I can tell you how to do it. But you will need two suction pads, ESD gloves, lint-free cloth and a very very clean work area. Some iKlear might be a good idea too.
By suction pads, I mean the sort of things used to carry panes of glass. You don't need the huge ones with the mechanical suction locks for moving 20 foot, toughened shop window panes, small ones are fine. The kind you just press down to get a good seal on.
Use these to lift off the glass panel. It comes off pretty easy. You then need a philips driver to remove the RAM access door, and a torx driver to remove the screws along the bottom which hold the front bezel in place. The bezel will then lift off, but it is tight fitting. Lift the bottom first and don't put pressure on the LCD to lever it.
You then need your torx driver again to remove the four screws holding the LCD in. Two on each side. There are two small ones holding the display cable to its socket.
Store the LCD and the glass somewhere as clean as possible. Apple supply bags for this purpose (to technicians), you will need an ESD bag for the LCD. Don't touch anything apart from the drive, the LCD and the glass unless you are properly earthed.
From there on, its fairly obvious. You will see how the HD is mounted, I think its a couple more torx screws and a clip arrangement. Just transfer the mounts and/or clip to the new drive and reassamble. Clean the LCD thoroughly before replacing the glass. Clean inside the glass too. Use a bright lamp to check for dust particles and hairs.
These machines are the best Intel iMacs to work on. The plastic ones have reams of black plastic and foil shielding which tears all over the place, gets in the way and doesn't stick back down very well when you reassemble. The camera and mic cables always p**s me off too. Plus the 17"s are pretty tightly packed.
If you don't know what I mean by ESD, you probably shouldn't attempt this. The only parts of these machines which Apple considers user-serviceable is RAM. Having said that, if you are careful and sensible, or better yet have experience, you won't struggle to do this without making it obvious you've been in there. Just be aware that if you have it serviced in future under warranty, the AASP would be within their rights to ask you to prove that your HD was fitted by an authorised tech, They won't do this unless you make a real mess as a rule. They do get paid to do repairs. Though they make more if they do it out of warranty. Only way to guarantee protection against this is to keep the original drive and reinstall it before service.
Good luck.
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