Quicksilver Power Supply Recap

[obsolete]

I recapped a pair of Quicksilver G4 power supplies recently. Just the secondary side; everything south of the transformers. I left the rest alone. Unsurprisingly, some of the TEAPOs were bulging, but didn't appear to have started leaking yet. So far, the recap seems to have really helped the high-pitched whine/squeal that one of the supplies was making; oddly this was the cleaner one with the nicer-looking capacitors.

Since I couldn't find it anywhere else, here's a parts list. All dimensions are in mm, capacitance in uF:

RefDes	Capacitance	Voltage	Width	Height	Lead Spacing	Brand	Series	Replacement
C21	3300	10	10	30.5	5	TEAPO	SC	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/rubycon/10ZLQ3300MEFC10X25/6049998
C10	2200	16	13	25	5	TEAPO	SC	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/rubycon/25ZLQ2200MEFC12-5X25/6050010
C13	2200	6.3	10	24	5	Chemi-Con	LXZ	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/rubycon/6-3ZLH2200MEFC10X20/3134411
C16	2200	6.3	10	24	5	Chemi-Con	LXZ	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/rubycon/6-3ZLH2200MEFC10X20/3134411
C29	2200	6.3	10	24	5	Chemi-Con	LXZ	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/rubycon/6-3ZLH2200MEFC10X20/3134411
C35	560	35	10	24	5	Chemi-Con	LXZ	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/rubycon/35ZLH560MEFC10X20/3563818
C41	560	35	10	24	5	Chemi-Con	LXZ	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/rubycon/35ZLH560MEFC10X20/3563818
C7	100	50	8	11.5	5	TEAPO	SEK	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/rubycon/50ZLH100MEFCTA8X11-5/3568167
C43	100	25	6.5	11.5	5	Lelon	H101?	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/rubycon/35ZLH100MEFC6-3X11/3134256
C8	47	25	5	11.5	5	Lelon	H119?	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/rubycon/35ZLH47MEFC5X11/3134258
C53	47	25	5	11.5	5	Lelon	H119?	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/rubycon/35ZLH47MEFC5X11/3134258
C47	0.47	50	5	11.5	5	TEAPO	SEK	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/kemet/ESL474M063AC3AA/13176123

I strongly suggest removing the large heatsink; it really opens up room to work. It's just 12 pins to desolder, which is easy with braid since the board is single-sided, and two screws to remove.

 

[obsolete]

One of the supplies had this odd rework on the fan speed control board:

The positive leg of that capacitor has been replaced by a resistor, and the positive wire for the fan is attached there instead of at the fan connector where you'd expect it to be. I didn't include that cap in the list above, but it's 47uf, 16v, 8x13mm. It was a Chemi-Con on this supply, so I left it alone.

 

[obsolete]

Color code appears to be red black gold gold, so maybe 2 ohms 5%? I'll verify when I have it opened up again.

 

[MBongo]

Thanks @obsolete. I’ve had very good results when only replacing the first five caps noted in your list (all Teapo caps here in an AcBel QS PSU) even before obtaining an ESR meter afterwards to actually test them. Of the five caps pictured below, only C13 appears to not have domed like the other four. And without an ESR meter, the 20+ year-old Teapo capacitors are always suspect here… even (and perhaps especially) in MDD PSUs too.

Now however, I may go your “full route” and remove the heatsinks from two remaining “project” QS PSUs here and replace all capacitors noted on your entire list for a more complete recap. (When winter weather does drive me indoors for such projects.)

Thanks again!







And there’s also a related topic over on MacOS9Lives.com detailing more info on the QS AcBels:

AcBel PSU / Quicksilver

AcBel PSU / Quicksilver

macos9lives.com

 

[herd]

Thanks for posting your work! Those green caps look like the same bad ones I found in a DA power supply:

68kmla.org/bb/index.php?threads/a-digital-audio-restore-upgrade.50152/

Most of the little electrolytic caps were bad too, but the big/main 200v measured ok.

 

[obsolete]

Thanks guys. Here's where you need to desolder to remove the big heatsink (circled in red) and remove the two screws (circled in white):

I took the picture right after reassembling, so those pins haven't been resoldered yet. This is power supply #2, which had a green TEAPO on the fan board, like the one in your pictures, @MBongo. It was 470uF, 16V--I'm not sure if the blue Chemi-con on the other supply was different, or if I made a typo when I wrote 47uF above. I'll check when I have that one apart again; despite the partial recap, it still has a bit of a whine to it. I wonder if the whine is related to the fan board rework, or if I need to replace the rest of the Lelon caps on the primary side. Everything I removed tested good for capacitance, for what it's worth, even the one TEAPO that was bulging. I don't have an ESR meter, though.

 

[obsolete]

Just checked the two power supplies. This is #1, apparently it's Rev. B, date code looks like week 25 of 2001. This one has more Chemi-Con caps (as per the list in my first post) and has the funky fan control board rework.


This is #2, Rev. E, week 51 of 2001. So AcBel was going through a design revision every couple months during 2001 on this supply...nice. This one has more TEAPO caps, but has no hand rework and does not whine. The label has also added an Apple part number label (wasn't much of a mystery who Customer 290 was) and the current rating for the +25V standby rail has been increased.

 

[Jacques]

Thank you for the cap list. I've done 5 of the caps on the lower side of the heatsink. When I pop a different gfx card in my QS the power supply whines so I may go ahead and change all the caps...it's definitely the power supply. My unit is a Rev D

 

[obsolete]

Thanks Jacques! Good info. I wonder what makes the Rev E different, or if I'm just lucky with mine.

 

[obsolete]

Here's a parts list for the Rev. E fan control board. All dimensions are in mm, capacitance in uF:

RefDes	Capacitance	Voltage	Width	Height	Lead Spacing	Brand	Series	Replacement
C216	47	25	5	11.5	5	Lelon	H149?	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/rubycon/35ZLH47MEFC5X11/3134258
C210	33	35	5	11.5	5	Lelon	H149?	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/rubycon/35YXJ33M5X11/3134254
C203	0.47	50	5	11.5	5	Lelon	H149?	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/kemet/ESL474M063AC3AA/13176123
C208	0.47	50	5	11.5	5	Lelon	H149?	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/kemet/ESL474M063AC3AA/13176123
C211	0.47	50	5	11.5	5	Lelon	H149?	https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/kemet/ESL474M063AC3AA/13176123

 

[Jacques]

Remaining caps arrived today. £2.80 in parts cost...£12 in shipping! Will tackle the psu on the weekend.

 

[CC_333]

£2.80 in parts cost...£12 in shipping!

Gosh! Where did you order them from? The US?? £12 shipping for £2.80 in parts doesn't make any sense otherwise.

c

 

[Jacques]

I did! Digikey have a ‘UK’ redirection, but the parts still ship from the US. Having said that, I’ve used Mouser UK and RS components in the past and shipping was still quite expensive.

 

[Jacques]

All recapped, unfortunately my psu noise is still there, so I need to look further afield. At least it’s good now for a few more years.

 

[envirogeek]

This is useful for me @obsolete - your #1 power supply is exactly the same model and date code as what I see in my 2000 QS dual 800.

I've had it sitting in the basement unplugged for at least 15 years now. Started to do some fan mods on it ages ago, then ended up cannibalizing cards from it for other systems. Before I load it up again, I'll see if it starts up then check the caps.