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From: Woody on 27 Apr 2010 04:16
Thought I would jot this down as I replaced the hard disk on my iMac
yesterday, and there were a couple of things that could have been
clearer on the takeapart guides I found.

Machine: 24" iMac, early 2008, 2.8GHz extreme

The original disk was a 500GB western digital drive, so after a search I
picked a 1TB western digital WD1001FALS to replace it, as it was almost
the same size, almost the same power, quite a bit faster and twice the
size. It was �77 from ebuyer.

The whole procedure to first boot too 45 minutes, although it could
easily be done in half the time.

Tools: No 6 & 7 torx driver, small crosshead (for the memory bay), some
kind of sucker (I used a gps holder) to remove the screen cover.

Procedure:
Disconnect all the connections on the back.
Undo the memory cover on the bottom of the screen and take the cover
off. I took the memory out too, it wasn't necessary
Put the sucker on the screen and pull. It comes off really easily, it is
just magnets holding it. Once the screen is half out you can just work
it loose.
There are 4 screws on the top and bottom, and two screws on each side.
undo these and remember which go where. There are 3 different sizes. The
ones along the top are all the same, as are the ones along both sides
(but not the same as each other), but the bottom ones, the center 2 have
long shafts on the screws.
When unscrewed, pull the top of the case off - there is some resistance
but nothing actually holding it. The bottom overlaps, so it has to be
pulled off the top and moved down. Be careful though as there is
something (microphone?) held in the top of the front of the case by
quite a long wire.
I didn't bother removing this, I just tilted the top case up and leaned
against a convenient wall. There is no other connection to the front of
the case.
The screen sits in a metal frame that is screwed in on the sides with 8
screws. Undo those screws and there is nothing holding it. However,
there are 3 plugs connecting it to the other boards.
One plug at the bottom left is really small on a long lead, just
unplugs. The biggest lead on the right is screwed in (with the only torx
6 screws). Unscrew and disconnect. The last plug is in the top left
quarter of the screen behind it, just needs pulling down off the
underside of the board. Then the screen comes out and can be put out of
the way.
The hard disk is in the center of the space where the screen was. Undo
the 2 screws on the top, and the plastic bracket slides out, letting the
drive unhook. Disconnect the power and sata cables, then remove the
little foam pad and put it aside. Underneath is a bracket that holds the
heat sensor to the disk. It is held on with some slightly sticky stuff,
just prize it off. Underneath is a TO18 style heat sensor.

Swap the little studs from your old disk to your new one, put the disk
in, the bracket in, screw the torx screws back in to secure it, plug in
the power and sata cables. Put the sensor back in the holder and press
it against the drive, then put the foam pad back on top. Check the wires
for it route nicely.
Hold the screen over the space and put the top left plug back in. it is
a bit of a pain as you have to put it underneath the board and push it
up.
Then screw the other connecter on, and plug the little plug in. Do up
the 8 screws.
Clean the screen - this took a while!
Put the top case on, over the bottom of the body, pushing up, making
sure the thing at the top of the case doesn't foul. When pushed down,
put the 12 case screws back in then put the screen cover back in the
hole and press it down. Stand the imac up, put the memory back in if you
had taken it out, put the cover on, connect all the wires and press the
power button.

When i first started it, I thought the disk wasnt working as I couldn't
hear it. Turns out it is just very quiet.

Then I restored from time machine, and then marveled at the fact that
time machine, knowing the disk was different, wanted to back the whole
disk up, even though it had just installed everything on the disk!



--
Woody
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