How to disassemble a BlackBerry Pearl-lots of pix, too!

Posted Sep 28th 2006 7:25AM by Russell Shaw
Filed under: Support, Fun, Pearl 8100, Hardware Hacks

Tom Glogowski from the BlackBerry FAQ and BlackBerryForums.com has alerted me to a newly posted article he's written and illustrated entitled 8100 Disassembly. Link below.

There's instructions, and plenty of pix.

"Please be sure you have the proper tools for this disassembly, as well as a dust free environment you can create," Tom writes. "I recommend that latex gloves be used to prevent fingerprints from showing on the lcd and other visible areas.

Then Tom issues this important warning: be sure to remember the dissasembly steps, as you will need to put it back together once you are done.

OK, now let's get started, shall we?
Step 1:Remove Battery Door.



Step 2: Remove Battery.



Step 3: Remove Bottom Cover
Use the Prying tool, to slowly remove the bottom plastic cover to expose the screws below, unclip the two top clips, and then pull down, this is the most difficult part of disassembly as this piece is very fragile and easy to break. After doing so, unscrew the bottom screws, and the top screws as well (4 in total thus far) .



Step 4: Remove Side Covers
Use the Prying tool once more, remove the side covers, two clips per side, per piece, these are easy to get off, but be very careful to not break the clips.



Step 5: Remove front Cover
With the sides removed, you can now remove the front cover, and expose the lcd and keypad.



Step 6: Remove Rear Cover
This exposes all of the internal workings of the BlackBerry 8100.



Step 7: LCD Removal
The LCD is held on using double sided tape, and seems very thin and flexible. Tom writes that he highly doubt sthat this LCD is user replaceable (at least with ease) like other BlackBerry LCD's are.



Oh, and finally, be sure to wear your Gloves!! This ensures that your LCD is left fingerprint free, and nothing is damaged internally from skin oil. That's what Tom says.

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