E74 Repair ( Overheating )

I searched all over the web and have found that a lot of the guides to the RROD are incomplete. I will attempt to make a complete one here.

NOTE: Attempting this repair will void any warranty that you have. Please ensure that your warranty is no longer effective before proceeding.

The first thing you will need to do is gather the required tools and parts to complete this repair. The items that are listed below are from my local Lowe's store. I have also included all of their part numbers. This list is a complete list so don't be intimidated by it.

#1) Drill
#2) Drill Bit 13/64
#3) Pliers
#4) Torx T8
#5) 8- M5 .80x10 machine screws ( Hillman  H#880736 / SKU 008236711271 )
#6) 16 - #10 Nylon flat washers ( Hillman H#881544 / SKU 008236719352 )
#7) 32 - 5mm wave lock washers ( Hillman H#880785 / SKU 008236711769/ 138331 )
#8) Thermal Paste ( Any brand will do )
#9) Goo be Gone ( Adhesive remover )
#10) Rubbing Alcohol
#11) Q Tips
#12) Paper Towels
#13) Canned Air ( Optional )
#14) Screw/Washer organizer ( Optional )
#15) Packing Tape ( Optional )

The next step is to disassemble the XBOX 360. I will walk you through this step by step.

Step 1: Remove the faceplate of the 360.
Step 2: Remove the top
Step 3: Remove the bottom
Step 4: Unlatch the front
Step 5: Unlatch the back of the case
Step 6: Remove LED (Ring) Cover
Step 7: Remove LED display board
Step 8: Flip entire unit over
Step 9: Remove all screws on the outer edges ( Note: Either use a marker to note the long ones from the shorter ones, or make sure they are organized )
Step 10: Flip back over
Step 10: Unplug and remove disc drive from motherboard ( Its easier if you unplug them from the drive )
Step 11: Unlatch and remove white fan vent
Step 12: Unplug and remove the fan from the case
Step 11: Set motherboard on heat sinks
Step 12: Unscrew the 8 black screws in the center of the case
Step 10: Remove motherboard from the case
Step 12: Remove x-clamps ( Use small screwdriver to pry them off. Be careful not to gouge the board!!)
Step 13: Remove heat sinks

The next step is the actual "fix" portion of this:

Step 14: Use Q-tips and paper towels with Goo be Gone to remove thermal paste from heat sinks, CPU, and GPU
Step 15: Use Q-tips and rubbing alcohol to clean the surfaces
Step 16: Wipe surfaces with paper towels
Step 17: Repeat steps 14-16 until CPU and GPU are a mirror finish ( Note: The mirror finish is important, don't rush this process )
Step 18: Use Pliers and remove screw adapters from the bottom of the heat sinks
Step 19: Blow dust off motherboard and fan
Step 20: Use Drill bit and drill holes in case where the five black screws were
Step 21: Place machine screws through the bottom of the case
Step 22: Use a piece of Packing tape to secure screws ( Use one small piece per screw )
Step 23: Place 3 wave lock washers on screw and 1 nylon washer on top
Step 24: CAREFULLY place motherboard back in case ( If you scratch the board its useless )  ( CRUCIAL )
Step 25: Now place 1 nylon washer topped with 2 wave lock washers
Step 26: Place Thermal Paste on CPU ( Size of a piece of rice )
Step 27: Spread Thermal paste evenly
Step 28: Place either CPU or GPU Heatsink on ( One at a time )
Step 29: Hold heat sink in place and place case on long edge
Step 30: Remove one piece of tape at a time and begin screwing in the screws in an " X " pattern. Only screw in enough to hold the heat sinks in place and make good contact.
Step 31: Do the same for the other heatsink ( CPU or GPU )
Step 32: After both are screwed in, plug the LED panel back into the front
Step 33: Plug DVD Drive back into the board
Step 34: Plug the power cord and video cable in ( Component/HDMI/ AV etc.. )
Step 35: Power on the XBOX
Step 36: After you get the 3 red lights, allow the XBOX to overheat
Step 37: Power down and unplug the XBOX
Step 38: Screw in screws until they are " Snug "
Step 39: ALLOW XBOX TO COOL FOR 20 MINS!! ( CRUCIAL )
Step 40: Plug fan back in and reconnect vent shroud
Step 41: Plug all connectors back in and re-boot ( It should now boot to your dashboard!! )
Step 42: Re-assemble the XBOX
Step 43: Enjoy again!!

I will be posting pictures and video soon!! I will also be adding more posts for other XBOX issues. Please take the time to leave feedback so that I can improve this post for you.

Thanks for stopping by!!
Tango