Introduction
Use this guide to replace the antenna plate that serves as a mount for the antenna as well as the hard drive.
Tools
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Place your thumbs in the depressions cut into the bottom cover.
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Rotate the bottom cover counter-clockwise until the white dot painted on the bottom cover is aligned with the ring inscribed on the outer case.
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Tilt the mini enough to allow the bottom cover to fall away from the outer case.
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Remove the bottom cover and set it aside.
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Remove the two 11.3 mm T6 Torx screws securing the fan to the logic board near the antenna plate.
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Lift the fan out of the mini for enough clearance to access its connector.
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Carefully pull the fan cables upward to lift the fan connector up out of its socket on the logic board.
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Remove the fan.
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Lift the cowling from the end nearest the antenna plate.
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Rotate the cowling away from the outer case and remove it from the mini.
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Remove the following screws securing the antenna plate to the mini:
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Two 6.6 mm T8 or T9 Torx screws
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Two 5.0 mm T8 Torx or 2.0 mm Hex screws (either will work)
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Slightly lift the antenna plate from the end closest to the RAM.
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Carefully pull the antenna plate straight away from the circular rim of the outer case.
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Use the tip of a spudger to carefully pry the antenna connector up off the AirPort/Bluetooth board.
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To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
2 comments
GalvanicMacPro, to my recollection, the plate needs to be more fully inserted before all screws will line up again.
bkbkbk -
bkbkbk,
I can see that it has a very particular orientation, going under the Mini's housing from about 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock, so to speak, and that I've done. I can't for the life of me see how it ever lined up originally!
There are actually 3 T6 screws securing the fan. The third screw is out of the screenshot, just below the RAM.
inferno10 -
Nope, that third screw is actually just a post that the rubber grommet attached to the fan body slips over. Step 4 shows how the fan comes off of it. When you go to remove the fan, you simply remove the two screws closest to the antenna plate and then lift the fan off this post. The screw you are talking about is removed in Step 14 and does not need to be removed until this point.
Andrew Bookholt -
Successful install completed, but I had some trouble getting the fan reinstalled. When I removed the fan from the "Step 14" post, the rubber piece stayed on the post. When attempting to reinstall the fan, it was impossible to get the loop to go back over that rubber piece. So, I had to remove the post (again), and with the help of the spudger and some patience, worked it through. Then installed the fan using the 2 screws and the post. I think it may have saved some time and trouble if I just removed all 3 in the first place, leaving the post in the fan.
meag -
On mine I needed to remove the 26 mm T6 Torx standoff during this step rather than step 12
philipashlock -
on my mid-2011 mac mini, that 3rd T6 post/screw had to be removed to get the fan out. It goes right through a hole in the fan housing. No way the grommet is slipping over anything without wreaking major havoc.
Derek Shaw -
On my mid-2010 mac mini, also removed the 26 mm T6 Torx standoff during this step instead of step 12. Having completed the steps, it appears my hard drive is from mid 2011, so maybe the production line for mine had changed.
jstraath -