-
Hello MLAers! We've re-enabled auto-approval for accounts. If you are still waiting on account approval, please check this thread for more information.
Apple Hard Disk 20SC Recapping - SONY CR-43 PSU
- Thread starter JDW
- Start date
Thank you for your kind words and the suggestion about the solder sucker.
Honestly, after many years of using cheap plastic mechanical pumps and even expensive all-metal electrical ones in the form of the soldering stations (all of which often get clogged and failed desolder at times), I found that a simple copper desoldering braid actually works best for me. I think It could be due to the fact I don’t squirt a lot of flux on the board but instead just use the flux added by my supplementary solder. As you see in my video, I add a small amount of fresh solder to the existing joint and then use the braid to desolder it. I do it that way because most people probably just have solder and a soldering iron and not other things like liquid flux. A copper braid is also very useful and important once the component has been desoldered because you will want to thoroughly clean off the pads before soldering in a replacement component.
My aim when making these videos is to do it in a way that is easy enough for most people to feel confident about doing it themselves, rather than paying somebody else to do it for them. With that said, if someone already has a desoldering station or a pump and not a wick, then I would suggest they give that a try, although they probably will be more successful if they also buy some liquid flux to add to the board when they desolder.
Honestly, after many years of using cheap plastic mechanical pumps and even expensive all-metal electrical ones in the form of the soldering stations (all of which often get clogged and failed desolder at times), I found that a simple copper desoldering braid actually works best for me. I think It could be due to the fact I don’t squirt a lot of flux on the board but instead just use the flux added by my supplementary solder. As you see in my video, I add a small amount of fresh solder to the existing joint and then use the braid to desolder it. I do it that way because most people probably just have solder and a soldering iron and not other things like liquid flux. A copper braid is also very useful and important once the component has been desoldered because you will want to thoroughly clean off the pads before soldering in a replacement component.
My aim when making these videos is to do it in a way that is easy enough for most people to feel confident about doing it themselves, rather than paying somebody else to do it for them. With that said, if someone already has a desoldering station or a pump and not a wick, then I would suggest they give that a try, although they probably will be more successful if they also buy some liquid flux to add to the board when they desolder.
@JDW You have to try this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068IJSG/
Get some extra nozzles as well as they only last for maybe 10 recaps (but they are cheap). I know you said you like the desoldering using braid, but I bought this and never looked back. It's too big for removing through-hole caps on logic boards, but for analog boards (including what you did), it does a cleaner job in about 1/10 the time. I can remove all of the caps from a Plus analog board leaving perfectly clean holes in about 5-10 minutes.
I had looked at getting a Hakko vacuum desoldering gun but I think this is better - It never clogs as you just squeeze out the sucked up solder. I first go around and add some flux to all of the joints I'm going to remove and then it's literally 5 seconds per capacitor leg.
Get some extra nozzles as well as they only last for maybe 10 recaps (but they are cheap). I know you said you like the desoldering using braid, but I bought this and never looked back. It's too big for removing through-hole caps on logic boards, but for analog boards (including what you did), it does a cleaner job in about 1/10 the time. I can remove all of the caps from a Plus analog board leaving perfectly clean holes in about 5-10 minutes.
I had looked at getting a Hakko vacuum desoldering gun but I think this is better - It never clogs as you just squeeze out the sucked up solder. I first go around and add some flux to all of the joints I'm going to remove and then it's literally 5 seconds per capacitor leg.
Thank you for the low cost suggestion.
I actually have one of these $500 temperature controlled desoldering stations already:
http://www.goot.jp/en/suitori-rework/tp-200as/
I just never use it because I like the wick better. Perhaps the red rubber bulb is better than a motorized sucker.
I actually have one of these $500 temperature controlled desoldering stations already:
http://www.goot.jp/en/suitori-rework/tp-200as/
I just never use it because I like the wick better. Perhaps the red rubber bulb is better than a motorized sucker.
Yes, I mention in the video and in the text description that my recommended capacitor for C214 is included in my Mouser Cart, which is also mentioned in the text description. That Cornell cap has the lowest ESR of the 3 caps which do not have the 1kHz audible beep problem at power-on, and it also beats the Illinois cap because the Cornell is rated for 105°C.
Thanks. Take it slow so you don't crack the plastic tabs shown in my video. And after opening, if you find you have a 5.25" drive (loud and slow, and probably not reliable anymore either), you can swap that out for a more modern 3.5" drive, but it will need to be SCSI. You could opt for a SCIS2SD too, although why you'd want it in such a large case is anyone's guess. But I believe SCSI2SD can use power from the SCSI connector, eliminating the need for the power supply inside the 20SC. Anyway, let me know how it goes!
Too late! I was having real trouble with the back fan one so I went around and loosened the others - by the time I got the fan one out I forgot to check the others and the front left one snapped when I was lifting it up. Stupidly careless of me considering I paid too much for this thing. I used to have a tool for opening Xbox 360s that would have worked a treat with this but I must have thrown it out.
I'm going to try and repair the drive, if not I might stick my SCSI2SD in there or try and find a cheap replacement.
Last edited by a moderator:
Sorry to hear about the broken tab. Except for that fundamental design flaw, it's really a great external HDD enclosure.
Look like you have a Miniscribe 5.25" drive in there -- small, slow, loud and now unreliable. There are still some 3.5" 50pin replacements sold on EBAY and other places around the net like MacPalace:
https://www.macpalace.com/st34572n-seagate-st34572n-43gb-7200-rpm-ultra-scsi-35-inch-low-profile-10-inch-hard-disk-drive.html
I have a 4.5GB IBM DGHS in my enclosure, partitioned so I can use it even with System 6. System Picker let's me switch from 6.0.8 to 7.1 to 7.5.5 (even 7.6 and OS 8.1 with the appropriate ROM). I prefer to keep my drive inside the HD20SC rather than inside my SE/30 to reduce heat and power consumption in the SE/30.
I managed to score an SE30 for the same price as the HD20 a few days ago and it's listed as having a 250mb drive. So when it arrives I'll see the condition of the drive and put it in the HD20 if it's all good and put my SCSI2SD in the SE30.
Anyway I'm going to try the oil the MiniScribe to see if I can at least get it to read, I always get a kick at looking at what kind of data is on these old things.
Similar threads
