68kMLA Classic Interface

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Mac IIfx Restoration Issues
Posted by: croissantking on 2023-09-07 14:47:36 i've never desoldered a plcc chip like this with the pins bent under, so that should be fun. I have a hotair station but no end that fits around the chip as i've seen in a few videos... anyone have suggestions on how to make the process easier? ChipQuik. It makes it very, very easy to remove with just a soldering iron. Otherwise, add flux all around the edge of the chip, and gently heat it up with hot air, after a while it will come loose.
Posted by: Unknown_K on 2023-09-07 16:55:36 I just used ChipQuik (came from Amazon in long sticks) and it does work easy enough.
Posted by: GRudolf94 on 2023-09-07 17:14:19 You can buy SWIMs still, I think - I would ask around the forum before cannibalizing a board (especially if the board is intact and it's just the case that's bad). As for the RF shield: it's really there to keep the FCC happy, so I wouldn't worry too much either way. If it's not rusty, it stays in. If it is, I'll typically either treat it, or junk if too far gone.
Posted by: jmacz on 2023-09-07 19:38:33 Looks like the SWIM chip is dead. I checked continuity from the floppy connector to all the should-be-connected pins on the chip and they all look good. So i'm going to try to pull a replacement off a IIci I have with a completely hosed case. Looks like getting case parts will be almost as expensive as getting a new complete unit so I might as well use it for other things. In the mean time, i've never desoldered a plcc chip like this with the pins bent under, so that should be fun. I have a hotair station but no end that fits around the chip as i've seen in a few videos... anyone have suggestions on how to make the process easier? Wasn't fun when I had to take an AD ramdac off a video card a few months back, plcc package. I first used flux and a wick to take off as much solder as I could. Then I put tin foil held down with kapton tape on all the surrounding parts, put some more flux on all four sides, and then used my hotair station, moving in a square pattern on the legs. I had a glove on and kept nudging the chip with tweezers until I saw some movement and then lifted it off. I'm sure others have a better technique though. As for the IIci, what case parts are you looking for?
Posted by: NeutralStraw on 2023-09-08 11:00:24 Ended up putting lots of flux around the outside, then using an iron with a high surface area tip with solder wick all around the outside. Then I took the tip off the hotair rework station off and put a very small pick/wedge in the corner. After heating it for a bit around each side and then over the top, it came off fairly easily. I was surprised how easily, actually. For the second one I skipped the solderwick and just heated it with hot air. It took a bit longer, but was just about as easy. New one doesn't seem to be working though. I have another floppyemu coming in so I guess i'll wait until it shows up to keep testing. Don't feel too bad about the IIci getting sacrified. When I took a good look at it it had fairly extensive battery damage that I am nowhere near ready to tackle, so at least it's not getting tossed. It also had an ethernet card and a 630-0400 Macintosh Display Adapter with populated simms I had completely forgotten about... So that should be good enough to get a higher res and 24(?)bit color with 0 investment. I think I need an adapter for the ethernet though. Looks like 10Base-T and... aui?
Posted by: NeutralStraw on 2023-09-08 11:07:28 Wasn't fun when I had to take an AD ramdac off a video card a few months back, plcc package. I first used flux and a wick to take off as much solder as I could. Then I put tin foil held down with kapton tape on all the surrounding parts, put some more flux on all four sides, and then used my hotair station, moving in a square pattern on the legs. I had a glove on and kept nudging the chip with tweezers until I saw some movement and then lifted it off. I'm sure others have a better technique though. As for the IIci, what case parts are you looking for? I need a case top primarily. I think everything else is there. Looks like the IIcx, IIci and Quadra 700 will all fit. Couldn't find one on ebay last time I went looking.
Posted by: jmacz on 2023-09-08 13:29:34 I need a case top primarily. I think everything else is there. Looks like the IIcx, IIci and Quadra 700 will all fit. Couldn't find one on ebay last time I went looking. I have two cases (top and bottom with led pipes) and one of the two has the drive holder also. I don’t mind discussing just the top from one of the two if you need one.
Posted by: Phipli on 2023-09-08 13:38:36 Also... is there any good reason to keep the RF cage inside the case at this point? Is there a reason to remove it?
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