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Broken Powerbook Latch

SawyerTHEBEST

SawyerTHEBEST

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 5, 2013
71
0
SO my powerbook can't close all the way, it goes to sleep when I close it, but when I pick it up you can clearly see that it is not latched down. AND its not the latch thats broken its the metal piece it hangs on to (below the touchpad), it's beyond me how to fix this one :( if therererers a way I'd love to know, or other ways to keep it closed like a universal Lock idk maine apples:apple::apple::apple::apple::apple::apple::apple:
 
It's more likely it's the hooks. If you store your PB a certain way over time (believe it or not) the lid can shift slightly (these Macs are aluminum after all). That can cause the latch hooks not to catch.

Get a magnet. Place it over the holes in the top of the lid where the hooks come out. Slowly lift the magnet away from the lid. This will draw the hooks out. Once you have the hooks out you can grab them with your other hand.

Carefully and slowly bend them either forward or backwards then let them spring back into the holes. Do NOT overforce them or do this quicky. You could damage them. Now try to close the lid and see if it latches.

Sometimes if you get the lid close to the base you can see the hooks spring out. Based on what they are doing you can see if they will catch underneath or not. Use the instructions above again to bend them until you get it so that they catch.

I had to do this with my 1Ghz Mac because the lid shifted ever so slightly. I adjusted the hooks using needlenose pliers very slowly and carefully. I haven't had a problem since.
 
Eyoungren I would have NEVER thought of that lol...sometimes I overlook the simplest things I have been having this problem off and on and this worked perfect,mine sat on one of those slanted stands with a fan for a long time which I assume was the root of the problem.
 
A Picture is worth a thousand words

SAM_0135.JPG


SO as you see it should look like this:

sssss.jpg


Thanks in advance for the photoshop complements, SO it has nothing to latch onto, I've tried glueing the broken off part back on , but its impossible. and the button to push it back is not being pressed in the picture. halp :confused:
 
I uploaded some pics of mine,it looks to be all one peice so more than likely you'll have to do surgery.I havent even paid much attention to this when I have the front cover off but you might be able to just lift the keyboard to fix it,somebody will know.
 

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g4manimac said:
Eyoungren I would have NEVER thought of that lol...sometimes I overlook the simplest things I have been having this problem off and on and this worked perfect,mine sat on one of those slanted stands with a fan for a long time which I assume was the root of the problem.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the thought of taking needlenose pliers to a Mac that use to cost $2000+ was a bit unnerving, but at the time I'd already replaced the screen on this Mac and a few other parts. So, I looked it up as to why this was not latching and there was someone out there who explained about the hooks. Made perfect sense. Had to mess with it a few times and wasn't too surprised because this was a new LCD for the Mac back then.

Of course it's easier for me a little bit, because the 17" Mac is the only one that has two holes for the hooks. The 15" and 12" models have just one. Only one hook was not catching and that was causing the other to slip and release.

Based on the photos I am seeing here, I'm guessing this isn't the issue in this case. Perhaps, if someone runs across this though that has the issue I had they'll be able to use that.
 
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WELP i just took it apart, thought why not clean the fans while its open, and I bought it used, never had opened it up, it being 6 years old, and there was barely any dust in the fans macs are amazing.

AND tried to super glue a chopped toothpick in place of the metal part, but it wasen't good enough to hold the hook in place :( also I don't own pliers so shaky hands and all that doesn't help lol I was thinking though.

there could be a universal like suction cut that you could put on the top of the monitor were it would suck to the place around the trackpad, then when opened it would just release. Does it exists? or did I just give away a good idea?
 
SawyerTHEBEST said:
WELP i just took it apart, thought why not clean the fans while its open, and I bought it used, never had opened it up, it being 6 years old, and there was barely any dust in the fans macs are amazing.

AND tried to super glue a chopped toothpick in place of the metal part, but it wasen't good enough to hold the hook in place :( also I don't own pliers so shaky hands and all that doesn't help lol I was thinking though.

there could be a universal like suction cut that you could put on the top of the monitor were it would suck to the place around the trackpad, then when opened it would just release. Does it exists? or did I just give away a good idea?
Click to expand...
I don't know if this is feasible or not, but there's a product called JBWeld that bonds metal to metal. If you can find a scrap of metal, maybe you can use JBWeld to bond it to the part. Don't know if it will work on aluminum, but it's worth a shot. You have to let it cure though.

The original JBWeld was intended for automotive purposes (I've used it on my car). It can withstand 500º and once cured the only way to get a part unbonded is by grinding it down.
 
this is a real mind ****. It should be way simpler than this, I am a human, my mind is based around fixing problems. GAWD :apple::apple::apple::apple:
 
The problem with this is that the area to be bonded is just so so small and too much of anything would crowd it up.Jb weld is a good idea if you had some laying around get a good smooth layer around it and use a dremel or something to grind smooth but if you had to go BUY some the stuff has got high and a latch lock on ebay will be no more than $2-3 more than a new tube of pretty much any good bonding agent (besides superglue)...................................and trust me I am all for modification and I've looked at it and looked at it and I got nothing so if you do get it through sheer ingenuity I wanna know what u did.
 
I am in the exact same boat, same part missing for my latch, need a fix ASAP, will try to investigate how to fix this and keep you all updated, if anyone is even interested
 
elammm said:
I am in the exact same boat, same part missing for my latch, need a fix ASAP, will try to investigate how to fix this and keep you all updated, if anyone is even interested
Click to expand...

lol necro post but mine is still broken :p
 
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