Mac Pro (Early 2008) Front Fan Assembly Replacement

Written By: Joshua Byrne
  • Comments: 11
Mac Pro (Early 2008) Front Fan Assembly Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

17

Time Required

No estimate

Introduction

Removing and/or replacing the Front Fan Assembly of a Mac Pro (Early 2008).

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    • The hard drives must meet the following specifications:

    • Type: Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) or Serial ATA (SATA) 3 Gb/s

    • Width: 3.9 inches (102 mm)

    • Depth: 5.7 inches (147 mm)

    • Height: 1.0 inch

    Can you add an ssd by any chance ?

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    • Important: To install SAS drives in a Mac Pro (Early 2008) computer, you must also install the optional Mac Pro RAID Card.

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    • Before you begin, open the computer, and lay it on its side with the access side facing up.

    • Important: Make sure the latch on the back panel is in the up position. When the latch is down, the hard drives and carriers are locked in place and you will not be able to remove them.

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    • Make sure the latch on the back panel is up, so that the drives and carriers are unlocked.

    • Pull the hard drive out of the drive bay.

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    • If you are replacing the hard drive with a new drive, remove the four screws that mount the 3. drive to the carrier and mount the new drive in the carrier.

    • Important: Hold the drive by its sides. Be careful not to touch the printed circuit board on the bottom of the drive.

    • Replacement Note: Slide the carrier and drive over the guides and into the drive bay, until you feel the drive snap into place.

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    • This procedure explains how to remove a standard card and a card that includes a booster cable. Before you can remove either type of card, however, you must first loosen the two captive screws that secure the PCI bracket to the enclosure and remove the bracket.

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    • Handle the card only by the edges.Do not touch its connectors or any of the components.Lift the card straight out from the connector to remove it, and insert it straight into the connector to install it.Do not rock the card from side to side and don’t force the card into the slot.Once the replacement card is installed, pull on it gently to check.

    • 1) Release the small locking clip at the front of the card’s logic board connector by pushing the clip up toward the media shelf.

    • 2) Holding the card by the top corners, pull up the card and remove it from its expansion slot.

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    • Some graphics cards require either one or two booster cables connecting the card to the auxillary power connectors on the logic board.

    • The graphics card NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT requires one booster cable; the graphics card NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 requires two booster cables.

    • Disconnect the booster cable(s) from the logic board.

    • Release the small locking clip at the front of the card’s logic board connector by pushing the clip up toward the media shelf.

    • Holding the card by the top corners, gently pull up the card and remove it from its expansion slot.

    • If you are replacing a booster cable with a new one, disconnect the cable from the card.

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    • Replacement Note for Card Using One Booster Cable: Be sure to connect the card’s booster cable to the correct auxillary power connector on the logic board. Connect the booster cable for a card in PCI slot 1 to the lower connector. Connect the booster cable for a card in PCI slot 2 to the upper connector.

    • Replacement Note for Card Using Two Booster Cables: Connect both cables to the two auxillary power connectors.

    Estoy buscando el cable de alimentación de la tarjeta gráfica, pero no lo consigo alguna idea de dónde lo podría conseguir?

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    • The procedure to remove the graphic cards is the same for PCI Express Cards for exception of minor card differences.

    • Important: Combined maximum power consumption for all four PCI Express slots must not exceed 300 W.

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    • Remember to check that all the PCI Express cards have been removed and properly stowed.

    • Note: The heatsink cover is held in place by a number of tabs and magnets on the underside of the cover. You must release the tabs before you can remove the cover from the enclosure.

    • Place the fingers of one hand under the lip of the heatsink cover nearest the logic board. Lift the lip slightly toward the media shelf to release the tabs and magnets under the top face of the cover.

    • With your fingers still under the cover’s bottom lip, lift the cover straight up to release the remaining tabs and magnets under the front face of the cover

    • Remove the cover from the enclosure.

    You don’t need to place the fingers under the lip of the heat sink cover nearest to the logic board. It is much easier to use a pry tool and slide it through from front to the back. It will release the tabs very easily.

    andrenozawa -

    %#*@ this was a horrible guide until I read your comment. The model I’m pulling apart has no magnets holding it together

    placebomessiah -

    This section of the guide does not apply to the 2006 A1186 (EMC 2113) MacPro 1,1. In this model (that I'm trying to disassemble in front of me, now), the heat sink cover is partly under the RAM cage, so it cannot come out before the RAM cage. The linked guide above seems to reference this fact.

    Is there a way to submit an alternative version of this section for the models in question?

    DavidM -

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    • Replacement Note: When reinstalling the processor heatsink cover, make sure the tabs on the underside of the cover align with the slots directly below them. (The slots are on the front fan and memory cage on either side of the heatsink cover.)

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    • Remember: Before removing the Front Fan Assembly ensure that the first two bays of the hard drives are removed, All PCI express cards removed, and placed in a safe location.

    • Using a long-handled, magnetized #1 Phillips screwdriver, remove the screw at the top rear of the front fan assembly that mounts the assembly to the logic board.

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    • Remove the second Phillips screw at the bottom front of the assembly.

    My MacPro1,1 doesn't have a philips screw in Step 14 .

    applerepairshop -

    Neither does my 3,1, nor does the Apple Service Source manual for the 3,1

    Graham Lee -

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    • Place one hand on each end of the fan, lift straight up, and remove the fan from the enclosure.

    You may end up with a model that needs significantly more force to remove. Took over 3 hours for me to wiggle it out.

    Eng Teck Tan -

    I just carelessly smashed it with a hammer :)

    RetroComputers -

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    • Replacement Note: Before re-installing the front fan assembly in the enclosure, make sure that the fan cables are routed correctly in the fan channel.

    • Replacement Note: Make sure all AirPort and Bluetooth antenna wires are out of the way before lowering the fan assembly onto the logic board.

    • Replacement Note: When lowering the front fan into the enclosure, slide the guide on the base of the fan assembly into the channel on the speaker assembly.

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    • Replacement Note: Also make sure the latch on the inside top left edge of the fan assembly engages with the slot on the inside lip of the enclosure

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Author

Joshua Byrne

Member since: 03/05/13

7725 Reputation

One comment

What types of screws are those 2 Philips screws that hold the front fan assembly in place; Steps 13 and 14. I bought a used Mac Pro and it was missing both of these screws :(

Timothéo -