Great replacement keyboard. Fits perfect, all keys functioning, backlight works brightness adjustments work. The extra screws comes in handy although only used a couple dozen since not all rivets pop off cleanly. The keyboard frame seems stiff enough that not all the rivets are absolutely needed to be replaced which would have been a real pain to remove. In all about an hour of work to save having to send in for service. Note to self never again eat soup near the Mac again...
Some hints of disassembly:
1. Be careful of the logic board heat sink. Over time it can become brittle. The furthest section that mounts to the chassis is realistically only connected by a fin, and is very easy to snap. Mine did so as I was repositioning the rubber spacer.
2. Have all your screwdrivers handy, you will need a Pentalobe P5, Torx T5 and a Phillips 00, and if you want to disconnect the display to prevent scratching, you also need a Torx T8. Keep several small trays to store the loose screws so you don't lose them, or get them out of sync. There are tons of screws and even for a single board or component there are different lengths so can be confusing when it comes time for reassembling. Also found it handy to have a tiny flat blade screwdriver (I used a 1.5) to unlatch the various connector clasps.
3. See if you can get an anti-static bag handy in order to protect the logic board from static damage. Make sure the table and area you are working in is properly ground, as also yourself. Discharge any static build up by grounding yourself before handling the logic board.
4. Have a plastic spatula or prying tool to loosen the speakers. They are taped/glued down, but are very tight so there is a sufficient amount of force needed to pry them off.
5. Honestly don't expect to get the backlight off in one piece without some tearing. If it was spilled liquid on the keyboard, likely the backlight sheet is stuck to the keyboard. The backlight sheet is such low cost it's not worth it.
6. Also don't expect to remove the keyboard intact, unless you plan on methodically removing close to 60 micro rivets. The Macbook chassis is a very strong aluminum, and just pulling the keyboard off is fairly painless and quick.
7. Unless you're an absolute purist, many rivets will still remain. There is no real need to pull these all out, just use the extra screws to replace the rivets that have pulled out. I have found the replacement keyboard frame has sufficient rigidity that a few missing rivet positions will not greatly affect the operation. NOTE - the rivet holes might not be of uniform sizes, the tiny screws can be forced in but heads may strip, so you may need to use a tiny 1.0 or 1.5 flat head screwdriver instead of PH 00.
| Manufacturer | Padarsey |
|---|---|
| Item model number | 4328355328 |
| Parcel Dimensions | 34.8 x 14.7 x 2.4 cm; 160 g |
| ASIN | B06XBLW2LV |
