Chosen Solution
Sorry, gonna be a messy post because I don’t type well on devices. Anyways, just followed the posted guide on replacing the heatsink (specifically the paste) to see if that solved some performance issues I thought might be related to overheating. Things appear to have gone well, no ‘red flag’ moments that I’m aware of (not super experienced so I won’t say anything definitively). However, now it won’t power on. Battery indicator works. MagSafe shows green. Will not turn on. I would have expected it to boot up and crash if I’d installed the heatsink incorrectly, or for components not to work properly if I’d ripped a cable, but none of the work took place near the power button so I’m not sure what could have happened? Coincidence? Or is there something I need to check for damage (did a SMC reset already)? Thanks.
Keyboard ribbon cable was damaged during re-install process and that also prohibited the power button from working properly. Buying a new upper assembly and porting everything over solved the issue.
