A couple of queries:

I have a TR5MP which works fine except for a dead Motion Eye, with the original 40GB HD (Toshiba MK4004GAH). Anyone know if a Toshiba MK1214GAH 120GB part will work? (Labelled PCG-4B1M underneath)

I also have a TR1MP (PCG481M) that works fine - except that someone left it in a car in the summer and cracked the screen.

Lastly, I have aTR2 (labelled PCG-4A1M) that someone else plugged a 19V pSU into and is now dead. It worked until the battery went flat initially, but now will not turn on even if a freshly charged battery is inserted)

So, I want to swap parts on the TR1 and TR2 to get a working machine - is it easier to swap the screen or the motherboard, and is there a how-to?

Once that is done, I want to pinch the Motion Eye from the pile of bits left over and fit it into my TR5. I’ve already taken 512MB from the TR2 and upgraded my TR5 to 1GB, which works well.

When all this is done, I’ll then have spares, should anyone need them, of the remaining parts that I have left over. Plus half a dozen of the standard batteries that are ‘new’ as in quite good condition - they’ve been charged every six months but otherwise unused, since I have a couple of the big heavy duty ones.

And finally - I have a working PCG-SRX41P, HD battery and PSU, again with a heat damaged screen - I assume there is no economically sensible way of getting that replaced?

Hi madtechie2718,

Just noticed that no one has replied to you yet so here’s my couple of pennies worth!

Firstly, I am not entirely sure if the MK1214GAH will work with the TR as a quick search online says that it has a ZIF connector, as compared to the ATA-150 which I think the notebook takes. I’m no expert and this stuff confuses the *ahem* out of me but I don’t think it will be usable… I think if you have a look at the MK1214GAH you will be able to see if the pin connectors are different from the 44 pin connection needed. I’m looking at doing the same thing myself and have

Now, onto the machines: replacing the motherboard is slightly harder than the screen as long as you are replacing the entire lid and not the actual LCD bit, though which is preferable depends on the rest of it - basically get the best bits from each! From what you describe, I’d try replacing the power board (part (b) below) of the TR2 with the part from the TR1.

I haven’t found a how-to but this is how I replaced the lid on my TR5, which I wished I’d taken some serious step by step photos of! These instructions assume you are looking at the machine as if you are using it:

1. Follow the instructions from pugwash75’s excellent post on replacing the HDD (http://www.siliconpopculture.com/forum/viewthread/5486/), though I also use MrBishi’s post on two drives in one machine, or the article on bluetooth installation in the main part of the site. These all end up with the machine opened up with the motherboard exposed but you need to do some more.

2. Remove the hard drive by unscrewing the brackets around it and unclipping the connector to the motherboard.

3. Remove the optical drive by removing the remaining screws, including the one under the cable on the back-right corner on the edge of the battery bay, as well as unclipping the connector from the motherboard. At this point the lid is too heavy and the machine might tip backwards, so prop it up with something!

4. The screen is connected by the big clip right in the middle, left of where the keyboard connector was. Ease that out carefully by the plastic housing, not by the wires. The wires split left and right, curling around the battery bay before going into the lid through the hinges. The left one is connected to a screw which needs to be removed as well, and both wires are taped down, which I generally carefully cut and then use electrical tape to resecure the leads when I reassemble the machine. At the hinges there are four screws holding the metal flanges in place - remove these and the entire lid and leads should come away easily.

If you are replacing the motherboard, the high points are:
(a) Detach the various flexes from the PCMCIA tray, WLAN and audio daughter board to the front-right. Just carefully lift the tiny flap and ease the orange flex out.
(b) At the back-left the power stuff needs removing where only one screw should remain - lift the yellow plug up and the VGA connector normally falls out too. The power lead in the flex that plugs downwards into the motherboard, much like the top bit of the notebook plugs in (not the keyboard).
(c) The board itself has 3 screws down its right edge, around where the flexes from the PCMCIA tray connected. Once these are gone, lift the board up gently and you will see some wires underneath taped to the plastic base. Once again, ease this off the base or cut the tape. The motherboard should lift right upwards now…

As for the TR5, this is excellent - http://www.siliconpopculture.com/forum/viewthread/5905/
I followed it myself and it covers exactly what needs to be done. Unfortunately, I think my new lid’s connector is broken and I get no video out of it, and I don’t have the heart to open the lid again as that is a painful procedure…

Good luck - let us know how you get on!