Whats the best way to clean a mac classic logic board?

[Blake]

Well, i knew it was un- avoidable but my Mac classic has finally died it just shows white stripes now. I opend up my computer got to the logic board and yes it was leaky capacitors. I just need to know the best way to clean it off some people say to use a dishwasher some other people say with water but I don't know the best way could someone help me find the best way to clean my Mac classic

 

[LaPorta]

If it is only spot areas, then 91% isopropyl alcohol with q-tips is a good way to go. If leads and solder are all green, I’ve had success with scraping an area so it is bare metal (for thermal conductance), coat it with a small amount of flux, then heat and let the flux cook off the crud. Usually that displaces it to the side of the lead, making the joint shiny again. Then you can mop

up the crud with the q-tip and alcohol.

 

[Johnnya101]

Don't risk just cleaning it.

Send it out and have it all cleaned and new caps installed. Will probably only cost around $50.

 

[LaPorta]

I was implying replacing all caps, then if there are any areas that don’t look that great, redoing the solder could help.

 

[dochilli]

Recap the board. Cleaning with isopropyl alcohol or with a dishwasher will only help for a short time. The caps will leak again!

More important is to remove the battery. If it explodes there will be more damages of the logic board.

 

[Paralel]

Dishwasher, NO SOAP, lower rack, warm (NOT Hot), full cycle, non-heated drying cycle. Let airdry for a week. (DO NOT do this if you have hard water that is not conditioned, the ionic reaction with hard water can be catastrophic for a logic board)

Thoroughly douse or submerge board in IPA, soft bristle toothbrush on parts that are obviously corroded (don't scrub like a maniac), blow dryer on COOL setting only, then let sit at least 24 hours (better if 72 hours).

Those are the two methods I've used with a 100% success rate.

I also agree with the above posters. If it has actually goes stupid, recap it, just cleaning is no longer enough. Cleaning is meant to help before it gets this bad, not after, or to try and get a sign of life from a system that starts out full-stupid.

 

[Dog Cow]

Let airdry for a week.

You can put the board on a floor register in your home and turn on the furnace & fan.

Or fling out the water, then just leave the board out to drip dry, upside-down, overnight.

 

[Blake]

Well Ive never done soldering work so ill have to buy a sauter iron. It really dosent seem that trickey tough so hopefully ill be able to recap this board in the next month or so. i just wanted to clean it so it didnt get worse in the mean time while im wating for my parts i know i have to replace them

 

[Daniël]

If you haven't soldered much or at all, I highly, highly recommend practicing on unimportant stuff before cracking into your Mac. I had a lot of "fun" fixing up one of my SE/30s that I jumped in on way too quick and messed things up on. It works, but it could have been much more neater if I didn't overestimate myself!

 

[Paralel]

Very wise council

 

[Blake]

Well i just picked up a 1981 ge "flip clock" at the good will and the radio in it seems to be dead so ill pratice on that. Oh and just a quick follow up i poped the logic board back im my macintosh and it turned on, yeay!