IBM ThinkPad T42 Fan Replacement

Unscrew the 20 Phillips screws on the underside of the T42.

• For ease of reassembly, keep your screws organized.

Unscrew the 2 Phillips screws on both sides of the T42's rear.

Flip the laptop over and open the screen.

• The bezel and keyboard will be loose, be careful.

Carefully maneuver the palm rest away from the keyboard, as both the keyboard and palm rest/trackpad will come off together.

• Remember, both the keyboard and trackpad have connectors to the motherboard. Disconnect these before completely removing either component.

Starting from the bottom right, carefully remove off the bezel. Use a spudger or flat head screwdriver if needed.

The metal bracket will now be free to move, grasp it and remove it from the device.

Remove the small rubber piece that is covering the T42's microphone,

Unscrew the 3 screws on the copper heatsink.

Now, unplug the connection to the motherboard..

• Due to the nature of old thermal paste, it might take some force to remove the heatsink.