Ok so i just got annoyed for the first time by Apple's "let's make our devices super hard to fix HAHAHAHAAAA" approach. 

i noticed my 2017 MBP was runnign really not. not really in terms of the actual temperature of the cpu, but just, it felt really hot to the touch. for context, my 2012 MBP running at 85 degrees feels as hot to the touch as my 2017 running at 55 degrees. 

so, it occured to me that i'd never opened it before. the lady that i got it from said that the almost never used it, and i believe her now. i opened it up and there was some dust, but it basically looked brand new, and since me cleaning it it's still feeling hot to the touch so i guess that's just because of the stupid "we need to make it thinner at all cost" motto apple uses nowadays. 

however, opening it was stupidly complicated. i'm used to 2012 and earlier machines, with those you unscrew everything on the bottom and then the cover pops right off. with this model you need to unscrew 6 screws, and then there are clips all along the case that you need to pop off. i had to get my dad to help me, because i couldn't do this on my own. 

you need to get a suction cup, lift up the panel and then get a guitar pick and use that to gently pry it up intil the clips pop open, that wasn't too hard, but it's also held in with clips on the hinge, so you need to lift op the other side and try to slide it forward. it was super scary to do and i couldn't have done it on my own. super stupid and really anooying.