Taking off a laptop bezel

[Coffee is good :)]

So far I've taken the bezel off my own laptop for practice and to replace a customer's busted LCD.
It is by far the hardest thing I've ever had to do for a repair. They're such a PIA it's ridiculous.

How do you guys go about taking off the bezel? I bought a nylon pry tool off Ebay to help.
Also, what do you do if you break the little connectors along the bezel?
With my customer's bezel I partially broke a connector and I just used super glue to reconnect it.

Also, what do you use to reconnect the rubber protectors that go over the screws ?

Ughh


>>> I purchase LCD screens from this Ebay top-seller:
http://stores.ebay.com/LaptopZ-Outl...12QQ_sidZ796251662QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322

 

[kisk]

I use a guitar pick to separate the glue/tape around the bezel. You just have to keep at it all the way around.

Most of the bezels I've worked on are only held with glue/tape, with an occational two screws near the bottom hidden under rubber pieces.

As far as putting the rubber connectors back on, I just stick em back on

 

[Coffee is good :)]

I use a guitar pick to separate the glue/tape around the bezel. You just have to keep at it all the way around.

Most of the bezels I've worked on are only held with glue/tape, with an occational two screws near the bottom hidden under rubber pieces.

As far as putting the rubber connectors back on, I just stick em back on

At http://www.insidemylaptop.com/ I've seen them use guitar picks. I will have to invest in one

I spose a good method would be to use the pick to unsnap a corner then move it along the screen while slightly pushing down on the bezel with a finger to undo the connection.

I've used super glue for the rubber pieces around my bezel and I ended up getting a little outside the hole so now I've got a little white stain near the screw hole.
-- And this will probably make it super hard to get the rubber pieces off again..

There must be some sort of adhesive that I could use that's made just for laptops?

 

[14049752]

For the adhesive I just use double sided tape. Works very well, just cut it small enough. Also, 90% of laptops I can just use my fingers and get the bezel off. It's easy once you've done enough of them.

The ones I really hate are the newer flush glass styles. Macs and their styling and everyone else copying it. There was a Lenovo Y510 in the shop that we had to replace the LCD. That thing was such a pain.

 

[Elemdee]

I suggest you try to find a useless laptop somewhere, at a recycling center or somewhere for dirt cheap and practice taking it apart all the way down to removing the motherboard, and then reassembling. Good practice, and you don't ever want to get stuck on a customer's laptop. =/

 

[kisk]

There must be some sort of adhesive that I could use that's made just for laptops?

Rubber cement, like what you use for model cars and such. Sticks but isn't permanent. lol I would never use superglue!

 

[Coffee is good :)]

I suggest you try to find a useless laptop somewhere, at a recycling center or somewhere for dirt cheap and practice taking it apart all the way down to removing the motherboard, and then reassembling. Good practice, and you don't ever want to get stuck on a customer's laptop. =/

Already did that to my own laptop to clean it out. It sure is a pain in the hind end :/

Rubber cement, like what you use for model cars and such. Sticks but isn't permanent. lol I would never use superglue!

I couldn't think of anything else to use. Thanks for the tip

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

Also, 90% of laptops I can just use my fingers and get the bezel off. It's easy once you've done enough of them.

Speaking of bezels. Had a big university we deal with bring in 29 macbooks for warranty top case and bezel replacements for the splintering issues. Knocked them all out in one day. Luckily I've had tons of practice before taking on that venture. My fingertips are still a little tender from removing the bezel clips off the old bezels and snapping them in the frame so the new bezels can go back on.

 

[Coffee is good :)]

The ones I really hate are the newer flush glass styles. Macs and their styling and everyone else copying it..

How do you do it? Does it require a suction cup? lol

 

[14049752]

Yeah, actually... Suction cup and a heat gun to loosen the adhesive. On the Lenovo, though, we had to just use a credit card and go around the edge. Since it's just plastic, I was afraid of melting it.

Also, one of my first flush glass macbooks the glass was broken. That was NOT fun.

My fingertips are still a little tender from removing the bezel clips off the old bezels and snapping them in the frame so the new bezels can go back on.

Those little grey things? Man, I hate those! For the longest time I had trouble getting that bezel to line up correctly at the bottom, too. We do so many 13" macbook screen replacements, though, that you almost have to try to not get good at them.

 

[PremierTech]

It may be worth trying to remove the bezel by prying or lifting from the inner edge. I would say that we are seeing more where prying the outer edge just forces the clips tighter together. But can be removed easily by hand if lifted from the inner edge.

 

[atlanticjim]

It may be worth trying to remove the bezel by prying or lifting from the inner edge. I would say that we are seeing more where prying the outer edge just forces the clips tighter together. But can be removed easily by hand if lifted from the inner edge.

This is what I had to add, usually the hooks are on the bezel side rather than the lid side and the hooks face out . . so. . I start at the right lower edge and as soon as I get the first hook undone i start to torque the bezel from the inner edge. I comes off much easier that way.

At first anyone will be surprised at the amount of force you need to detach some of these parts, but experience will be your guide.

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

Yeah, actually... Suction cup and a heat gun to loosen the adhesive. On the Lenovo, though, we had to just use a credit card and go around the edge. Since it's just plastic, I was afraid of melting it.

Also, one of my first flush glass macbooks the glass was broken. That was NOT fun.

I've been thinking of getting into glass replacement for the unibodies since I can get the glass at $69 a piece. I figured a heat gun was going to be the best bet with removing the glass (credit cards, suction cups , and spudgers alone weren't doing it), and if its already in for broken glass, then don't need to worry about cracking it more. Just not crazy about using heat near the display or scratching the display removing the broken glass. But I've got about 5 or 6 test subjects accumulated in the shop to practice with when I get time.

Those little grey things? Man, I hate those! For the longest time I had trouble getting that bezel to line up correctly at the bottom, too. We do so many 13" macbook screen replacements, though, that you almost have to try to not get good at them.

Its funny how those things were actually designed to stay in the frame when removing a bezel (according to Apple), but literally only 2 or 3 out of the twelve will stay in the frame and the rest come off with the bezel? I've gotten really good and transferring the clips without destroying them as well as getting the bottom of the bezels to snap back properly. But sometimes the bottoms just seem damned to never snap back in correctly? The 29 I did the other day I was only doing the bezels and top cases and not replacing the LCDs, so I was doing them while the displays were still on the machines. So I prefer to do the bezels with the displays off the machines if possible. I did have a couple of those damn bezels that wanted to stay gapped at the bottom no matter what I did.

 

[Hayes]

I have found in the past, screws have been hidden under stickers and the like, so keep an eye out for that.

I also use a credit card as its bigger, and easier to wedge in a prize it all open

 

[Shark]

It may be worth trying to remove the bezel by prying or lifting from the inner edge. I would say that we are seeing more where prying the outer edge just forces the clips tighter together. But can be removed easily by hand if lifted from the inner edge.

I second this.

Grabbing the inside of the bezel works. Although still tight sometimes.
And it does feel like your going to break it but you more than likely won't.