PowerBook G4 Titanium DVI PC Card Cage Replacement

Locate the battery release tab on the underside of the G4.

Slide the battery release tab to the left and lift the battery out of the computer.

Turn the keyboard locking screw located in the middle of the keyboard so that it is parallel to the space bar. A half turn from parallel to parallel will unlock it. Another half turn will lock it again.

Pull the keyboard release tabs toward you and lift up on the keyboard until it pops free.

Rest the keyboard face down on the trackpad area.

Disconnect the keyboard connector from the logic board.

Your laptop should look approximately like this.

Release the tabs on each side of the RAM chip at the same time. These tabs lock the chip in place and releasing them will cause the chip to "pop" up.

Pull the RAM chip out.

Repeat this process if a second RAM chip is installed.

Remove the seven T8 Torx screws from the lower case.

Using your thumbs, slide the lower case toward the front of the computer.

The lower case may stick in the front on a tab just above the center of the optical drive. Be careful as you work the case off, or you may break the thin strip of plastic just above the drive.

Lift the lower case off.

Firmly grasp the plastic tab attached to the Airport card and pull up and to the left.

Disconnect the antenna cable from the left side of the Airport card.

Disconnect the hard drive ribbon from the logic board using a spudger or the tip of your finger.

To free the hard drive, remove the two T8 Torx screws from the right wall of the battery housing.

Remove the hard drive by lifting the left edge up and out of the computer.

Your laptop should look approximately like this.

Disconnect and remove the indicated orange ribbon cable.

Disconnect the pink and white inverter cable from the inverter board.

Remove the two silver T8 Torx screws from the black plastic bar.

Lift the black plastic bar out.

Disconnect the two orange connectors from the logic board, removing tape as necessary.

Lift the drive up on the right side so that you can access and disconnect the modem cable and inverter cable.

Remove the drive by lifting the right edge up and out of the computer.

Disconnect the large DC-In connector from the right side of the logic board.

Remove the two T6 Torx screws from the DC-In board.

Lift the DC-In board out of the computer by pulling up and away from you.

If there is a fan present, rotate the DC-In board slightly clockwise before easing it out at a slight angle in order to clear the fan clamp on top of it.

Before continuing, place a soft cloth on your work surface to rest the computer on. Turn the G4 over and place it on the cloth.

Disconnect the four indicated connectors from the logic board.

Remove the T8 Torx screw near the heat pipe.

Disconnect the two connectors from the modem filter board.

Remove the T6 Torx screw from the modem filter board.

Remove the modem filter board from the computer by pulling up and to the right.

Turn the G4 over.

Remove the seven T8 Torx screws from the logic board.

Disconnect the 5 indicated connectors from the logic board, removing tape as necessary.

Reassembly Tip: Reseating the logic board will be much easier if you use kapton tape to hold these five connectors out of the way until it is in place.

Caution: If taping the connectors back, be careful not to use tape with anything but very weak adhesive (i.e. kapton tape). Even electrical tape can pull the paint off the hinges when removed.

Carefully lift the logic board up and pull it away from you.

Your laptop should look approximately like this.

Remove the two T8 Torx screws that secure the PC Card cage.

Remove the 4 mm hex nut from the PC Card cage.

Remove the PC Card cage by pulling it to the right and twisting slightly toward you.