I am having an INSANE amount of time attempting to remove retimer chips, but right now I'm working on an Xbox One X. I've got my 858D hot air station set to 450C, I've drowned it in about 4ML of flux, and I've even employed my Aixun iron simultaneously and it WILL NOT BUDGE. It's actually breaking apart. Last time I attempted a retimer chip, it was on a PS4 Pro, and I ended up breaking the chip apart and peeling the middle plate from the board. It was a no fix situation. What is going on?!?
Not sure about your hot air station but my no-name is set to 400°C. Ensure that the nozzle you'r using is as big as the component you want to remove. Check the distance between the nozzle and the component. In my case the optimal distance is roughly 3-5cm away from the object. Try to learn the best distance for you on a blob of solder somewhere of the board and see how long it takes to fully melt. When I remove Retimer I don't pull on the chip. I wait till I can move it by poking it. This way you don't damage the pads and the ic stays in one piece.
Ronny