PowerBook G4 Titanium Onyx Upper Case Replacement

Remove the battery.

Turn the keyboard locking screw so that it is parallel to the space bar.

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 ÒpopÓ up.

Pull the RAM chip out.

Repeat this process if a second RAM chip is installed.

Using your thumbs, slide the lower case away from you.

Lift the lower case off.

Your laptop should look approximately like this.

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, removing tape as necessary.

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

Remove the hard drive by gently grasping the orange ribbon cable and lifting the left edge up and out of the computer.

Your laptop should look approximately like this.

Before continuing, place a soft cloth on your work surface to rest the computer on. Turn the G4 over, making sure the DVD drive doesn't fall out. Place the computer on the cloth.

Bend the silver metal EMI clip so that it is vertical. This part may fall out after removing the DVD drive.

Turn the G4 over.

Disconnect the orange DVD ribbon cable from the logic board using a spudger or the tip of your finger

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

Turn the G4 over.

Using a 5 mm nut driver or needle-nose pliers, remove the hex nut from the modem.

Lift the modem out by pulling up and to the right.

Disconnect the connector cable from the modem.

Remove the single T8 Torx screw located near the silver heat pipe.

Disconnect the three indicated connectors from the logic board.

Disconnect the orange PC card cage connector from the logic board.

Turn the G4 over.

Remove the three T8 Torx screws from the logic board.

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

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

Remove the logic board from the computer.

Your laptop should look approximately like this.

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

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

Remove the four black T8 Torx screws from the plastic framework.

Remove the five silver T8 Torx screws from the metal framework.

Turn the G4 over.

Grasp the plastic framework and pull directly up.

Position the display at a 45 degree angle and rest the computer on a soft cloth with the back panel ports facing up.

Remove the two T8 Torx screws from each clutch cover.

Close the display and pull off both clutch covers. You can use a non-metal flathead screwdriver if the clutch covers do not come off easily.

Open the back panel port cover and remove the four T6 Torx screws.

Disconnect the audio cable at the right side of the computer, removing tape as necessary.

Open the display to a 90 degree angle. Rest the trackpad face down on the work surface and allow the display to hang over the edge. If possible, adjust your chair or work surface height so the display will rest on your legs and the trackpad will lie flat on the work surface.

Remove the four T8 Torx screws that fasten the display to the trackpad. The screw closest to the display data cable has a tapered head.

Grasp the metal heat exchanger and pull up and away from you. You may need to move the inverter cable on the right side of the computer in order to rotate the heat exchanger.

Lift up the metal brackets on either side of the upper case.

Disconnect the inverter cable and carefully thread it through the slot in the upper case.

Carefully thread the display and backlight cables individually through the slot in the upper case. Be very careful with the display cable as it is easily damaged.

Remove the display assembly.

Lift the inverter board out of the computer.

Upper case remains.