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A1706 / EMC 3071—Released in November 2016, this 13" Macbook Pro introduces the OLED Touch Bar. Features a dual-core "Skylake" Intel Core i5 CPU and four Thunderbolt 3 ports.

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What exactly is involved in replacing the keyboard?

I have a MacBook Pro 13" late 2016 A1706 that had some wine spilled on it earlier this year - where the keyboard is not responding, but the logic board, SSD, Touch Bar, screen, and Touch Pad are all working normally.

I was sold a replacement keyboard as-is - but after getting past the logic board and fans (all relatively easy with the iFixit Driver kit) I've found that it is NOT a simple matter of unscrewing the old and putting in the new - where it seems like the keyboard has been soldered, welded, glued, and then sealed up with other various components into the upper case.

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All the repairers, and the supplier of the keyboard, I spoke to have all been very evasive about the process - and I fear I've over-promised and under-delivered to yet another attractive person I was hoping not to make a complete arse of myself.

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Here is a video

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMueATtT...

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg175WN2...

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Thanks!

In summary - after I get to the point where I've demounted the logic board & fans -

I have to remove the black plastic wrap by trimming & scraping a bit of the edges, and then peeling it from the top to the bottom - where once at the bottom I have to use a thin spatula or blade to get under the center battery pack, and then keep peeling until I can remove it.

From there I have to remove a number of screws (including a few under the battery pack), and then use a rotary tool with a grinding bit to destroy the studs? holding the keyboard in place - before pushing the keyboard out, and cleaning any detritus & fragments from the upper casing.

Once clear - the new keyboard can then be placed into the casing, where the screws are screwed back in - and some sort of glue ("super" glue / cyanoacrylate? glue gun?) locks it down further.

From there, the cover is rolled & pressed back into place; the fans & logic board is then remounted; and all the various connectors are slipped & pushed back into place.

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@citizen7 - There are a few things I would do differently. To start with I would fully remove the battery using some solvent to loosen the adhesive. To get the backlight off I would use a heat gun at a low setting to soften the adhesive (or hair drier) as you don't want to damage it.

I would also not grind the head of the rivets. Once I was sure all of the screws and pieces that needed to be disconnected or removed. I would just pull the keyboard out like we do now with the retinas as you want to give it a good pull to also pull the rivets out with it. If you have done a few you'll know what I mean ;-} That way you don't have the metal fillings to clean out and then can use additional screws to anchor the keyboard back down.

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I have done a replaced a few keyboards on the Touch Bar models now, and thought I'd offer some input.

At the point you are at, use a thin painting knife and isopropyl to slide under the battery PCB bracket (glued to the keyboard backing) to remove this, then do the same to remove the battery; go in under the battery toward the keyboard and it will come out easily.

Do not grind the rivets out in the video. As @danj mentioned, pull the keyboard out. With this model, the keyboard will rip out, and none of the rivets will come out (it's not like the old models which had metal backing on the keyboards, these just fall to pieces). Once the keyboard is removed, remove the rivets with wire cutters, and save them.

Once the new keyboard is in, you can push and stamp the rivets in, which will hold the new keyboard in. There are no screws which will hold the keyboard in (other than the ones already there, but they don't fit in place of the rivets), so this is the only way to properly secure the keyboard in.

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@reecee - Good to know on the rivets! Hadn't done one yet.

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@reece ditto on the advice. I have only done the rip out variety.

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