Chosen Solution
Got the replacement battery and full tool kit from iFixit. I don’t have a microwave, so checked on the repair guides and followed heating the gel pack in a 350F oven. Let it heat up for 10 minutes and layed it along the back edge of the S8 phone. Used the suction cup and spurge tool. Wouldn’t budge. reheated and tried again. Nothing. So, I used my heat gun (eco heat, (similar to a Master heat gun) set at low temp (400 F). First time very carefully and still no separation of the glue. Another try with the heat gun and still couldn’t get the S8 apart. Let it cool and checked it. The heat had de-laminated the screen in the bottom quarter near where I had heated it. So, I’m disappointed. My Galaxy S8 still has a weak battery and now the screen is partially de-laminated to boot. At this point I’m not sure if I want to try again and don’t really want to buy a microwave just for this. Also, to note, I’m a retired audio and lighting engineer and have built computers, made my own custom cabling, repaired moving lights and audio gear for 40 years, but this is the first time with a glue sealed phone.
Use a syringe and shoot some acetone under the battery to loosen the adhesive and forget the heat.
tips from the electronic workshop: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus Battery Replacement
