• Updated 2023-07-12: Hello, Guest! Welcome back, and be sure to check out this follow-up post about our outage a week or so ago.

John's SE #1 Rebuild

Johnnya101

Well-known member
Well folks, time for another rebuild thread.

Purchased this fine SE in that huge lot I posted about.

Absolutely disgusting. Covered in spider webs, grime, sticker residue, major burn in, dead bugs inside, dusty, stains, yellowed, etc.

It's an SE 800k 1MB 20SC... Originally. Upgraded to a 160 MB quantum drive (still works great suprisingly! Was it the quantums that are good quality?) And 4MB ram! No maxell bomb in this one. Swapped out the battery.

Did a smoke test. Bonged. Nothing on the screen. Then, suddenly, the whole thing was gray. Stayed that ways for a minute. Of course, now I know since it has lots of ram, that was the memory test. Whoever had it last adjusted the desktop to take up the entire screen. Got to order some tools to adjust it back now... Looks like a medium to high hour unit. Floppy drive inject won't work so couldn't test it (hmmm... Wonder who will have spares... Oh, that's right. :p ).

First of the SE restore series I'll be doing with all of my new SEs.

Some before photos...

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(Case not fully installed . Removed and checked some stuff and didn't bother screwing it back on)

 
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LaPorta

Well-known member
I got a good set of adjustment tools off Amazon a few months back...I’ll look up the link.

 

Johnnya101

Well-known member
That's fine, I found a few sets on eBay I've been wanting to order. Now I have a reason to get them.

 

SE30_Neal

Well-known member
Well folks, time for another rebuild thread.

Purchased this fine SE in that huge lot I posted about.

Absolutely disgusting. Covered in spider webs, grime, sticker residue, major burn in, dead bugs inside, dusty, stains, yellowed, etc.

It's an SE 800k 1MB 20SC... Originally. Upgraded to a 160 MB quantum drive (still works great suprisingly! Was it the quantums that are good quality?) And 4MB ram! No maxell bomb in this one. Swapped out the battery.

Did a smoke test. Bonged. Nothing on the screen. Then, suddenly, the whole thing was gray. Stayed that ways for a minute. Of course, now I know since it has lots of ram, that was the memory test. Whoever had it last adjusted the desktop to take up the entire screen. Got to order some tools to adjust it back now... Looks like a medium to high hour unit. Floppy drive inject won't work so couldn't test it (hmmm... Wonder who will have spares... Oh, that's right. :p ).

First of the SE restore series I'll be doing with all of my new SEs.

Some before photos...









(Case not fully installed . Removed and checked some stuff and didn't bother screwing it back on)
Hi Jonnya101, may i ask what tools you ordered to adjust the screen, i would love to  adjust mine but couldn’t work it out.

thanks,

neal

 

Crutch

Well-known member
I have found a whittled-down carryout chopstick (small end) works extremely well... :)

 

Johnnya101

Well-known member
Turned it on today to attempt to adjust the screen. Had the case off to adjust. Turned it on. Was greeted with a checkerboard. Turned it off, unplugged the hard drive (SO LOUD without the case) and turned it on. This time it booted to the ?. I was able to successfully adjust to the correct height, however, I just ruined my plastic screwdrivers trying to adjust the height screw. Looking from the inside side of the analog board, the height pot can only rotate around 260 degrees before hitting a solder joint. The height adjustment is all the way right, and still reaches the border. ???

Also, somewhat worrying find: With the case off and my ear close to the flyback, I hear a sizzling or crackling sound. Video is not affected, it's stable. Ideas? Is that normal for a flyback? No whining, just a faint sizzling when within a few inches of it and the case off.

 
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SE30_Neal

Well-known member
Mine sizzles and crackles as well Jonny. I’m not sure if that’s normal though i thought of resoldering the flyback this year just encase .Neal

 

Johnnya101

Well-known member
Might be due to the dust (In my case). Its covered in a thick layer of greasy dust. I put my ear next to my SE/30 flyback when I was adjusting that today and there was no noise.

Just listed this one for sale in my for sale thread. Ive already got a few computers in various states of repair, and have decided I dont need another. Need to sell some stuff to save up for that clear case for my SE/30!

 

SE30_Neal

Well-known member
Haha I really want the case too, if my wife gets a job soon then yes bring it on i’ll get one otherwise my money is just paying mortgage :(  we’ve only just relocated so not ideal timing. I do have a cd300i with caddy I’m thinking of selling and 1400 macbook. If that got me enough for the case that would be awesome 

 

LaPorta

Well-known member
As for a stuck potentiometer: you can try using a metal screwdriver with the power off, unplugged, and anode cap discharged. If it is still stuck, some of your favorite anti-freeze compound might help. I forget the way that the SE's look, but also, for instance, on a Plus, the hole accessible from the outside surface with plastic set was unmovable; I then tried it from the other side and it moved freely.

 

Johnnya101

Well-known member
I think I was just turning it the wrong way :O WHile I was adjusting my SE/30, I noticed that turning the way the AB says to turn it to make it wider, made it smaller. So I think its all opposite and I reached the end of vertical adjustment.

 

Johnnya101

Well-known member
Mission success. Screen correctly adjusted to fit burn in. I see that its ever so slightly rotated, however, the video fits the burn ins rotation so I suppose I will leave it there.

For your viewing pleasure.

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Ive narrowed down where the hiss is coming from: the anode cap. Does that mean dust and moisture, or a more serious issue? It is coated in a thick layer of greasy dust under the cover. Everything is gray from being coated in it.

 
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PotatoFi

Well-known member
How difficult/dangerous is it to correct a crooked screen? Mine is slightly crooked, but I'm a bit afraid to go after that problem for fear of damaging the machine or my body.

 
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