How does one remove the G5 CPU cover

[ITguy2016]

So my $10 gamble on a 2004 dual 2.0GHz G5 failed. The system worked the day I picked it up and then refused to start the following day (yesterday). Troubleshooting the issue it appears the motherboard has succumbed to failing solder joints around the memory slots. I was able to confirm this by taking a screw driver and applying pressure to the motherboard near the CPUs. When I did so the system began to boot until I removed the pressure at which time it froze.

I'd like to see about using a heat gun to attempt to reflow the solder on the motherboard. In order to do this I need to remove the CPUs which seems fairly straight forward in the various disassembly videos. Except for one small, but seemingly very important step: The removal of the cover over the CPUs. Apparently there is a pin which secures the cover in place. This pin seems to be exceedingly difficult to remove as shown in the following video (around 13 minutes in):

I could mangle this pin as the individual in the video ultimately ends up doing. However doing so seems excessive...it's a pin and I would imagine there has got to be an easy way to remove it. Anyone have experience with its removal? If so is there an easy way to remove it so I can reinstall it after I take it out? Or is this designed to be replaced each time this CPU cover is removed?

EDIT: For anyone who may come across this post in the future the symptoms I experienced are well know. My research revealed many, many, many posts where people were experiencing the symptoms but there were few diagnostics as to the problem. So I thought I would add it here.

Symptoms:

• Systems powers on, fans spin, power light flashes three times, no video, no chime. Eventually fans begin to spin faster. No motherboard diagnostics lights are illuminated.

The overwhelming number of posts which asked about these symptoms were answered with "check your RAM". The advice is sound and is the first thing I would recommend. If after verifying your RAM you can try replacing the battery and resetting the PMU.

If neither of those fixes the problem in all likelihood you've got a failing motherboard. You can try testing as I did by applying pressure to the motherboard right next to the processors. Do so in the area that looks like a square...most likely as close to the processors as reasonable. If you use a screw driver as I did ensure you place something soft down (I folded up a microfiber cloth into a small square). This will help to prevent physical damage (though it's not best practice due to static electricity but I figured what the hell...it's broken anyway). Don't press too hard....you don't want to crack the motherboard either. While holding pressure try powering on the system.

 

[eyoungren]

Get an X-Acto, or some sharp instrument and pry around the edge of the pin (it may look like all one piece, but it's actually a pin inside a sleeve). The pin can be wedged out and removed. But it leaves you with the sleeve still inside.

The sleeve has to come out too. The easy way to do that part is to get one of those ceiling hooks for hanging stuff (one of the smaller ones that will fit inside the sleeve).

You screw the end of the hook into the sleeve until you have a good catch and then you pull the sleeve out by pulling on the hook.

The entire above process does not damage the sleeve and pin and lets you put it back when you reassemble the cover (you'll need the pin and sleeve back in there).

I had to do this with a 1.8Ghz G5 and the only manual I found to cover that was from some third party shop in Australia.

I'll dig around in my PDFs after I get to work today and see if I can post the relevant PDF for you.

 

[ITguy2016]

Thanks Eric. I did see it was a two piece part. This is fairly common way of doing things...insert a sleeve then push in a pin to secure it. Removal has always been pull out the pin then slide out the sleeve. I did try an xacto knife and it seemed to me I would damage the pin if I pried really hard (I can't imagine this thing requires the level of effort to remove as it appears to...perhaps a tamper proof part?). I'll give it another go as this seems to be the means to remove it.

 

[eyoungren]

Thanks Eric. I did see it was a two piece part. This is fairly common way of doing things...insert a sleeve then push in a pin to secure it. Removal has always been pull out the pin then slide out the sleeve. I did try an xacto knife and it seemed to me I would damage the pin if I pried really hard (I can't imagine this thing requires the level of effort to remove as it appears to...perhaps a tamper proof part?). I'll give it another go as this seems to be the means to remove it.

Tamper proof? I don't know. Maybe. To me it's one of those Apple proprietary things, like Torx screws and whatever. They do it because they designed it and they want you to bring it to them versus fixing it yourself (putzes!).

The damn thing bedeviled me until I found that service manual though.

The pin is not short though so as long as you aren't knifing the shaft of the pin getting a few knicks on the top won't hurt it.

 

[bunnspecial]

Tamper proof? I don't know. Maybe. To me it's one of those Apple proprietary things, like Torx screws and whatever. They do it because they designed it and they want you to bring it to them versus fixing it yourself (putzes!).

It's sort of funny-the original Macs(M00001) used 5 T-15 torx screws to hold it together, with two recessed very deeply into the handle. All subsequent compact Macs used the same arrangement, although they deleted the one screw inside the external battery door(and the battery door along with it ). At the time, not only were Torx screws uncommon, but even if you had a set you probably would have one heck of a time getting to the recessed screws. I bought three compacts a while back and the seller included a "Mac Cracker" screwdriver, which is a foot long T15 torx screwdriver intended specifically for this.

Now everyone has Torx drivers, and Apple has moved on to triwing or pentalobe screwdrivers on a lot of their newer products. Even the user-serviceable pre-retina Unibody MBPs use a tri-wing screw to hold the battery in place since this is not intended to be a user serviceable part.

One other old trick from electronics companies is to use Posi-Drive screws to hold everything together. Posidrive screws look deceptively like Phillips head screws, and actually the design is nearly as old as the Phillips patent. Almost every cross-slotted head screw in my MG is Posi-Drive. All that aside, if you try to use a Phillips driver in a Posi head or vice-versa, the driver will cam out. This is especially common in smalls size screws, and the result in a small screw is typically destroying either the head of the screw or the driver.

 

[eyoungren]

Here we go!

[doublepost=1468335588][/doublepost]

It's sort of funny-the original Macs(M00001) used 5 T-15 torx screws to hold it together, with two recessed very deeply into the handle. All subsequent compact Macs used the same arrangement, although they deleted the one screw inside the external battery door(and the battery door along with it ). At the time, not only were Torx screws uncommon, but even if you had a set you probably would have one heck of a time getting to the recessed screws. I bought three compacts a while back and the seller included a "Mac Cracker" screwdriver, which is a foot long T15 torx screwdriver intended specifically for this.

Now everyone has Torx drivers, and Apple has moved on to triwing or pentalobe screwdrivers on a lot of their newer products. Even the user-serviceable pre-retina Unibody MBPs use a tri-wing screw to hold the battery in place since this is not intended to be a user serviceable part.

One other old trick from electronics companies is to use Posi-Drive screws to hold everything together. Posidrive screws look deceptively like Phillips head screws, and actually the design is nearly as old as the Phillips patent. Almost every cross-slotted head screw in my MG is Posi-Drive. All that aside, if you try to use a Phillips driver in a Posi head or vice-versa, the driver will cam out. This is especially common in smalls size screws, and the result in a small screw is typically destroying either the head of the screw or the driver.

Apple got smart. With later products they started using large amounts of industrial glue as well as soldering parts that are usually removeable on to the logicboard.

Unless you are a chemical or soldering expert you're seeing Apple for repair/replacement.

Another reason I'm not so crazy about Intel Macs.

 

[bunnspecial]

Apple got smart. With later products they started using large amounts of industrial glue as well as soldering parts that are usually removeable on to the logicboard.

Unless you are a chemical or soldering expert you're seeing Apple for repair/replacement.

Another reason I'm not so crazy about Intel Macs.

The glue/solder thing started with the MBA but fortunately the rest of the line was mostly free of it until the Retina computers. Unibody MBPs are surprisingly upgradeable, and I've had every part out of the various sizes at some point or another. You can replace the battery yourself, but the cost of a good aftermarket battery is about $10 less(at least for the 13") than paying Apple to replace it. My 13" needs a new Battery, but if I break down and get one I'll likely go the Apple route.

 

[catzilla]

It's sort of funny-the original Macs(M00001) used 5 T-15 torx screws to hold it together, with two recessed very deeply into the handle. All subsequent compact Macs used the same arrangement, although they deleted the one screw inside the external battery door(and the battery door along with it ). At the time, not only were Torx screws uncommon, but even if you had a set you probably would have one heck of a time getting to the recessed screws. I bought three compacts a while back and the seller included a "Mac Cracker" screwdriver, which is a foot long T15 torx screwdriver intended specifically for this.

I've had every compact mac from the 512K to the color classic. I resorted to buying a cheap T15, chucked it in a drill, and went at the handle with a rasp. Ugly, but it works. I still have it.

 

[bunnspecial]

I've had every compact mac from the 512K to the color classic. I resorted to buying a cheap T15, chucked it in a drill, and went at the handle with a rasp. Ugly, but it works. I still have it.

I still lack a Macintosh(retroactively the 128K, but I want an original "Macintosh"), a 512K(I have a 512Ke) an SE/30, and a Color Classic. Somewhere or another along the way, I'd also like to pick up a Classic that works although it's overall a pretty crummy computer . The original Macintosh and the SE/30 are the real money items there, although 512Ks aren't cheap. CCs are surprisingly expensive given what they are.

While I'm at it, I'd also like to get my Plus booting off a SCSI drive. The only one I've found that the computer will even "see" is an HD20SC with it's original 5 1/4" Seagate drive. Unfortunately, the HDD seems to have issues that keep it from initializing/mounting correctly, and I can't get the computer to even "see" any other hard drives(Apple OEM otherwise) that I put in the case. I have a working HD20, but it's serving the 512Ke in my office and I'd also like to get the Plus booting off SCSI drive.

By the way, I was going to make the point earlier that Macs have more or less regressed to the original Steve Jobs "closed box" idea. The original Macintosh and subsequent 512K/512Ke were meant for you to add external peripherals for all your expansion needs(like the trashcan Mac Pro) and the case wasn't really intended to be opened. This was in stark contrast to the Apple ][, which even gave you enough information in the manual to build your own expansion cards if you wanted to. Granted folks did figure out a LOT of stuff with Macintoshes, and my 512Ke has a period "piggyback" RAM upgrade to 1mb. Still, though, some of the upgrades were sort of "messy", like the SCSI port that sometimes shows up in the battery door and the RAM DIPPs soldered on top of the existing RAM. You also see a lot upgraded to Mac Plus ROM. Of course, modern circuit density and just packaging constraints make doing this sort of stuff impossible even if it would theoretically work.

We didn't get readily interchangeable RAM until the Plus, and no true expandability until the Mac II came out(which happened after Steve Jobs left). BTW, in a nod to @eyoungren ,if I can ever get my Mac II booting(or get a working one) I want to hook 6 monitors up to it . I have the video cards and monitors to make it happen.

By the way, on the subject of upgrades-I have some period upgrade kits intended for Mac Pluses. Both the ones I have came with 2mb of RAM(4x512K) and piece of hex stock with a T handle bent into the end of it. Of course, mixing up hex and torque can damage the head, but I guess the idea was that they were really intended for one installation/removal cycle.

 

[eyoungren]

I still lack a Macintosh(retroactively the 128K, but I want an original "Macintosh"), a 512K(I have a 512Ke) an SE/30, and a Color Classic. Somewhere or another along the way, I'd also like to pick up a Classic that works although it's overall a pretty crummy computer . The original Macintosh and the SE/30 are the real money items there, although 512Ks aren't cheap. CCs are surprisingly expensive given what they are.

While I'm at it, I'd also like to get my Plus booting off a SCSI drive. The only one I've found that the computer will even "see" is an HD20SC with it's original 5 1/4" Seagate drive. Unfortunately, the HDD seems to have issues that keep it from initializing/mounting correctly, and I can't get the computer to even "see" any other hard drives(Apple OEM otherwise) that I put in the case. I have a working HD20, but it's serving the 512Ke in my office and I'd also like to get the Plus booting off SCSI drive.

By the way, I was going to make the point earlier that Macs have more or less regressed to the original Steve Jobs "closed box" idea. The original Macintosh and subsequent 512K/512Ke were meant for you to add external peripherals for all your expansion needs(like the trashcan Mac Pro) and the case wasn't really intended to be opened. This was in stark contrast to the Apple ][, which even gave you enough information in the manual to build your own expansion cards if you wanted to. Granted folks did figure out a LOT of stuff with Macintoshes, and my 512Ke has a period "piggyback" RAM upgrade to 1mb. Still, though, some of the upgrades were sort of "messy", like the SCSI port that sometimes shows up in the battery door and the RAM DIPPs soldered on top of the existing RAM. You also see a lot upgraded to Mac Plus ROM. Of course, modern circuit density and just packaging constraints make doing this sort of stuff impossible even if it would theoretically work.

We didn't get readily interchangeable RAM until the Plus, and no true expandability until the Mac II came out(which happened after Steve Jobs left). BTW, in a nod to @eyoungren ,if I can ever get my Mac II booting(or get a working one) I want to hook 6 monitors up to it . I have the video cards and monitors to make it happen.

By the way, on the subject of upgrades-I have some period upgrade kits intended for Mac Pluses. Both the ones I have came with 2mb of RAM(4x512K) and piece of hex stock with a T handle bent into the end of it. Of course, mixing up hex and torque can damage the head, but I guess the idea was that they were really intended for one installation/removal cycle.

I have heard of this 6 monitor monstrosity twice now!

Would love to see pictures of it working. After that you can box it up and send it to me (including the monitors)! You pay shipping!

Sound good bunns?

 

[bunnspecial]

I have heard of this 6 monitor monstrosity twice now!

Would love to see pictures of it working. After that you can box it up and send it to me (including the monitors)! You pay shipping!

Sound good bunns?

I have another potential project that I have the parts and ability(albeit probably not the motivation at the moment) to make happen-a 9600 with 12 monitors

In any case...well we still have to talk about that Phoenix branch

 

[Sepultura]

I used an x-acto knife when I took apart my G5. I mangled the outer part of the clip pretty badly, but I was able to put it back together after.

 

[ITguy2016]

Thanks everyone. I haven't had time to revisit this so I haven't been able to try the advice. It seems this one thing is overly complicated for the purpose it serves.

 

[128keaton]

 

[Gamer9430]

I still lack a Macintosh(retroactively the 128K, but I want an original "Macintosh"), a 512K(I have a 512Ke) an SE/30, and a Color Classic. Somewhere or another along the way, I'd also like to pick up a Classic that works although it's overall a pretty crummy computer . The original Macintosh and the SE/30 are the real money items there, although 512Ks aren't cheap. CCs are surprisingly expensive given what they are.

While I'm at it, I'd also like to get my Plus booting off a SCSI drive. The only one I've found that the computer will even "see" is an HD20SC with it's original 5 1/4" Seagate drive. Unfortunately, the HDD seems to have issues that keep it from initializing/mounting correctly, and I can't get the computer to even "see" any other hard drives(Apple OEM otherwise) that I put in the case. I have a working HD20, but it's serving the 512Ke in my office and I'd also like to get the Plus booting off SCSI drive.

By the way, I was going to make the point earlier that Macs have more or less regressed to the original Steve Jobs "closed box" idea. The original Macintosh and subsequent 512K/512Ke were meant for you to add external peripherals for all your expansion needs(like the trashcan Mac Pro) and the case wasn't really intended to be opened. This was in stark contrast to the Apple ][, which even gave you enough information in the manual to build your own expansion cards if you wanted to. Granted folks did figure out a LOT of stuff with Macintoshes, and my 512Ke has a period "piggyback" RAM upgrade to 1mb. Still, though, some of the upgrades were sort of "messy", like the SCSI port that sometimes shows up in the battery door and the RAM DIPPs soldered on top of the existing RAM. You also see a lot upgraded to Mac Plus ROM. Of course, modern circuit density and just packaging constraints make doing this sort of stuff impossible even if it would theoretically work.

We didn't get readily interchangeable RAM until the Plus, and no true expandability until the Mac II came out(which happened after Steve Jobs left). BTW, in a nod to @eyoungren ,if I can ever get my Mac II booting(or get a working one) I want to hook 6 monitors up to it . I have the video cards and monitors to make it happen.

By the way, on the subject of upgrades-I have some period upgrade kits intended for Mac Pluses. Both the ones I have came with 2mb of RAM(4x512K) and piece of hex stock with a T handle bent into the end of it. Of course, mixing up hex and torque can damage the head, but I guess the idea was that they were really intended for one installation/removal cycle.

I have both of those ugly upgrades for my 512ke, MacSnap 2MB upgrade, and on the 2MB board is a MacSnap SCSI board, which has a SCSI cable plug into the board, then goes through the case to replace the battery door . I'd also like to get an external drive working, since as far as I can tell, my 512ke has a Plus ROM, allowing the SCSI to function the same way as it would on a Plus. However, as pointed out by you, it appears its a bit difficult to get SCSI working on a Plus

 

[eyoungren]

 

[bunnspecial]

Definition

HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.