mac classic with checkerboard problem

[gobabushka]

Ok, ive got a mac classic with a checkerboard problem. It will occasionally crash on startup, and ive cleaned the contacts on the rom chips and reseated them

 

[tomlee59]

Do a Forum search for "leaking electrolytic capacitors" and "dishwasher." That will get you pointed in the right direction.

 

[gobabushka]

right now, ive got it in a tupperware container with soapy water, im gonna let it sit overnight, shaking it occasionally, then run a tooth brush over it, and let it dry out. ive also got the ram simms, and the ram card in there.

 

[tomlee59]

I don't recommend leaving it immersed so long. It might very well be ok, but I don't have any direct experience to give me "that warm fuzzy feeling" that it is.

I would just give it a good thorough scrubbing, then rinse with distilled water (if available), and dry thoroughly as soon as possible.

 

[JDW]

I don't recommend leaving it immersed so long.

That's precisely why I've never even used a dishwasher, despite the many reports that say it works. I've always been afraid of water getting into places that it could not so easily escape from, even after a day of sunlight outdoors. There's just something about "water and electronics" that don't mix!

So what I've done is use Dehydrated Ethanol (99.8% pure). It takes more work than a dishwasher would, but I rest easier at night! Ethanol leaves no residue whatsoever and evaporates very quickly. Works great to clean up old SE/30 motherboards with spilled electrolytic capacitor fluid.

 

[tomlee59]

Gobabushka -- JDW probably has more experience with this procedure than anyone else here. He's consistently replaced all of the capacitors (unlike lazy ol' me), and has been rewarded with a high success rate. So if you really want to resurrect that Mac, pay more attention to his (archived) posts than to anyone else's.

 

[gobabushka]

yea thts probably wat ill do