PowerBook 520 recapping or not?

[toples50]

I have a PowerBook 520c which works fine except floppy.Have to recap or not the computer?Also where can I find replacement for internal floppy drive.Does not read all the disks.

 

[toples50]

Also the access panel cover has broken...

 

[superjer2000]

Resurrecting this thread.  Has anybody taken apart a 520c?  I have one as well and finally recapped my AC adapter and started to play around with it.  Seems like a solid machine and I was really impressed with the screen in that it had no trouble keeping up with CrystalQuest (esp. as I think it's passive matrix).

If it's all ceramics and tantalums inside, I'd rather not pull it apart esp. as I understand the plastics are delicate.  That being said, I know all of my PB 1xx and my Duo 230 had really leaky (goo, not capacitance) electrolytics on the LCD board.

 

[Crutch]

I’ve taken apart 540c’s and 550c’s and never had an issue. Didn’t think the plastics were particularly delicate actually. They’re fairly easy to disassemble. 

 

[superjer2000]

From the site below - it looks like maybe just one cap to worry about.  I think the caps on the battery bay board and the other purple ones on the inverter board are the OSCON solid polymer caps.  There is a green cap though that looks similar to what was on my 160 which was not polymer and was leaking electrolyte.  It actually doesn't look too bad to get into the screen.  

The rest of the caps all seem to be tants.

https://bilgisayarlarim.com/Apple/Powerbook_520c/index.html

 

[superjer2000]

I’ve taken apart 540c’s and 550c’s and never had an issue. Didn’t think the plastics were particularly delicate actually. They’re fairly easy to disassemble. 

That's good feedback.  I thought people were talking about the hinge assembly breaking off from the screen which is where I got the idea that they were fragile.  In I go I guess.

 

[CC_333]

I thought people were talking about the hinge assembly breaking off from the screen which is where I got the idea that they were fragile

This can and does happen (it's the same tiresome problem most other 1x0 series PowerBooks have, where the posts securing the screw bosses for the hinges crumble away).  It's happened to me a handful of times, so be extremely gentle with the screws holding the hinges on, and you *should* be OK.  If not, the same fixes for the other machines apply (epoxy, through-hole bolts, etc).

Also, the clips that hold that center hinge cover in place (the thing with the little slit for the microphone in the top center) like to break off, leaving the piece unable to stay in place, so be careful with those too.

Good luck!

c