Chosen Solution
Does anyone have any idea where I might find a replacement for the plastic clip that the bottom case clips into? Or maybe a file to 3D print one (I found one of these for an earlier model)? The left side is broken, so the thermal pad isn’t sitting flush with the CPU anymore. Thanks.
I’m confused, The lid doesn’t hold the heat sink down to the CPU or GPU. The heat sink is held down by four studs on the logic board. If you’ve managed to pull the stud off the logic board you’ll need to see if you can regale it down or just replace the logic board.
Are you struggling with the plastic mid plane support sockets?
The older Unibody clips tended to break as they didn’t have a firm bottom. The Retina ones rarely break. In any case they don’t have any bearing on holding the heat sink. In fact there is an air gap between the bottom cover and the top of the heat sink to keep your lap cool. FYI - Apple never offered them as a replacement part, other that getting them from a junker your only hope is finding someone with a 3D printer to make new ones.
