Wii Disassembly - an addendum

In the thread http://www.wiihacks.com/wii-modchip/...-your-wii.html, our own e39 offers a Wii disassembly guide. Its the one I used and having scanned a few, this one is easily the best. In the thread there are calls for photos of which screws go where. I thought I'd augment this work with my own observations. Hope this removes some of the panic for folk opening up their Wii for the first time!

My drive recently stopped working, so I thought I'd take it apart and have a look. I've photographed the screws beside their respective holes and tried to show enough of the Wii that you can orientate them correctly.

http://s6.postimage.org/ihg5612sh/DSCF7290.jpg http://s6.postimage.org/5os163r6p/DSCF7289.jpg

In addition to the screws which must to be removed, the following photos identify (in red) the machine screws which DO NOT NEED TO BE REMOVED FOR THIS EXCERCISE. They just hold the EM (and heat?) shield in place.

http://s6.postimage.org/uxcuzrw4h/DSCF7292.jpg http://s6.postimage.org/gffnrs4td/DSCF7293.jpg http://s6.postimage.org/yjiocf2ht/DSCF7294.jpg http://s6.postimage.org/vqpgse25d/DSCF7295.jpg

Also, note that for inserting the DVD screws back in place (blue), a little gob of Vaseline, (or whatever your local brand of petroleum jelly is) on the tip of the screwdriver, holds the screw in place while you poke it down the hole. (Assuming, like me, you don't want to magnetise your screwdriver.)

http://s6.postimage.org/7f6gtujc1/DSCF7297.jpg


Sadly, I was too chicken to actually do anything with it having got it apart; I don't know if it needs a new DVD drive or a new board. Blowing the dust out didn't fix it. Ho hum. I softmodded instead. Now have a "working" Wii, but the DVD drive is still stuffed.

Nice pics.

Did you try cleaning the lens while you had it apart? Could be your lens is dirty or you need a replacement.

Go for it! take it all apart. Be very careful with the ribbon connectors they have a nice little plug, or a flip clamp. there are some very good guides with pictures. And you can, buy most spares, disc drive motors, Whole disc drives. if you know what your are looking for. I even found a place to buy a new wii SD card slot. (solder job) not for the feint hearted. lol.
However I like your useful pics, I tend to mark my screws with different colour (write for all pens) wipes off after reassembly. Well done for trying.

Yeah, I'm comfortable with a soldering iron, but the wheels fell off just before Christmas, and if we hadn't had a Wii over Christmas, there would have been merry hell chez BoA. Now that it's working with the HDD, and we have all of our DVDs downloaded, I'm not sure I'll bother taking it apart to clean out the lens. It would, I suppose, be useful to be able to "Install" new discs rather than having to download...

Quote:

---

be useful to be able to "Install" new discs rather than having to download...

---

Be careful. What you type as " downloading " can cover more than just mod files. I'm sure you mean DVD's backed up.Piracy not condoned here But yes if all is working from HDD they I understand your point.

I get you. For the record, I don't do theft of any sort, but I'd guess that would be the most common reason for modding a box. Just because software companies thieve off us doesn't mean it's OKay to thieve off them! Heh heh.

Funny thing - My wife said "I bet if the DVD drive wasn't knackered, you'd have done that mod anyway..." Yep. Correct. I should have done it ages ago. The hard disk is a million times better than DVDs, and I think it's faster to load, too. Don't have to worry about the kids scratching disks as they're hidden away in a cupboard and I can lock the software I don't want them playing!