavo dell'antenna che passa sul lato destro dell'altoparlante.
Fai scorrere lo spudger lungo il lato destro dell'altoparlante per sollevare il cavo dell'antenna dal suo canale sull'altoparlante destro.

Passo 29

Solleva l'altoparlante destro e rimuovilo dall'iMac.
L'altoparlante è incastrato bene nel case posteriore, quindi potrebbe essere utile muovere l'altoparlante da un lato all'altro mentre lo tiri verso l'alto.

Passo 30

Rimuovi le seguenti viti che mantengono al loro posto le staffe di bloccaggio che fissano il disco rigido alla scocca posteriore:
Due viti Torx T10 da 21 mm sulla parte sinistra della staffa del disco rigido.
Una vite Torx T10 da 9 mm.
Una vite Torx T10 da 27 mm.

Pay attention to this photo and where the fan is. It is 180° from where the previous step shows it is oriented to you.

Max Romano - 27/09/20

Passo 31

Rimuovi dal tuo iMac le staffe di bloccaggio destra e sinistra dell'hard drive.

Passo 32

I prossimi passaggi ti faranno lavorare con le mani vicino all'alimentatore esposto. Non toccare la faccia della scheda o le saldature. Toccarle significa correre il rischio di ricevere una scossa ad alta tensione dai diversi potenti condensatori fissati alla scheda.
Usa la punta di uno spudger per spingere su un lato alla volta del connettore del cavo del tasto di accensione e scollegalo lentamente dalla sua presa.

I would advise that before removing the PSU unit and all other components from the bottom of the case that you remove the 5 screws at the bottom of the display which hold an insulation strip in place.

The guide shows this piece removed, but does not tell you how to remove it.

There will be 5, small J1000 screws. The middle one, which goes over Apple Logo is the shorter one of the 5, all others are the same length. Once this piece is gone removing the components is much easier, and chance of damage lessened.

[deleted] - 16/01/16

Added to the guide. Thanks for the tip!

Jeff Suovanen - 06/07/16

No need to remove power board and logic board and all other components, just remove the fan and it is quite "easily" accessable to change the RAM. Just need to use the tools to remove the old RAM and carefully install the new RAM.

I just did it without removing the logic or power board

Oleksandr Trokhymchuk - 11/08/17

could you elaborate a little more, I would love to skip the rest of these steps. How did you accomplish this?

ej P - 03/07/18

Oleksandr Trokhymchuk,

Thank you! You just saved me so much time! I wouldn’t call this “easy” but it saved me a lot of time and effort.

Joshua Ericson -

ej P: remove the fan assembly first. Then remove the connector that runs from the iSight camera to the logic board on the left.

the RAM is located right near that cable. It’s tricky to remove but you can pop open the connectors with a black nylon stick and the RAM chip will pop up at 45 degrees. Make a mental note on which way you will need to install the new ram as it’s tough to see. For the Crucial memory I got it was label side facing away you (facing towards rear metal enclosure).

the second chip has a plastic adhesive piece on it that you should probably attach to the new ram.

remove both chips then install the new ram in sequence from the board out.

Wizdom On Wheels - 10/07/19

In the photo for Step 28, the power button cable connector is placed around the power board screw hole on the top left of the power board.

However, on the iMac I upgraded, the power button cable connector was “fed” through the power power screw hole on the top left of the power board. The cable was too short to run around and below the hole.

Hence, I had to ensure the cable was “fed” through the hole during re-assembly and the screw carefully screwed back through the hole.

I guess every iMac is assembly just a bit differently, just to make repairs that much more fun.

Tim Telcik - 01/09/19

This is not correct and may have been assembled incorrectly during a previous repair.

Charlie Nancarrow -

Just replaced the hard drive and RAM with SSD and 16GB respectively and did NOT remove the power supply or logic board. Tricky is a word to describe putting the RAM in without removing the logic board. You work in the dark with little room to get your fingers in between the logic board and the back of the case. I put the first RAM chip in without a problem (the one next to the logic board), but the second to four tries and dropped it behind the logic board three times before finally getting it to position correctly. Just impossible to see and must work but feel. Still it was faster than removing all the components… though did remove the fan (needed cleaning anyway). All in all I can’t say enough about the help the guide was through the upgrade ! Thanks !

Ray Burgard - 14/12/19

I found this connector to be very tight and was afraid of breaking it off. I just kept slowly working on it—it did eventually come out.

I did try to sneak the RAM in without removing the logic board but my fingers were too big. I found it too difficult and just continued on with this guide.

Mikkif - 30/03/20

I was not able to install the memory without removing all the components. My fingers are too big and I could barely get in that tight spot to swap out the memory. The hardest part about the power supply is that one connector under the chin next to the Apple logo. Once it is out, you are home free because it is so easy to plug it back in when you are putting it all back together again. Ridiculous that Apple did not put a simple access door behind those memory slots because they are on the backside of the Mac! They did an access door on the PowerBooks and it did not ruin the appearance. They could have designed a cool looking pop out door that only had a thin seam around it so it would still look good. Then you could remove the access door to upgrade the memory easily.

Peter Hillman - 18/10/20

Does anyone know if this is the same situation as in the 2017 model? I just changed RAM in the 2017 version and also skipped taking out the logic board. I just bent a pair of tweezers and put some tape around the tips to make them less scratchy and used them to place the RAM modules into the slots. Worked supereasy and much much quicker than performing the complete tear down of the whole machine.

Nils Witte - 26/12/20

This step is impossible!

Cecily Walker - 05/01/21

@wizdomonwheels, I don’t see how I can get the RAM shield off of the logic board to access the RAM without removing the logic board. What am I missing?? I’m guessing that those of you that are suggesting this technique are working on older iMac models that don’t have the RAM shield.

jiclark - 11/03/21

Yes, you are correct. It is likely the various steps are a bit different on each model. If I recall I was likely working on a 2015 or older system. If there’s a shield in the way, I can’t think of a way you could get around it without pulling the logic board.

Wizdom On Wheels - 12/03/21

Passo 33

Usa la punta di uno spudger per spingere su un lato alla volta del connettore del cavo di controllo dell'alimentatore e scollegalo lentamente dalla sua presa.

Passo 34

Svita le due viti Torx T10 da 7,2 mm che fissano l'alimentatore al case posteriore.
In alcuni modelli più recenti di iMac queste sono due viti T8 da 7,2 mm.
Durante il riassemblaggio assicurati di non bloccare il cavo del tasto di accensione dietro all'alimentatore.

In my case, the left side corner of the PS was caught against the Lower Support Bracket, and I had to remove the LSB in order to get the PS freed and out.

I think the author Walter Galan should put this in the main section of his instructions. I have TWO identical iMac 14,1 / i5 2.7GHz / 21 Inch Late 2013 / Order ME086LL/A. They both required removing the LSB. Thank you very much Walter Galan & others for your contributions.

Ted Horodynsky - 15/07/20

Those screws were definitely not T10 but T9 on my unit

Vincent Monteil - 27/12/20

Those screws were T8 on my unit.

jag32mobile - 17/01/21

c'est du torx 08

pascal cacou -

Passo 35

Mentre sei alle prese con l'alimentatore stai molto attento a non toccare i contatti dei condensatori o le saldature sul retro dell'alimentatore. Spostalo toccando esclusivamente i bordi della scheda.
Inclina l'alimentatore in avanti.

When replacing the PSU (on the re-build) take care not to trap the power button cable behind it - I did...

Dave Hallett - 10/08/17

Passo 36

Tira leggermente l'alimentatore verso l'alto e fuori dalla scocca.
Ruota l'alimentatore in senso antiorario, sollevando il lato destro di circa 2 cm rispetto a quello sinistro.

In my case, the left side corner of the PS was caught against the Lower Support Bracket, and I had to remove the LSB in order to get the PS freed and out.

I think the author Walter Galan should put this in the main section of his instructions. I have TWO identical iMac 14,1 / i5 2.7GHz / 21 Inch Late 2013 / Order ME086LL/A. They both required removing the LSB. Thank you very much Walter Galan & others for your contributions.

Ted Horodynsky - 15/07/20

Passo 37

Fai scorrere l'alimentatore verso destra per evitare i supporti per le viti sulla scocca.

Passo 38

Muovi l'alimentatore avanti e indietro per rimuoverlo da suo alloggio nella scocca.
Non cercare di rimuovere del tutto già ora l'alimentatore: è ancora collegato alla scheda madre.

Passo 39

Stai molto attento a non toccare i contatti dei condensatori o le saldature sul retro dell'alimentatore. Spostalo toccando esclusivamente i bordi della scheda.
Gira l'alimentatore per avere accesso al cavo di alimentazione DC sul retro della scheda madre.
Schiaccia l'aletta sul retro del connettore del cavo di alimentazione e sfilalo dalla sua presa sulla scheda madre.

when pulled the cable, even slightly, the actual female piece that connects to the logic board came off. am i screwed?

Racheal Major - 08/05/17

Repairing sockets that come off the logic board is possible, but very specialised work. Unless you have a magnifying lamp and the necessary desoldering and soldering skills, it will be difficult but not impossible.

Charlie Nancarrow - 28/07/19

The tab is at the far end of the connector, so you’ll need to reach farther than you might think.

lkollar - 30/12/19

When I pulled the disconnect, I pushed down on the disconnect, instead of pushing down on the tab on the disconnect and bent those pins… tried to straighten the bent pins and two of the pins broke off the logic board. Will I need a new logic board or can I purchase the pins…?

Ray AA - 04/06/20

I could not disconnect this cable without fear of breaking something (as previous posters did). I found that I could skip this and the next step by wrapping the power supply in a couple layers of a small towel (to prevent shorting with any other metal surfaces), and laying the power supply on the aluminum face of the iMac near the Apple logo. This got it out of the way enough to do what I needed on the logic board (changing PRAM battery) after completing removal of the other items in this guide.

Phil McInnis -

Passo 40

Può esserti d'aiuto appoggiare l'iMac sul suo retro per i prossimi passaggi.
Usa l'estremità piatta di uno spudger per premere verso l'interno l'aletta sul lato del connettore del cavo di alimentazione AC.
Mentre premi l'aletta per il rilascio, afferra il cavi di alimentazione AC e sfilalo dalla sua presa.

I didn't disconnect the input cable to the power supply. Because I had the machine lying on its back throughout, I placed it on to the metal bit at the bottom of the machine instead (with a cloth to stop the metal getting scratched). The AC inlet cable was pretty tricky to get un-locked, and the PSU sat on the case fine. It didn't hinder anything else throughout the guide.

Dave Hallett - 10/08/17

I thought from Dave’s comment that I could leave the power supply completely in place, but I was mistaken. In order to remove the hard drive assembly after you remove the center screw in it, you’ll need to at least unscrew it and the HD assembly will slip out. Like Dave said, you don’t need to unplug the AC or PSU, which I left hanging.

Getting power supply to the logic board unplugged is also tricky without unscrewing the two bottom screws. They didn’t make this part easy.

delacrj2 - 22/12/17

Kleiner Rechtschreibfehler - statt „denac“ muss es wohl „den iMac“ heißen

Gonzalo - 01/11/18

Au ja. Du kannst so was selbst ausbessern. Einfach auf “Übersetzen" gehen und loslegen.

VauWeh - 01/11/18

I would like to thanks Dave Hallett for his tip of not removing the AC inlet connector of the power supply. I simply wrapped the board in bubble wrap and taped to the iMac case, out of the way, thus giving access to the remaining disconnection procedures and preventing the board from scratching to the iMac case. It also made reassembly much simpler.

Rob Hogan - 04/08/20

Yeah, that AC inlet plug was a nasty one to unplug, mainly because I was trying not to bump the solder joints on the PSU. After a few wiggles and pulls while manipulating the spudger tool to release the clip, it finally unplugged. Made it easier by removing the PSU completely so you don’t have to worry about it. Don’t worry, plugging it back in is a breeze!

Peter Hillman - 18/10/20

With the right tool this plug comes out very easily. Forget about your tiny computer tools, go to the garage and grab a regular old needle nose pliers. Grab the clip and the plug at the same time. The plug will come right out.

Carin Ann Loewen - 08/03/21

Carin Ann— The most helpful comment on this procedure. After reading what you wrote I maneuvered the board, grabbed the clip with my left hand (a little awkward because of the cooling enclosure), squeezed the front of the plug, and got it out.

Glen Kohler -

+1 for needle nose pliers!

Sam -

Passo 41

Rimuovi l'alimentatore dall'iMac.

erreur: retirer "la carte d'alimentation" et non" le disque dur" !!!!!

Moreau - 16/04/17

Passo 42

Rimuovi delicatamente il connettore del cavo della ventola direttamente dalla sia presa sulla scheda logica.

Passo 43

Rimuovi le tre viti a spalla T10 da 12,3 mm che fissano la ventola al telaio posteriore.

Passo 44

Rimuovi la ventola dall'iMac.

Passo 45

Solleva l'hard drive dal lato più vicino alla scheda madre e tiralo leggermente fuori dal suo alloggio.
Il disco rigido è ancora collegato all'iMac con un cavo dati/alimentazione SATA: non cercare di rimuoverlo ora.

The newer drives have rubber ends and an adhesive side, be careful removing them if replacing the drive and be sure they are securely pushed back into the holder

Carl Schultz -

Passo 46

Usa uno spudger per scollegare il cavo dati/alimentazione SATA facendo leva delicatamente su entrambi i lati del connettore per farlo scorrere lontano dall'unità.

When reconnecting the SATA cable, there is nothing to make the connector hold still, and it is hard to reach, so it took several tries. I ended up taking off the rubber baby buggy bumpers to get more room, and then jamming them back on after getting the SATA connector snugged up.

bstaud - 28/03/18

If by rubber baby buggy bumper, you mean left speaker, then yes, I agree. Reinstall the hard drive before the left speaker.

jerrid_foiles - 31/03/19

Kudo to @jerrid_foiles! I was going crazy trying to attach the SATA cable until I took the two screws out of the left speaker and slid the top end of it aside by about 3/4 inch. Make the whole process SO MUCH easier!!

jiclark - 11/07/19

We solved this by removing the hard drive tray screw, then inserting the cable into the SATA hard drive. Then hold the hard drive a bit out of the way to insert the 7.3mm hard drive tray screw.

Marjie - 25/07/19

Agree with this method, found it an impossible task to reconnect the SATA connector until removed the tray screw, then it was relatively easy to reconnect and then replace the tray screw.

daveedwards - 20/09/19

Also agree with this method!

jmorphett5 - 30/04/20

Passo 47

Rimuovi il gruppo dell'hard drive dall'iMac.

When reassembling, I found it easier to loosen the HD tray screw from Step 48 and pull the tray outwards from the left side in order to plug the SATA cable in more easily.

Cool_Breeze - 10/05/17

Thanks! I, too, had a hard time reconnecting the SATA cable.

boboswell - 16/06/17

I found this helpful too!

Anwar - 07/02/21

And DON’T do what I did, which is to remove the left speaker - which can easily lead to breaking the cable between the power on button and the power supply. The cable is routed through a hidden slot at the very bottom of the left speaker

bsmith1 - 15/12/17

I did loosen the speaker so I could get a tool behind the SATA cable to push it on to the SSD drive. Otherwise hard to align cable.

Noah Ralston - 19/07/18

I found the easiest way to connect the SATA cable was to not screw the plastic hard drive tray down until you plug the drive in. That way you can easily push the connector in and due to the cable you’ve got some wiggle room. You can position the tray then just lift one end of the drive up and secure the screw. Then just push the drive down.

Chris Caldwell - 21/03/19

This was the step that I had the most trouble with. I’m used to replacing a hard drive in a MacBook Pro, where the “plug” that you plug the drive into is a rigid thing that you can firmly press the hard drive into.

With the iMac, the plug is situated on the end of a non-rigid cord, so the plug moves back when you try to snap a drive into it. Also, those two rubber gasket things that you adhere to the side of the drive really make it difficult to maneuver the now-overly-chubby drive towards the plug.

After must frustration/concern, what I ended up doing was temporarily removing the rubber gasket things, using the “spudger” as kind of a lever behind the “plug on a cord” so that it didn’t move as much, and then pushed the gasket-less SSD into the plug.

Once I got it connected, I put the rubber gaskets back on the sides of the SSD and kind of coaxed it down into place, using the pointy end of the spudger to get the chubby corner pieces to “sit” correctly in the rigid plastic tray that the SSD kind of rests in.

Jack OnFlickr - 29/05/19

From another comment elsewhere on this repair, I *highly* recommend removing the two screws holding the left speaker in place, then sliding it just a tad out of the way to be able to easily attach the SATA cable. You don’t have to move it much to make the whole process so much easier!

jiclark - 11/07/19

Passo 48

Rimuovi la vite T10 da 7,2 mm che fissa il vassoio dell'hard drive al telaio posteriore.

HD Screw is a T9 on mine

TheStudioDrummer -

Passo 49

Rimuovi il vassoio dell'hard drive dal telaio posteriore.

You will have to reroute the sata cable beneath too. The drive tray will not simply lift out.

biscuit - 04/02/17

Passo 50

Spingi su ciascun lato del connettore del cavo dell'altoparlante sinistro con la punta di uno spudger e accompagnalo delicatamente fuori dalla sua presa.

A step is entirely missing here – removing the right speaker cable connection from the logic board and also removing the right speaker casing (all the pictures below show it already having been removed). You actually don't need to entirely remove the right speaker to get the logic board out but you will need to remove its screws and lift it slightly. And you will need to remove its plug from the motherboard but that's not hard and it looks identical to the left speaker plug/socket.

biscuit - 04/02/17

This does need adding to the guide if anyone from ifixit sees this!

Alan Digby - 24/06/20

Passo 51

Se necessario, usa delle pinzette per rimuovere gentilmente il nastro adesivo che fissa il cavo dell'altoparlante sinistro al cavo dati/alimentazione SATA.
Il nastro adesivo dev'essere rimosso se stai rimuovendo l'altoparlante sinistro.

Actually i didn't get why should i unstick the tape which gum up left speaker cable to the SATA data/power cable. It's gonna be hard to bond the tape again cause it looses the clue ability. I can definetely claim that there is no need to touch the tape.

dv1977 - 26/01/15

I too can say that there was no reason to remove the tape.

[deleted] - 16/01/16

Agreed. I completed the repair without removing the tape.

phil - 13/02/16

Passo 52

Sposta il cavo dell'altoparlante sinistro tirandolo fuori dal gancio di fissaggio sul retro del telaio posteriore.
Allo stesso modo, solleva il cavo SATA dati/alimentazione dal gancio di fissaggio.

Passo 53

Usa la parte piatta di uno spudger per capovolgere la staffa di fissaggio di metallo sul connettore del cavo della fotocamera iSight.
Rimuovi il cavo della fotocamera iSight dalla sua presa sulla scheda logica.
Non usare troppa forza. È un connettore delicato che si danneggia facilmente.

Passo 54

Usa la parte piatta di uno spudger per scollegare tutti i connettori delle quattro antenne dalla scheda Airport/Bluetooth.
Prendi nota della posizione di ciascun connettore quando ricolleghi i cavi.

Be careful and tender here, otherwise you risk that the connectors brake

Andreas - 23/01/19

Agreed, super easy to bend these and break them.

jctracey - 11/06/19

i found it helpful to use the flat end of the spudger under the cable near the connector and gently wiggle the spudger until the cable was disconnected.

Tim Telcik - 31/08/19

Agreed, I broke one connector. The airport seems to work anyway. But what to do to fix it? Change the airport card or try to weld it again?

Paolo Galante - 01/01/20

I mark each cable tip with a different colored sharpie and then take a Pic. This gives me the order and the angle of orientation in order to reconnect these pesky connectors.

Macrepair SF - 05/03/20

OK, so when did you remove the RIGHT speaker? Suddenly it is not in the photos. I s there anything besides it's plug to remove?

Carl Schultz -

Passo 55

Usa la parte piatta di uno spudger per sollevare il connettore del cavo del jack cuffie dalla sua presa sulla scheda logica.
Spingi il cavo un po' a destra per spostarlo per poi rimuovere la scheda logica.

The photo in Step 51 shows the right speaker missing, however there is no step prior for removing the right speaker.

Hence, refer to this other guide to remove the right speaker *before* Step 51.

Sostituzione altoparlante destro iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2638

Tim Telcik - 01/09/19

Its there! Step 28 & 29 is the removal, the left one doesn’t need to be removed.

Dan - 26/07/20

Passo 56

Rimuovi le seguenti viti che fissano il condotto di scarico al telaio posteriore:
Due viti T8 da 6,3 mm
Due viti T8 da 4,7 mm

I have the Manta 64 bit kit and the driver that comes with that kit is too short/fat to reach that right 4.7mm T8 screw. I cant fit it past the logic board. i’ll have to find a T8 with a longer shaft or a skinny extension bit

Nick - 06/05/20

edit: nvm I didn’t see the smaller TR8 bit but I’m good now!

Nick - 07/05/20

A T9 bit fits and grips the screws tight enough to make it easier to work with the deep 4.7mm screw.

johann beda - 17/10/20

Passo 57

Rimuovi le quattro viti T10 da 7,2 mm che fissano la scheda logica al telaio posteriore.

So a major problem for me here — my iMac (purchased 2018 ) has a solid circular fastener where the lower left T10 screw should be. So I think I’m dead in the water as far as getting the logic board off to put the new RAM in. I can’t see how people can insert the ram from behind without seeing it or being able to get two fingers to the tabs. I’m so frustrated with the design of this computer.

jctracey - 11/06/19

That’s a new one on us! We’d love to see a photo. Any chance it’s a tamper-proof sticker hiding the head? You may also be able to turn it with a set of pliers if you can get a decent grip, just be careful not to bump any board components!

Sam Goldheart - 13/06/19

It’s a tamper proof sticker. I started to peel it up, but it was just easier to press the screwdriver bit in.

as an update, these are now T8 screws

cwaldrip - 04/09/20

Passo 58

Inclina la parte superiore della scheda logica, allontanandola dal telaio posteriore.
Solleva la scheda logica e rimuovila dall'iMac.
Fai attenzione che la scheda non si impigli sui perni delle viti.
Le schede I/O sulla parte inferiore della scheda logica saranno la parte più difficile. Ti raccomandiamo di tirare delicatamente per evitare di danneggiarle.

If you have a helper (or if you're very coordinated and careful), you can very likely lift up the logic board far enough to replace both RAM modules without pulling the logic board all the way out. Just be careful what you touch, of course.

phil - 13/02/16

This is the trickiest part of the whole operation. It took me a solid half hour to get the logic board out. I’m sure it would be easier a second time, because there’s not many delicate components around the USB/Internet sockets, so you can be a little more assertive with it than I felt comfortable doing.

David Thompson - 20/12/18

i found the logic board kept snagging on the USB connectors poking through the exterior case. Wiggle the logic gently to extract..

Tim Telcik - 31/08/19

There are two connections underneath, where the HDD cables plug in. This should be pointed out; they pulled loose when I removed the logic board and I didn’t notice until I had most of it put back together.

lkollar - 30/12/19

Take out the two screws that hold down the right speaker, and push it up a little, before removing the logic board. It makes things a lot easier.

Also: there’s a cable on the right side of the logic board that isn’t called out. Nor are the two HDD cables that plug into the underside of the logic board.

lkollar - 30/12/19

Photo shows right speaker removed, but this is not in the steps. I loosened it and disconnected its cable. Otherwise, the logic board wasn’t going to come out safely.

ken -

Passo 59

Quando installi la scheda logica, presta attenzione ad allineare le porte I/O correttamente. La scheda logica può rimanere storta anche quando è fissata con tutte le viti.
Usa una chiavetta USB o un cavo ethernet per accertarti che la scheda logica sia posizionata correttamente mentre la avviti.

Passo 60

Rimuovi le due viti T5 da 3,2 mm che fissano la scheda Airport/Bluetooth alla scheda logica.

Passo 61

Solleva leggermente la scheda Airport/Bluetooth e rimuovila dalla sua presa.
Non usare troppa forza per tirare le estremità della scheda Airport/Bluetooth dalla sua presa sulla scheda logica. Potrebbe danneggiare la presa.
Quando installi la scheda, Certo ti che sia posizionata correttamente prima di riavvitare le viti.

Sostituzione scheda Airport/Bluetooth iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2638

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