NES Motherboard repair

forsjc27forsjc27
in Help Wanted!
Just found my moms old NES in the attic, had to get it working again.



So i took it apart and removed any dust and cleaned the 72 pin connector with rubbing alcohol.



Then i got to the motherbaord connections and i did somehting i hope i will not regret, i used sandpaper to clean up the dirt and grime that had accumulated on it. Was this a terrible idea??? Looking back i feel sandpaper was way too agressive for the job at hand. 



It worked, before the clean none of the games i had worked and now most do. I have to clean them first and give it a few tries before they work, and sometimes they freeze. 



What makes me nervous is that i feel that the games should work better than they are after the cleaning, and that the sandpaper is the contributiing factor to this restricted improvement. 





Any information on this will help, whether it be good or bad.



Thanks

Comments

  • GuntzGuntz
    Sandpaper can physically reduce the thickness of the NES motherboard's edge connector, so yeah that can be bad. How hard were you scrubbing away?



    What you really need to do is use isopropyl alcohol and either q-tips or paper towel to wipe the motherboard connector. You'd be shocked how black the paper towel/cotton gets from doing that.
  • forsjc27forsjc27
    There is a silver finish on the connectors and i scrubbed just enough to start scratching those. That when i thought that i was doing something incredibly stupid and stopped. Then cleaned up with the alcohol and a non-lint cloth, the cloth did get extremely black. The damage to the connectors was noticeable but not severe.



    And it seems like i have done something incredibly stupid. Is there any way to repair these connectors?
  • GuntzGuntz
    Okay so they're just scratched looking rather than relatively untouched. Frankly, the average 72 pin connector is so ridiculously tight on the motherboard connector, I doubt even buffing with 150 grit sandpaper would do much harm. Just make sure the motherboard connector, 72 pin connector and all your games are clean.



    Also, if you have a new ninja grip connector, don't push the games down. Doing that wears out the connector really fast, especially these new ones.
  • Nes FreakNes Freak
    i on occasion use 0000 fine steel wool to clean a mother board connector. rust spot really causes issue if they are on there and not cleaned. as for sand paper i wouldn't recommend it it too harsh unless you have like 3000 grit or more
  • forsjc27forsjc27
    ok, so what i did was not ideal, but not all that bad. And yes, i cleaned the all the connectors and i clean all games before i put them in my newly cleaned console. Also, i got Contra working which is awesome.



    In hindsight fine steel wool seems like a perfect tool for this particular job.



    Thanks for calming my nerves and helping me learn.



    Cheers
  • captainolimarcaptainolimar
    I replaced my pins in my NES and mostly the games wont work when I press down the bar, so I just leave them in the up position and they work fine so don't worry too much you should be fine!
  • BrolejnikBrolejnik
    I believe I should post here...



    I bought a new 72 pin connector to replace my old one, but when I took off the old 72 pin connector the "teeth" on the motherboard that connect the 72 pin have some damage on them. (the silver has been worn out and I can see little bits of the green underneath now). Is there a way to re-tin the connections or is the board now scrap?
  • MuNKeYMuNKeY
    Try cleaning the pins with brasso and try the new 72 pin again and see if it has improved any.
  • 85collector85collector

    Originally posted by: Brolejnik



    I believe I should post here...



    I bought a new 72 pin connector to replace my old one, but when I took off the old 72 pin connector the "teeth" on the motherboard that connect the 72 pin have some damage on them. (the silver has been worn out and I can see little bits of the green underneath now). Is there a way to re-tin the connections or is the board now scrap?



    There are conductive ink pens, which the ink conducts electricity and that can possibly restore a worn connector. You can even spread some solder very thinly over the worn connectors. Usually this will wear off, but since the pin connector barely ever gets taken off, a repair like that would probably last a long time. Now that's if it even is damaged - have you tried it with the new connector yet?


  • smokinjoe24smokinjoe24
    Hmmm...this may be the answer to my thread from earlier. I don't recall rust but I'll check them out.
  • BrolejnikBrolejnik

    Originally posted by: 85collector




    Originally posted by: Brolejnik



    I believe I should post here...



    I bought a new 72 pin connector to replace my old one, but when I took off the old 72 pin connector the "teeth" on the motherboard that connect the 72 pin have some damage on them. (the silver has been worn out and I can see little bits of the green underneath now). Is there a way to re-tin the connections or is the board now scrap?



    There are conductive ink pens, which the ink conducts electricity and that can possibly restore a worn connector. You can even spread some solder very thinly over the worn connectors. Usually this will wear off, but since the pin connector barely ever gets taken off, a repair like that would probably last a long time. Now that's if it even is damaged - have you tried it with the new connector yet?

     



    Trying the system with the new 72 pin connector did nothing different. I am ordering a conductive pen becuase that seems useful and awesome. Thanks for the ideas. I'll post results. 


Sign In or Register to comment.