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Step 4Gettin' to buisness: Remove the heatsinks
Right, first thing we gotta do is open this sucka up. I'll point you to the tutorial I read, because opening the 360 is an Instructable in itself.
http://www.anandtech.com/systems/showdoc.aspx?i=2610&p=2
You need to remove everything from the metal case(if you can't get the fans out, that's fine). Set the motherboard on a clean surface, like a newspaper. Put the DVD drive, screws, plastic case and other parts someplace where they can't get harmed.
Now you gotta remove the heatsinks from the processors. This is very nerve-wracking. I used a small flathead screwdriver, and pried two or three of the X-Clamp's legs from the posts attached to the heatsinks. But if the blade of said pointy object were to slip, it could take out a bunch of tiny parts as it scrapes across your motherboard. The solution?
Put a piece of corrugated cardboard over the motherboard, where the screwdriver blade would rip through. :D . So if it were to slip now, it'll just hurt a severed piece of a box.
You'll want to pop off 3 of the bracket legs, because the 4th one won't have anything holding it on. Once you get the clamps off, the heatsinks will come off on top side of the motherboard(you may need to tug on them a bit if the thermal paste is sticky). The next step deal with the heatsinks themselves.
http://www.anandtech.com/systems/showdoc.aspx?i=2610&p=2
You need to remove everything from the metal case(if you can't get the fans out, that's fine). Set the motherboard on a clean surface, like a newspaper. Put the DVD drive, screws, plastic case and other parts someplace where they can't get harmed.
Now you gotta remove the heatsinks from the processors. This is very nerve-wracking. I used a small flathead screwdriver, and pried two or three of the X-Clamp's legs from the posts attached to the heatsinks. But if the blade of said pointy object were to slip, it could take out a bunch of tiny parts as it scrapes across your motherboard. The solution?
Put a piece of corrugated cardboard over the motherboard, where the screwdriver blade would rip through. :D . So if it were to slip now, it'll just hurt a severed piece of a box.
You'll want to pop off 3 of the bracket legs, because the 4th one won't have anything holding it on. Once you get the clamps off, the heatsinks will come off on top side of the motherboard(you may need to tug on them a bit if the thermal paste is sticky). The next step deal with the heatsinks themselves.
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Just wanted to add a little advice for those attempting this the 1st time. DO USE CARDBOARD & start with the outside corners not the middle ones like he shows in the pics.
When you take the x clamps off have a buddy help and do it like this: Take 2 small flat head screw drivers and slip them under the corners. Look at the above picture: take one screwdriver and put it to the left of where he has the big screwdriver, with the handle pointing towards the bottom right of the pic. take the other and put it to the left with the handle pointing bottom left of the pic. You'll notice that they form a cross one atop the other. Now gently pry the clamp up with the 1st screw driver then take the 2nd and pry up using the first screwdriver as leverage. My brother and I do it this way and it works like a charm. Good Luck.
But what i did is tightened everything to a reasonable 'same' fit ( i did not have a torque wrench) and loosened every screw 1/4 of a turn until i found the right torque for the heat sink screws. only took me 45 mins, and to this date, haven't had a problem with mine! works out perfectly for MW2 coming out in a day or so haha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns0hDllbQi0&feature=related
and they came right off.