iMac Intel 27" EMC 2429 Optical Drive Replacement

My display data cable forks, with a smaller section going up near the camera board. Where it forks, it is attached to the aluminum plate that attaches around the cpu board. I haven't seen any images that look similar, and I'm stumped at how to remove this second section of the cable. 2010 i7 build to order

Agree with the other comments here. Despite buying suction cups, not sure they were necessary as the screen removed very easily. A sat nav suction cup would do the job fine.

I can confirm that it is possible to remove the front glass using fingernails rather than suction cups. It isn’t easy, but if you try you should be able to pry off the glass.

I did this twice: once at the beginning of the procedure and once again at the end, when I realized that a big pice of lint was trapped under the glass.

Don’t use suction cups. totally unnecessary. screen pops off with fingernails.

The reason for caution about suction cups tends to be making sure you don’t apply uneven pressure on the edges of the glass and crack it in the process of removal. I do agree however that some pretty small suction cups would do fine. These suction cups can be had at your local princess auto (Harbor freight) for a few bucks and are useful elsewhere as well. if you use your fingernails or other items just try and do it evenly :)

good duct tape or gaffer tape wrapped around your hands makes an excellent glass removal 'tool'. Even clear packing tape works a charm.

A great first step that minimizes that first gust of dust migration when the glass is lifted is to clean the glass, sides *and the back* before lifting the glass, and then lift SLOWLY. Most of that dust is already trapped inside and pulled up as the screen lifts, but with care you can keep it there (or gently vacuum out with a micro vac…).

before starting any of this…there is a device that you can use that comes with the IFixit kit to format and either clone or restore your hard drive to the new drive…it will save you a lot of headaches..it is a SSD enclosure that you can plug into your existing computer …

Thanks for the instructions. Before doing this the first time, suggest to everyone, read through at least twice. This is the easiest step, as you’ll soon see. As for removing the glass, USE suction cups, either the ones the sell here, or others. DON’T skimp. Also wear gloves when handling the glass. Don’t take chances.

Duct tape works too!

I strongly recomment to detach the suction cups while working at the rest of the steps. In my case after half an our i heart a crack noise behind me on the table... The vacuum of one of the suction cups braked the glass! maybe there should be a warning in the Repair guide

I didn't crack the screen, but it popped out of the shims and then popped back in, as if the glass edge is magnetic or has steel in it to connect to magnets. Be careful with this step — it is pretty nerve-wracking, but doable!

I find that the LCD is not as fragile as we all think. they are very much like any LCD on a tv or monitor. There is no extra glass on the front of a monitor. Not the 23 HP Pro Displays I have anyway. I know this because I punctured one moving my video wall. so I took it apart to know how its put together. I will say, there are several 'lens’ like sheets and a reflective (silver} sheets that are the same size as the panel. and a 1/8”piece of acrylic, all behind the LCD panel. Take care with them and clean as you would your monitor.

My suggestion is to stand the iMac up after the panel is secured back into the body of the iMac and clean while its vertical. took me 3 attempts before I realized that while laying flat the surface is large and collects dust with mind blowing speed.

If the LCD glass is badly cracked and broken you need to be extra careful removing as the sharp shard of broken glass can scratch/harm the underlying screen as they may “fall in or onto” the screen below.

I found that strategically putting sheets of 8x11 paper(s) under the sharpest, largest broken sections help protect the underlying screen. A vacuum was also helpful removing some of the small glass shards.

Don't trust the suction cups after you remove the screen cover. Used both hands to hold this piece carefully!

As far as the last point of step 2 goes, I would add to the parts list a can of compressed air to get rid of all the dust on the screen frame and the interior body once the lcd is off). When the magnets clip back in dust will shower down onto the lcd and glass if you do not clean the frame well. It will not matter how much you clean the LCD and inside of the glass panel.

It’s the fourth time I follow this guide, power supply, gpu and dual hd operations carried successfully and I feel and works munch more relaxed with the iMac laying horizontal on his back. I’m lifting the screen with two hooks at the same time, no torsion on the frame makes munch easier to lift it.

Then I put in the corners two pieces (two short pencils do the job) of about 3 1/2”, 9 cm, to maintain lifted the screen while disconnecting the ribbons.

Now the GPU I’ve changed in 2017 has lasted less than three years and here I am to change it again.

After disconnecting the first ribbon you can lift the screen more than 5”, enough to access the other ribbons easily.

As others have posted here, Do NOT let gravity assist you. Put the iMac on it’s back when doing the remaining steps. Also, use some type of hook to assist you in terms of lifting out the display assembly. Expect some resistance, since it does weigh a few pounds. Also, as you’ll see in the next step, you can help yourself by using something to brace it at each corner to keep it lifted. Some have suggested chop sticks, bic pens, etc. Use something approx. 4-5” in length. That will give enough clearance, and not put strain on the cables.

To spare a paperclip, I had better to use a good needlenose plier, catch the iron frame just near the corner, and hook up.

Used plastic spudgers as levers, one pointed to start in the corner, then two flat, working across gently. When I got to the middle and pried a bit, the top lifted all the way across, allowing access to the cable in the next step. I decided against doing this with the unit standing vertically.

It is very hard to detach the connector with the spudger. I tried forcing the connector out with the spudger by pushing on one side and then the other repeatedly. After several times it finally came out. A tool would be useful for this; there must be special plyers for doing this. Fingernails on either side seems most obvious, but maybe there is a downside to this ?

Rocking it back and forth with some “outward” pressure on both sides was the key. This was the only connector in this upgrade that gave me a problem.

with some confidence and mechanical inclinations this is the only cable you need to disconnect to replace the hard drive. pointer finger on one side thumb the other, pull up.

display propped carefully and two spudgers rocking simultaneously worked great for me to get this free.

THEN still be careful, a small loop of tape held the cable to the back - that has to be gently pulled away to let the screen lift.

Hi do you sell new sync cables? The little plastic piece on the end that attaches to the motherboard smashed

Use either a spudger or a small flat head screwdriver to loosen the sides of the connector. Then use small needle nose pliers to disconnect the cable. It’s easier than trying to wedge your hand in there.

On the 2011 27 Inch Mac I have it doesn’t appear to have the Vertical Sync cable attached to the screen. Is that right?

Both of the cables (grey and black) popped out of the plastic connecter. Can someone tell me in which slot each cable is supposed to be pinned in ? Thanks...

I broke the vsync cable removing it. Any tips on how to replace it? The wire is hair thin and I have trouble stripping even much bigger ones. I don't suppose iFixit sells a replacement?

I don’t get how smite six can be skipped—we’re these steps renumbered at some point? How could you even lift the display if you didn’t remove the screws in step 6?

With the help of an assistant, I was able to skip steps 7 - 10 to remove the hard drive. Once you remove the cable you move the forward and up. Have your assistant hold the display and you can easily remove and replace the hard drive.

The ZIF display cable is tricky to get back in. I would suggest that this cable be the first one to be put back during reassembly. You need maximum wiggle room and visibility for this. Push in the display power cable *after* this one.

What would be really helpful to this guide, and this image is the closest I can find in the sequence, is a quick summary of exactly where the diagnostic LEDs are on this model (and what they mean, although the latter is easily googleable). I only mention this as I believe my PSU is goosed as no LEDs are illuminated anywhere, however I can only find references to 2009 and 2010 of the similar MYs which evidently have diagnostic LEDs in a different place, hidden under tape, and I suspect numbered differently. So I can't be 100% certain!

I can see why some people are breaking the connector in step 7. You do initially pull the tab up, perpendicular to the logic board, which unlatches the connector, but then it is finally disconnected by then pulling the tab toward the top of the computer, parallel to the face of the logic board. I found it easier, after disconnecting the sync cable in step 5, to then prop up the bottom of the LCD, in order to better reach the ZIF connector, the LED backlight driver cable and the display power cable.

I messed this bit up too. It says “pull up”. As the iMac laid flat on the table, I pulled towards the ceiling, bending the pins. It should say “pull towards the top of the machine” or something.

I managed to straighten them out with a tweezer. Looked like a couple of pins were missing at the end, but it looks ok.

Now I have to figure out what I have done to the temperature controller, the fans blow on full speed all the time here. :)

Like others that have commented, this cable is a major PITA. I used both a headlamp to illuminate the area, and the iPhone’s Magnifier app to zoom in. The connector on the motherboard is flat, low profile and characterized by a thin narrow slot. The key to removing the cable is to slide the cable out, (after flipping that bar forward). Re-attaching the cable is the same - carefully sliding the cable into that slot, while keeping that bar pulled backward, until the cable was in place.

For me, this was the most difficult part of the hard drive replacement. I spent more time on this than anything else.

I missed up the pins on display power cable. They are very very tiny and fragile.

Cheat on this one. Loosen the tape on the back of the display. That gives you more slack on the cable. The connector is pretty standard.

ESD = Electrostatic Discharge

I had it easy with replacing dead optic drive in 2011 27" with a 2010 27" optic drive so did not even have to take the optic drive out of its holder. Now I have an internal dvd super drive again. Thank you ifixit.