Removing MacBook Pro cover???

[SKYLANE]

Getting into my 15" MacBook Pro (2.16 GHz Intel) to change harddrive and a couple of other things. Following the instructions at the iFixIt site for taking the unit apart. I am kinda stuck at taking the cover off. I have the keyboard cover free of all the screws and have the rear edge (towards LCD screen) and side edges free. I am trying to free front edge but it is not readily coming up. I don't want to permanently bend the cover.

What is the trick for freeing the front edge?

[zachdog]

There are some clips holding the front of the keyboard down. Gently move and twist the top and it should come off eventually. I had this dilemma as well and worked through it. Good luck.

[SKYLANE]

Got it. I was able to free the corners of the front edge. Went in from the back where battery compartment is and pushed up on the area where the two removed screws were and was able to free it.

Changing out the harddrive and re-installing the thermal grease with Artic Silver 5. Wish me luck on the latter part.

[SKYLANE]

Got the new harddrive in... not sure if have the b*lls to go in and get the thermal grease changed out. I'll have to look at this for a bit....

[jimbrady]

Can you enlighten me on the advantages of swapping grease, and what this operation entails?

[SKYLANE]

Check this out:

http://forums.macresource.com/read/1/249...msg-249616

[jimbrady]

Maybe just one sentence summarizing the role of this paste? I can't read all those links.

[SKYLANE]

The MacBook Pro, notably the Core Duo, runs extremely hot to the touch. It is mind boggling how hot it gets. Some of those links take you to sites that show how Apple added thermal grease to the processor and two other chips -- it is gobbed on. There are a few sites that claim that if you clean the poorly installed grease up and then properly apply the thermal grease, then the heat gets all properly channeled to the heat sinks. Therefore, the heat gets carried out via the copper sinks and the fans. The bad thermal grease installation is believed to allow heat to flow to different areas of the motherboard to areas that are made extremely uncomfortable to the user. If you have a MacBook Pro of this type, you may find the links interesting.

[jimbrady]

Thanks for the excellent synopsis. Sounds worth the trouble if it's actually do-able. Glad I opted fot the C2D.

Someone please notify Staphanie.

[SKYLANE]

So you have the C2D, let me ask you this.... My MacBook gets so hot to the touch, especially above the flat part of the case just above the function keys. Hot enough that you cannot leave your fingers on it. Is your C2D this way? Lots of heat coming up through keyboard too.... Interesting reading the sites dealing with this...

I know that the C2D is suppose to run a little more efficiently and cooler, I forget the reasons why. I have not found it written anywhere (yet) whether or not the C2D MacBook Pro had the grease better installed than the CD MacBook Pro.

I am still tempted to do the grease mod, but it is fairly intrusive getting all the way down to the MotherBoard, I need to give it a little more thought before doing this. Maybe have a friend over for moral support when I do it. I am more than capable of such a feat, was just more than I anticpated when I got into it yesterday with the time I alotted.

I wish I would have waited 2 months for a C2D MacBook Pro, would have got a lot more for the same money! But, I didn't have a crystal ball to tell me that the C2D was imminent.