Macintosh SE: What Should Be Recapped?

[Reasons.]

Hello, all.

I just purchased a (fully functional) Mac SE for myself, and I was wondering what's typically recommended in terms of a recap on those. Obviously the battery should be replaced, but I've seen conflicting information about what boards should get recapped. What would you guys recommend? Additionally, I was curious what you guys thought would be a good price if I was looking at paying someone else to do it for me? I'm serviceable with a soldering iron, but not so much that I feel comfortable doing a job like this on my own. Thanks for your help!

 

[Macdrone]

SE uses radials, so until it stops working in some fashion, or you smell a fishy smell leave welll enough alone.  SE's are really simple, the analog board has some through hole radials that can be a pain for the first few.  I would do it myself if I were you.

 

[Reasons.]

So is your suggestion just to leave it unless something goes wrong? That's great on my end (saving time and money is nice), but I just wanted to make sure I had you right.

 

[CC_333]

Pretty much. The only things on an SE that are worth worrying about at this point are the disk drives (both the floppy and hard drive) and the analog board/PSU capacitors, and that's only if there's something wrong with them.

As the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

c

 

[Unknown_K]

That is what I do, leave them alone. I have a couple SE30's and 3 SE's and they are trouble free (after some adjustments to the screen using those plastic tools).

The most problematic machines I have with respect to bad capacitors and Imac G5's, 840AV, LC III, Mac IIx. I also recapped a Classic II I sold off ages ago.

Recapped a bunch of PC motherboards as well .

 

[Macdrone]

Well the SE/30's need battery removed and by now the motherboard caps need replaced so they dont cause rot on the traces.  I have one now thats I have to try and figure out.

 

[Floofies]

Definitely at least remove the PRAM battery. Also, you may not even know that your caps are leaking, as it can hide under the caps or other components (especially the PSU caps!). Eventually that goo is going to cause damage... so in this case, "saving time and money" would be replacing them before they leak everywhere (if they haven't already). Just my 2 cents.

 

[BadGoldEagle]

Yes I agree with Floofies. You should remove the battery.

There are two battery types with SEs. Some are soldered on the motherboard while others sit in a little box. 

Interestingly enough, I have never heard anyone complain about a soldered-type battery explosion yet. But those in that back box are the dangerous ones! If your SE is equipped with the latter, remove it immediately ! You can find replacements on the net easily. Google is your friend.

If it works, leave the caps alone for now. The caps on the SE Analog Board and PSU will have to replaced at some point but apparently their time hasn't come yet.

 

[Reasons.]

Okay, cool! Thanks for your advice. I'd like to not lose this to something avoidable, so the help is appreciated.

 

[uniserver]

you could do the psu, as i bet money you have leakers in the psu.

the ab could also be done as well.

The radials on the mb could probably wait.  they are probably severely degraded... but as long as they are not leaking should be fine (for the moment) with the mb.

but those PSU's and Specifically the 3.9uf c15 cap on the ab is a big issue with all se.models.  Some SE psu's are worse then others... i find the sony ones are better..  but the Apple Version, made in S'pore... is basically a cheap copy/variant of the sony psu...  Both the Sony and the Apple version will need a re-cap... but the Apple one might need it worse,  some of those are just as nasty to open up and service as the IIsi psu's always are... 

 

[yamaha94]

I have an original macintosh SE that I have not recapped. It works perfectly. None of the Capacitors are bloated or leaking. Like most of the posters suggest, don't change a thing until you need to. When my PRAM battery went; I changed it. I suggest Clean the contacts on your memory. I used to get vertical lines and they would periodically disappear and come back occasionally. Cleaning the ends of the memory with detoxit electronic contact cleaner did the trick for me and they have not come back.