Apple MacBook Pro 13 Retina Display – How to replace the Trackpad

Apple MacBook Pro 13

Remove the following ten screws securing the lower case to the upper case:
Two 2.3 mm Pentalobe screws
Eight 3.0 mm Pentalobe screws
Wedge your fingers between th upper case and the lower case.
Gently pull the lower case away from the upper case to remove it.

The lower case is connected to the upper case with two plastic clips near its center.

During reassembly, gently push down the center of the lower case to reattach the two plastic clips.

If necessary, remove the plastic cover adhered to the battery contact board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery connector straight up out of its socket on the logic board.

Be sure you lift up only on the connector itself, not the socket, or you risk permanent damage to the logic board.

Bend the battery connector up out of the way to prevent accidental contact with its socket during your repair.

Remove the two 2.1 mm T5 Torx screws securing the logic board end of the I/O board cable bracket.

Grasp the I/O board cable bracket with a pair of tweezers and remove it from the MacBook.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pop the I/O board connector straight up off its socket on the logic board.

Be careful to only pry up on the I/O board cable, not on the socket itself or you risk damaging your logic board.

Lift the logic board end of the I/O board cable straight up to bend it out of the way.

To avoid damage to the cable, fold only at the bend in the I/O board end of the cable.

Carefully tuck the tip of a spudger under the right speaker cable near the connector and lift it up out of its socket on the logic board.

Carefully peel the right speaker cable off the upper case.

Remove the following screws securing the right speaker to the upper case:

One 5.7 mm T5 Torx screw
One 6.5 mm T5 Torx screw
One 3.8 mm T5 Torx screw

Lift the right speaker from the cable end and pull it free from the case.

Remove the five 3.7 mm T5 Torx screws securing the battery to the upper case.

Slightly warm up the battery with a hot air gun.

Push a plastic card between the right-most battery cell and the upper case, cutting the adhesive between the two.Use the plastic card to pry the right-most battery cell up from the rear case.

Repeat this procedure with the next battery cell in.

Push the card about an inch between the battery cell and the upper case, and slowly pry the cell up to separate all of the adhesive.

Position the plastic card to keep the two right-most battery cells from re-adhering to the upper case.

Reheat , this time to the left-most battery cells.
Again, leave it in each position for about a minute, reheating in between, to heat each half of the left-most battery cells.

Insert a second plastic opening tool between the far left battery cell and the upper case, cutting adhesive about an inch deep.

Gently pry the left-most battery cell up from the upper case.
Continue to repeat the procedure from the right side of the battery.

Insert the plastic card between the second left-most battery cell and the upper case to cut the adhesive joining the two, and pry the cell up from the case.

Leave the second card in the corner between the two left cells.

In the following steps, you can either use a third card, or the card from the right corner. The right corner adhesive should be cooled enough that it won't resettle.

Insert the card about an inch between the left-center battery cell and the upper case, separating the adhesive between the cell and the case.

Pull the card back out and insert it about an inch between the right-center battery cell and the upper case, separating the adhesive between the cell and case.

By this point, the outer cells should be free, and you should only encounter resistance from the two center cells. If this is not the case, go back and completely loosen the four outer-most cells from the upper case.
Pry up on the two center cells to separate the last of the adhesive and remove the battery from the device.

Slightly warm up the trackpad

Use a plastic opening tool to carefully pry the trackpad cover plate up from the upper case.
Go slowly and carefully to avoid putting any visible creases in the plate.

Use a plastic opening tool to slowly and carefully peel the trackpad cover plate up off the upper case.

Gently peel the plate up to remove it.

If necessary, peel back any tape covering the trackpad cable connector.

Use the tip of a spudger to flip the retaining tab on the ZIF connector.

Pull the trackpad ribbon cable straight out of its socket on the logic board.

Wedge the flat end of a spudger underneath the upper case opening where the trackpad ribbon cable passes is routed through.

Gently pry the trackpad ribbon cable from the adhesive securing it to the upper case.

Remove the following screws securing the trackpad brackets to the trackpad and upper case.
Four 2.2 mm T5 Torx screws
Four 1.7 mm T5 Torx screws

Use tweezers to remove the two trackpad mounting brackets from the upper case.

To avoid scratching the display, open the computer about 90º and set it on end.

Carefully guide the trackpad ribbon cable through the slot cut in the upper case.
This will push the trackpad up out of its recess in the top of the upper case.
Guide the trackpad out of the upper casewith your other hand, so it doesn't fall.

Gently pull the trackpad away from the upper case, being careful not to snag the ribbon cable.