MacBook Air 11" Late 2010 Fan Replacement

Remove the following ten screws:

Two 8 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws

Eight 2.5 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws

Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.

Remove the lower case and set it aside.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both short sides of the battery connector upward to disconnect it from its socket on the logic board.

Bend the battery cable slightly away from the logic board so the connector will not accidentally contact its socket.

Remove the single 2.9 mm T5 Torx screw securing the SSD to the logic board.

Use a spudger to help lift the free end of the SSD just enough to grab it with your other hand.

Pull the drive straight out of its socket and remove it from the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the I/O board cable connector upward out of its socket on the I/O board.

While gently pulling the I/O board cable upward near its connection to the logic board, use the tip of a spudger to pry upward on alternating sides of the connector to help "walk" it out of its socket.

Remove the I/O board cable.

Use the tip of a spudger to carefully flip up the retaining flap on the fan cable ZIF socket.

Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the upper case:

Two 5.2 mm T5 Torx screws

One 3.6 mm T5 Torx screw

Lift the fan out of the upper case and carefully pull the fan ribbon cable out of its socket as you remove it from the Air.