Display frame cracked (not actual lcd or protective glass)

I have this problem, too. I used some binder clips to clamp over the cracks. It's not classy, but it's functional!

Old thread, posting in the hopes that it might help someone in their pet project of reviving a once great machine...

Just completed repair of an utterly devastated MBP. When I picked this unit up, the only thing between the display and the bottom case was the LVDS and iSight/Bluetooth cables. The inner frame was broken in two places, thus the hinge mechanism did not work. Previous owner used it in a primite "desktop" mode, resting the display with encyclopedias.

Using "metal glue" was an idea. So I searched online and found this

I bought the double-syringe type epoxy metal glue and tried the same approach. Now I can confidently report that Epoxy metal glue works to secure a broken inner frame to the display case. :-)

Things to be careful (in no particular order, just a brain dump)

1. Fine sanding of inner part of display casing recommended. You will see the dark yellowish remains of the glue Apple used. Yes, they used glue.
2. Carefully note the slot where the LVDS cable slips under the inner metal frame, there is a slot there. NO GLUE.
3. Check for plastic hinge cover's spots where it's tabs "click" to the metal frame. NO GLUE. Otherwise you'll have to "shave" the plastic hinge cover. Yes, that's me.
4. Use masking tape, especially in the front of the display casing. When this glue is cured, it is hard to remove without scratching the Al case.
5. Use clamps after applying the glue. Cannot stress this enough. If don't have them, either borrow from thy neighbour, or buy cheapo ones that have springs, from a store (Those cheapos are surprisingly strong).
6. Wait a full day for full curing, never moving the assembly while it is getting cured and clamped.
7. When first using the double-syringes, they pour out unequal parts of epoxy and glue. Only mix when equal parts of epoxy and glue are squeezed out of the nozzles.
8. You will have approx. 45 minutes to work with the glue mixture comfortably. Plan ahead and work fast. Or heat up the glue mixture for more than 45 mins working time. Though the entire process should take no more than 20 mins.

You will probably suffer from a dirty LCD screen and "glass" bezel. Be careful when wiping them clean. Microfibre is your friend. If there are spots on the "glass" bezel where the black paint is scratched, apply black nail polish from inside. Also, get double-sided thin tape to stick that bezel to the display case, carefully watching the black rubber "stopper" that goes around the screen.

I didn't know that the "glass" bezel was not serviceable. Apple Technician manual suggests replacing the complete screen assembly if something happens to the "glass" bezel. Yes, complete screen assembly. What a waste, eh?

Good luck.

Also looking for an answer to this. Scouring ebay hasn't helped much, and that linked item is sold out...

I've been using a binder clip with the arms pulled off, but it looks pretty ghetto and is scratching up the antiglare screen bezel.

sounds like something you May be able to super glue. Especially if you take it apart and super glue the end thats not making contact with anything or leave it opened and super glue. I use a hot glue gun from walmart i've fixed a million things with it alone and usually it works well.

You've misunderstood. The bezel could be superglued... but the frame itself, which is what directly connects to the hinges, definitely needs to be replaced. It seems like it usually breaks where some engineer thought it would be a good idea to out holes in it. This leave about a half mm of metal on each side to support the screen. One little drop and the whole screen falls apart.

Clamping with a binder clip works well in the interim. Just make sure you get to it quickly. Mine broke when I was overseas and didn't have access to binder clips or anything like that. The camera/airport antenna cable tore resulting in a "No airport card installed". When I get a chance to pull it all apart and make a list of what I need to fix it, I'm going to experiment with JB Weld. I'll post up my results.

I am about to try JB Weld. It's too late to save my bezel -- but the glass liner peeling away actually makes it easier to get to the frame part and clamp it with a C-clamp. Do I think it will hold? No. But the only alternative I've heard is to get a repair costing upwards of $500. Given the age of the MBP, I'd rather invest $500 in a used 2011 or 2012 era machine and not risk this happening all over again. You're right, the engineer who indicated the drill holes -- probably some guy in China looking to save RMB -- obviously never designed a laptop in his or her life.

Hi there, My daughter's MacBook Pro is having the same issue with cracking at the bottom two corners of the display frame. I noticed you mentioned JB Weld....so I looked at the product. Which exact would be the correct product to use? One for plastic or metal? Having a hard time deciphering what material is actually used in this frame. THANKS!

(I thought I answered this before. Perhaps on another thread...)

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Christine, I tried the JB Weld. It didn't succeed. Closing the welded lid just once produced enough torque to break the "weld" (made of brittle epoxy) and mortally damaged my LCD screen in the process.

Rather than going through all that again, I decided to transform my MBP into a desktop version. I cut away the top case (being careful to preserve a lead that apparently made the computer sleep when the case was closed and another that may be a wireless antenna). I then filed off the hinge's sharp edges.

I was left with the operational 95% of my computer contained in the bottom half.

I connected to the chopped MBP a 23" Apple HD Cinema Display I had sitting in my garage, installed Shades (a free display-control application downloadable at http://screenshade.en.softonic.com/mac/), and clipped to the display a cheap but very effective Logitech C270 webcam ($15-$25). I can fine-tune control the camera with eCamm iGlasses (http://www.ecamm.com/mac/iglasses/, $20) or simply use it out of the box.

Voila: my kludged "new" desktop Mac is a better workstation than it was a laptop! The screen is easier to read or watch, the computer runs cooler (important in the desert, where I live), and the stability of the keyboard in this configuration is much greater than it was. Surprisingly, the sound is unaffected at all or maybe even a little louder than it was before.

When necessary, I have an MB Air on which I can take my computing with me. But I'd much rather work on my desktop Mac.

Admittedly, this is a radical solution, the "joke solution" in many somber explanations of how to fix your broken top frame. True, you may not want to give up your machine's portability or former good looks. Or, you may not have a display to substitute for the screen. But if you don't care about the former and do have or can acquire the latter, I can assure you: this solution works great. And it may prove the only way to preserve your Mac. Maybe you can safely install another frame yourself, but unless you're a tech with experience, I wouldn't count on it. Commercially, it can cost up to $500, the cost of a replacement 2009 MBP. And what if the new screen later breaks, just as your first one did?

At least now you know: your Mac can have an afterlife, can be reborn, even if you accidentally murder it while trying to save it.

Sincerely, Bob Jacobson (aka bobbissimo)

PS If you do go this route, be very careful with the LCD when you cut away the top lid. An intact LCD screen, even one this old, can fetch you around $100 on eBay. A broken one, like mine, zilch.