Apple Time Capsule – Disassembling procedure

Disassembling procedure – How to remove the power supply – How to remove the HDD - Apple Time Capsule

Remove the rubber base

Place a piece of cloth or a similar soft material on a clean, flat surface. Place the device upside down on top of the fabric.
Open the Time Capsule by exposing the screws that hold the device together. The screws are concealed by the rubber base, which is the bottom surface of the device.
Use a heat gun or hair dryer to heat the rubber base, which softens the adhesive holding it on.
Starting in a corner, carefully lift the rubber base to prevent tearing. You can use a guitar pick or a small, plastic ruler to help separate the rubber from the metal.
Take your time to prevent tearing the adhesive. Ensure that you don't overheat the device.

 If you tear some of the adhesive, don't worry. The existing adhesive is more than enough to allow the rubber base to stick back onto the unit during reassembly.

During reassembly, you can apply heat to the rubber base. This will enable the adhesive to flow and form a better bond with the device's metal casing.

Remove the screws

Once the rubber base is separated from the device, remove the 8 Phillips PH00 screws that attach the metal bottom of the case to the plastic top of the case.
Use the Philiips #00 Screwdriver. Some revisions of the Time Capsule have 10 screws. The A1254 revision has two screws in the upper right and lower left corners, as shown in the second image. In this situation, be sure to remove all 10 screws

Open the Time Capsule

Position the rear side of the device (the side with Ethernet connectors) so that it is facing you.
Lift up the left side of the metal plate and slowly flip it over the right edge of the device. To prevent damage, do not lift the metal plate straight up or use force. As shown in the second picture, the fan is attached to the metal plate and connected to the logic board next to the power connector.
Since many people have had serious problems with the fan power connnector breaking, it is advisable to NOT try to disconnect the fan power connector. Be VERY careful with this connector. It is extremely fragile. If you absolutely have to disconnect the fan from the logic board, VERY carefully use a spudger or tweezers to do so.

How to remove Power Supply

Power supply shown in blue Start by removing the AC plug by lifting it straight up.

Using a spudger, unplug the cable that supplies the motherboard with power. There's a clip to release the locking mechanism; make sure to press and release the clip before pulling up on the connector.

Then, using the same spudger, unplug the HDD power cable. If you're not used to working with data plugs in tight spaces it could be a good idea to remove the HDD first.

Lift the power supply out of its mountings. The mounts can snag the motherboard somewhat. Just fiddle it a little and it will come loose.

How to Remove the hard drive

HDD is an abbreviation for "hard disk drive."
Before removing the HDD, remove the temperature sensor that is mounted directly on the
hard drive. The sensor is attached to the hard drive using adhesive tape and a protective
foam cushion.
Peel off the foam and set the sensor aside. Be gentle with the foam because you will
reuse it to connect the sensor to the new HDD.

Lift the HDD out of the device and disconnect the two SATA cables from the HDD.

Using a Phillips #00 screwdriver, remove the four metal spacers (pegs) from the old HDD and install them in the same locations on the new HDD.

If the new HDD is thinner than the old HDD, you may need to unscrew the spacers a few turns to prevent the HDD from rattling around in the device.

Place the temperature sensor in approximately the same position on the new HDD as on the old HDD. Cover the sensor with the foam, using adhesive tape if necessary.
Make sure the surface of the sensor is flat against the metal hard drive enclosure.
To save power and reduce heat waste, use a "green" (power-saving) hard drive or a low-speed (5400 RPM) hard drive.

It is possible to test the device's functionality before fully reassembling it. To do so, reconnect the fan and replace the metal casing (without installing the screws).
To prevent electrical shock and overheating, complete this step before turning the device on.
After the Time Capsule is reassembled, format the new HDD using Airport Utility. It may be necessary to perform a hard reset on the Time Capsule.