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Mine happens to be cracked and I would really like to replace it. Is there a guide on how to, anywhere?
Hello! It is technically possible to remove the clutch cover on the Retina MacBook Pros but it is a difficult repair, as the clutch end caps are adhered to the display a bit and have small plastic clips that often bend or break. On top of that, sourcing a replacement clutch cover would likely require eBay or some other method as I don’t see the part listed as a replacement part on iFixit. To the point, you’d first need to remove the display; MacBook Pro 15" Retina Display Late 2013 Display Assembly Replacement After that, you’d need a Spudger using the point end to lightly remove the two plastic end caps on either side of the clutch.. This is the hard part as they often break or bend and if they do, they will not sit correctly most times when you attempt to put them back on. (It should be noted though that the clearance on the top case and these pieces is tight, and some people don’t mind the clearance actually helping hold the piece on) Then holding the display with the apple logo towards you and the display pointing away from you (up side down so the clutch cover is at the top), you can carefully slide the clutch to the right, similar to any Non Retina MacBook pro and remove it carefully once the clips are disengaged, This takes some very careful work. Reverse to put the new clutch on, and carefully seat the end caps into their proper spot, then reinstall the display!
It took me about 20 minutes to figure out how to remove the end caps, and about 5 seconds to remove the other one once I figure it out. I think the best thing you can do is take a very small flathead screwdriver and try to wedge it in between the end cap and the hinge. Then, just gently and rhythmically rock back and forth, prying up more and more each time. I was able to remove both end caps with only a couple scratches on the paint near the edges. But hey, cosmetic wear is worth it if the display works, right? ;) Thanks for the help, guys!
It’s really not that hard to replace if you follow the guides here on removing clutch covers from Unibody MacBook Pros (Late 2008 - Mid 2012). As for the black plastic end caps, heat them up or pry carefully with a spudger and they will pop out. they are plastic so the have some give/bend. then just use a spudger or plastic pry tool to carefully dislodge the clutch cover from the tabs locking it in and wiggle it carefully back and forth until you have it removed. repeat from a spare cracked screen to get a good donor clutch cover. You can buy a cracked complete screen assembly on ebay for very cheap and just use the clutch cover from that. You could even put the broken one back on the cracked screen assembly and then sell it again on eBay for parts and basically break even (minus any listing fees).. Win win.
