I have a Mac Mini a1347 computer. Inside the Mac, stuck to the hard drive is black tape to secure the thermal sensors. I have two questions about the thermal sensors and black tape.
1. If the sensors came loose, what I can use to seal the sensor to the hard drive?
2. What type of black tape is used inside the Mac Mini to secure the thermal sensor cable? Where can I buy this type of tape?
Thanks.
Mac mini, macOS Sierra (10.12.4)
I never had any problem replacing that tape with regular black electrical tape.
I use it to hold the HDD sensors and cables in place.
Then I use narrow strips of it on the SATA connecter and along the edges of the black HDD covering to help them from coming loose during installation.
iCare wrote:
Although electrical tape will hold temporarily I doubt that it will be a good long term solution.
That is not necessarily true.
3M Electrical Tape is rated to 220 F, which is far more than any HDD will ever with-stand.
FWIW, I used regular black tape on my 2010 Mac Mini's HDD as described above way back in 2011. Last year I opened her up for a SSD upgrade and the tape was still as fresh as the day I put it on.
So, thermal paste will help to reapply the thermal sensor to the hard drives? Any particular type of thermal paste or any will do? In terms of the tape, sometimes you can reapply the tape but it lacks the stickiness. What type of black tape can I use inside the computer around the hard drive area?
Although electrical tape will hold temporarily I doubt that it will be a good long term solution. You may want to consider purchasing some Kapton high temperature tape. Although most of the Kapton tape sold to the public is shiny brownish/orange color, a google search showed that Dupont does make a black version too.
If you search for "thermal paste" you'll end up finding what you need.
The advantage of using paste over electrical tape is that the paste will transfer heat without any air gaps, so the temperature reading will be accurate.
Search Amazon or eBay for "thermal paste."
Before buying, though, check if you can just reapply the sensor. The "tape" should not have dried up.
Sticky Black Tape
