Fix your NES, once and for all!

[Jagasian]

The toaster NES is the ideal system for playing NES games. For many years, unlicensed/pirate clones of the Famicom and NES have been made, and only recently have they caught on as a means of "replacing" your broken NES. A much better solution is to fix your broken NES. The end result is much nicer, trust me. Everyone of your NES games will work, with perfect audio and video. No game incompatibilties, no off tune sounds, no off colors, no missing sounds, and no messed up glitches. Just pure NES fun as you remember it back it in the 80s and early 90s. Every game cart will boot the first time you insert it into the system and power it on!

 

Below is the method that I use to fix my toaster NES systems. Yes, I have several. People tend to part with their toaster NES systems because they think they are broken, when all they need is some maintenance after 20 years of service. Anyway, this method is sure to make your NES as good as it was when you first got it new back in the 1980s. It takes time and patience, but if done right, you should only have to do this once every 5 to 10 years.

 

A few notes on the supplies that I use. First note that I do not use a replacement 72-pin connector. The unlicensed, non-Nintendo 72-pin connector replacement parts are known to be of poor quality and they are extremely tight, making game cart insertion and removal difficult. They also tend to break easily. The original 72-pin connector is the ideal choice, assuming it has been restored, which is what my method aims at: return your official connector to the perfect working condition that it was originally in when your NES was new.

 

The three main ingredients that I use are...

1. WD40: found in any hardware store in a spray can

2. 99% pure anhydrous isopropyl alcohol: can be ordered off of the web, it is rubbing alcohol without any water in it. It is cheap, so it is worth going through the trouble to buy a larger bottle, which should last a life time, for game maintenance at least.

3. Stabilant 22: can be ordered off of the web. It is expensive, but it is the magic ingredient for AV electronics. It is a contact enhancer used in computers, AV equipment, and even automobiles. It prevents contacts from corroding, and it also improves the electrical connection. Some people call it liquid solder.

 

Now for the steps on fixing your NES. Please use Google to search for details on the specifics of some of these steps, such as disabling the lockout chip, disassembling the NES, and bending the pins of the 72-pin connector.

 

0. Disassemble your NES and use a can of compressed air to blow the dust off of everything, and use warm water, hand dish washing soap, and a sponge to hand wash the plastic outer shell of the system. Be very careful with the stickers on the bottom half. If it isn't dirty, you can skip this. I typically just wash the top half, which tends to get real dirty. Use your kitchen sink's spray hose gun to jet rinse everything. Then towel it dry.

 

1. Disable the lockout chip.

 

2. Place the 72-pin connector in a bowl filled with WD40. One full can of WD40 should be enough. Make sure that the entire 72-pin connector is covered. Let it soak for 24 hours.

 

3. Meanwhile, use dampen a white paper towel with WD40 and wipe down the two metal shielding pieces, as well as the metal parts of the AV and power module on the NES mother board. Wipe in the WD40 and repeat over and over again until the components are clean and shiney. Never use too much WD40, as you don't want to get any of it on the circuit board parts. Use a clean, dry paper towel to wipe off all excess WD40 from the components you just treated. Use another paper towel, this time dampened in 99% pure anhydrous isopropyl alcohol to wipe clean the metal parts. Use enough alcohol and enough paper towels until the metal components are no longer greasy.

 

4. Use another paperl towel soaked in 99% pure anhydrous isopropyl alcohol and wipe the contacts on the mother board that connect to the 72-pin connector. Do NOT use WD40 on the mother board or its contacts. Repeat cleaning the contacts until no more grime comes off. You can also use q-tips dipped in the alcohol to brush clean the contacts.

 

5. Once the 72-pin connector is done soaking, remove it from the bowl and dry it off using paper towels. Next, pour the pure alcohol over the 72-pin connector and then dry with paper towels, repeating until all WD40 residue is removed.

 

6. Cover an old credit card with a layer of paper towel, trimmed to fit nicely, and moisten the paper towel with pure alcohol. Then insert it into the 72-pin connector as if it were a game cart. Repeat multiple times for both ends of the connector, until the pins are nice and clean. Use a bright light to see grime built up on the game cart end of the connector. Replace the paper towel once it becomes too dirty or when it starts to break apart. Be careful not to let pieces of paper towel come loose inside the connector.

 

7. Rinse the 72-pin connector again with pure alcohol, towel dry, and then use a can of compressed air to remove any dust or lint that gets on the connector due to the towels.

 

8. Using a clean, very small flat head screw driver, bend each pin on the game cart end of the connector up by a milimeter. You can bend them up more, if you like, but don't get carried away, as you can damage the connector. Also, the more you bend them up, the tighter the connection will be when putting a game into the system. A milimeter of bending is all that is needed to get a nice balance between easy game insertion and removal, along with zero problems getting a game to run. Your flat head screw driver should be small enough to fit the head vertically alongside a pin, between the metal of the pin and the plastic spacer to the right hand side of the pin. Slide the screw driver's head under the pin by rotating the screw driver a very slight bit in the clockwise direction (holding the 72-pin connector in the position that it would be in when inserted in the system). The more you rotate the screw driver, the more you will be bending the pin upward. Remember, just a milimeter of bending is all that is needed. Too much will make your connector too tight.

 

9. Place a nice even layer of Stabilant 22 on the mother board's contacts, on both sides, and also squirt it into the cable plugs that attach to the mother board for the power/reset buttons and controller ports.

 

10. Reassemble the system.

 

11. Take a clean game cart and squirt an ample amount of Stabilant 22 on its contacts. Then place it in and out of the cart port, so as to help apply Stabilant 22 to the actual 72-pin connector.

 

12. Before attaching your RCA AV cables, cover the AV ports on the NES with Stabilant 22. Also cover the male part of the RCA cables with Stabilant 22, and then insert the cables into and out of the AV ports, so as to help apply Stabilant 22 inside the AV ports.

 

13. Regularly clean all of your game cart contacts using q-tips dipped in pure alcohol. Keep your carts in sleeves and in storage when not playing them. Try to score an official NES system cover off of Ebay, to keep dust off of your NES system when not playing it. I keep my system covered even when I am playing it. It isn't like the NES overheats or anything.

[AtariAger]

[figgler]

 

 

what?

[omne]

How do you get rid of all the WD40 residue? Oh right.

 

 

Next, pour the pure alcohol over the 72-pin connector and then dry with paper towels, repeating until all WD40 residue is removed.

 

You can't stress that strongly enough. Better yet, soak the whole pin in a couple of alcohol baths to get it all, rinsing it numerous times.

 

What kind of track record does your method have? How many systems? Length of use? Frequency of use? Fail rate? Longevity in testing? Your "Once and for all" claim is quite impressive. I'm impressed.

 

I warranty OSG refurbed systems for as long as 1 year (new Xboxes and PS2's come with 90 days by comparison), but I'm not so sure I'd be comfortable calling OSG's method a fix to last 'forever'. Of course though, I'm picky.

 

OSG refurbs feature original Nintendo brand 72 pin installations, though not the same pin that was in the system originally. OSG uses a custom method of restoration, that is has been arrived at over the course of five years of NES refurbishing, warranteeing and standing behind systems. Data collected, experience earned, and computer tracking of warranty claims and so on. Over time, I feel I've perfected an NES refurbishing method that I am comfortable with. It is time consuming though. So time consuming that it is impossible to turn a profit selling the connectors, so OSG does NES deck refurbs only, no parts resell. Your method is fascinating, but wholly different. And highly flammable.

 

Sorry, but I've put too much time and research in my method to divulge it on the net at this point. Kudos to Jagasian for his thoughtful contribution to the community. I'm a bit concerned about his claim of it being a permanent fix, what with the connector soaked in WD40 for reasons I don't quite fathom.

 

Examples of OEM's and others warning against the use of WD40 (short term gain = long term pain)

 

Master Locks warranty warning

 

A description of why WD40 tends to be a temporary fix in many cases

 

More warnings in regards to locks, and what happens over time

 

Cautions use in electrical contact situations

 

So, once again, kudos to Jagasian for sharing his experience. If you get all that WD40 off (Good God you better), and don't break your connector with all the bending, you may be able to reproduce Jags claimed 'once and for all' fix.

 

I look forward to hearing the long term results, and wish success to all who decide to try it. I have my doubts about Jagasian claim of a 'once and for all fix' that uses WD40, but research goes on. Maybe with your personal NES!

 

 

OSG will refurbish an NES, detail clean it inside and out, disable it's lockout chip, warranty it, and NTF2 diagnostic cartridge test it for $25USD, plus actual ship charges. Not as satisfying as making it work by yourself, to be sure.

 

More working NES's in the world is a great thing. Nothing beats the satisfaction of DIY'ing it if you can. It does break my heart to see a system butchered in a repair attempt (I see a lot of that), but, like Jagasian's contribution, good intentions are worth something I'm sure.

 

 

Report your results people, and kudos to Jag for sharing!

Edited January 31, 2006 by omne

[JB]

Your method is fascinating, but wholly different. And highly flammable. 

Fire's fun, though.

 

 

Examples of OEM's warning against the use of WD40 (short term gain = long term pain)

 

Master Locks warranty warning

 

A description of why WD40 tends to be a temporary fix in many cases

 

More warnings in regards to locks, and what happens over time

 

Cautions use in electrical contact situations

I was going to say only hte 5th one was related, as it dealt with electrical connections, but then I realized that ALL of them emphasize WD40 "glues" dust down.

 

I swear, that's the single most abused substance in all of chemistry.

I've got no idea why people think it makes a good lubricant, cleaning solution, or anything else.

 

 

 

More working NES's in the world is a great thing. Nothing beats the satisfaction of DIY'ing it if you can. It does break my heart to see a system butchered in a repair attempt (I see a lot of that), but, like Jagasian's contribution, good intentions are worth something I'm sure.

Doing it yourself is DEFINITELY satisfying.

 

 

My NES hasn't ahd anything very elaborate done. Bent the pins back in, plucked out a piece of cardboard(How that got wedged in the connector I'll never know), and scrubbed the pins with a generic cleaning kit wand(which in turn had to be cleaned repeatedly with the all-powerful rubbing alcohol).

 

I need to mess with it again. Connection's not perfectly reliable, but I haven't felt like mucking with it, as it's "good enough."

[omne]

Well, that's the thing isn't it JB? For those who like to and want to tinker with their NES, that what sharing this sort of information that Jag has, is for.

 

There are also console gamers out there who just want to game and that's why OSG exists. I used to write out How To's, but since OSG has been a full time concern supporting myself and my family, I've been keeping hard won R&D inside OSG. It's those who are not tinkerers, that can turn to OSG, for repairs to consoles no longer serviced and abandoned by their manufacturers, or for upgrades. From the more common NES refurbish, all the way up to a full blown NEO GEO AES component Video and socketed BIOS modification.

 

As someone who has repaired so many NES's, it stopped being *fun* a few hundred NES's ago , I have to point out things in tutorials like this that could cause people to damage their systems. But once again, Jag took the time to share his fix. A for effort.

[JB]

True.

 

World's ful of all sorts of people.

On the one end, there's people that take the system apart even when it works perfectly, just to see inside. On the other, there's thsoe that run in terror from a screwdriver.

 

 

 

And I can imagine duing it as a business would make it somewhat unfun. It's one thing to want to do it, and another to HAVE to do it.

 

 

 

I tend to enjoy this sort of thread when it gets rolling.

People sharing their ideas for restoration, and providing intelligent commentary on them, is what makes places like this great. I could head out and round some guys up right now(well, once the sun rises, anywways), but odds are very good that I'll be the only one that ever poked anything into his NES at all, much less actully wants to talk about it. But here we can get everything from a 1-page essay on the evils of the classic NES blowjob to the merits of emptying a can of WD40 into a bowl for soaking.

 

 

Speaking of which... WD40 is probably the most abused substance in the world.

[+remowilliams]

How do you get rid of all the WD40 residue? Oh right.

1009974[/snapback]

Well one thing I'll say here - WD40 IS NOT the cleaner you want to use on any type of electrical contacts!

 

If you've got a rusted bolt that needs to be loosened up, by all means spray it silly with WD40, but cartridge contacts? No.

[Jagasian]

I fully understand the dangers of WD40 on circuit boards, which is why my directions state to NEVER let it get on the printed circuit board (instead just use the compressed air and alcohol for cleaning the mother board). However, I have found that WD40 is great for its detergent effects on the 72-pin connector, and I've found that the left over residue after a good soak is stripped off with the pure alcohol. It was quite impressive actually, as WD40 seems to be impossible to remove from one's hands. Using pure alcohol on your hands doesn't feel good either though.

 

I've tried all other contacts cleaners on the 72-pin connector, but none of them do a good job of loosening up built up grime on the cart end of the connector. A WD40 soak does seem a bit extreme, but it works great a stripping away grime. But yeah, its bad for printed circuit boards, which is what the main part of the NES system and games are made out of. So you will definitely want to rinse any WD40 residue off, but then again, the pure alcohol does a really great job at just that.

 

So what is wrong with using WD40 to strip away the grime on a pin connector, if the WD40 residue is completely removed via a pure alcohol shower?

Edited January 31, 2006 by Jagasian

[omne]

It just seems to use sooo much chemical. A whole can of WD40, plus enough alcohol to be sure you got rid of it all afterwards. You have a rat, so you get a cat to get the rat, then a dog to get the cat....

 

In WD40 and isopropanol alone (litres of it), you'll spend a significant chunk of what a single professional refurb costs also.

 

However, I feel funny criticizing, even constructively. Since I won't share my method, I feel like I'm being a but unfair. Lets just say my method is 100% devoid of WD40.

 

Jagasian, what kind of track record does your method have? How many systems? Length of use? Frequency of use? Fail rate? Longevity in testing? Your "Once and for all" claim is quite impressive. How many systems done is it based on?

Edited January 31, 2006 by omne

[joeybastard]

All of that WD-40 soaking is pointless in my opinion. My NES as well all of my friend's NES that I've fixed(@ 8 or so) have been done with just alcohol(99% for the NES, Rolling Rock for me) and bending the pins. They all work perfectly with games that are reasonably clean. Just an opinion of course, but I can't see why the use of all of that WD-40 would help or even be an appropriate use of the stuff. It's like just taking an extra step to make everything oily which you have clean off anyway.

[n8littlefield]

I did roughly the same thing.

 

I took my system apart, cleaned the mainboard contact with alcohol.

 

I didn't have enough WD40 handy to fill a bowl - so instead I sprayed it down really good - put it in a freezer bag (open) on the window sill. About 2 hrs later, I resprayed it. I also did the same thing to springs in the loading mechanism because mine was really noisy.

 

After about 4 hrs in the WD40 bag o' fun I rinsed it off with water until there was no more WD40 on either part. Then, I hairdried them dry and hit them with the alcohol.

 

I bent a few pins slightly that looked off - but didn't do them all and didn't go nuts bending them. I didn't want to have to use pliers to remove a game like some have to do!

 

My NES hasn't had a blinking/white screen since. In fact, it's so good I don't need to push the game down into the system, and this is using the original NES 72pin that came with the system. The WD40 removes dirt and grime from the contacts and does a really good job.

 

Edit: forgot to mention that I had already snipped the security pin.

Edited January 31, 2006 by n8littlefield

[JB]

So what is wrong with using WD40 to strip away the grime on a pin connector, if the WD40 residue is completely removed via a pure alcohol shower?

1010089[/snapback]

It may work for breaking loose grime, but an overnight soak is just absurd.

[keilbaca]

I used a folded up 800 grit sandpaper inside of the cartridge slot, and sanded it for 5 minutes. After that, used rubbing alcohol to get rid of the dust and particles inside of it.

 

Its been months since I cleaned it and it works without a problem. Once this starts giving me bad boots, I'll try what renowilliams did. This sounds very promising.

Edited January 31, 2006 by keilbaca

[Jagasian]

I forgot to mention in my list that I soak my toaster's springs in the WD40 too, overnight, and then rinse them with pure alcohol. Maybe it is just me, but it seems to decrease the amount of squeeking when raising or lowering a cart. It doesn't effect system reliability, but it makes it sound "newer".

 

We can all agree on the following, right?

1. disable the lockout chip

2. clean the 72-pin connector's pins on the cart end

3. bend the 72-pin connector's pins on the cart end

4. clean your game cart's contacts

 

As long as all four of those things are done correctly using whatever means (as long as they "work"), is a sure-fire way to get your NES working 100%. With regards to #2, sometimes a connector's pins are very heavily encrusted. I think that is why some people find it useful to use an abrasive like sand paper, or a detergent like WD40.

Edited January 31, 2006 by Jagasian

[omne]

Jagasian, Im curious. What kind of track record does your method have? How many systems? Length of use? Frequency of use? Fail rate? Longevity in testing? Your "Once and for all" claim is quite impressive. How many systems done is it based on?

[Shawn]

Jagasian, Im curious. What kind of track record does your method have? How many systems? Length of use? Frequency of use? Fail rate? Longevity in testing? Your "Once and for all" claim is quite impressive. How many systems done is it based on?

1010368[/snapback]

 

 

Steve, You and I both know it's impossible.

[KoffinKorner]

I used a folded up 800 grit sandpaper inside of the cartridge slot, and sanded it for 5 minutes. After that, used rubbing alcohol to get rid of the dust and particles inside of it.

 

Its been months since I cleaned it and it works without a problem. Once this starts giving me bad boots, I'll try what renowilliams did. This sounds very promising.

 

BAMM!

 

Bet it works killer though, hunn..?

[vdub_bobby]

What is the point of disabling the lockout chip?

[Shawn]

What is the point of disabling the lockout chip?

1010382[/snapback]

 

 

You can play PAL and NTSC-J\famicom games with alot more ease. Otherwise most will give you a headache of blinking screens before they actually boot or they just won't boot at all.

Edited January 31, 2006 by Shawn Sr.

[vdub_bobby]

What is the point of disabling the lockout chip?

1010382[/snapback]

 

 

You can play PAL and NTSC-J\famicom games with alot more ease. Otherwise most will give you a headache of blinking screens before they actually boot or they just won't boot at all.

1010386[/snapback]

Ahh. Thanks.

[Jagasian]

What is the point of disabling the lockout chip?

1010382[/snapback]

 

The lockout chip only does one thing: it prevents games from booting during powerup. Hence disabling it means that you eliminate one of the possible things that could keep your game from running. Nintendo's intent was to prevent unlicensed games from running on the NES, as licensed games have a cart-side lockout chip that communicates with the system-side lockout chip during boot. If the system-side chip does not like the communication that it gets from the cart-side chip, then it causes the system to reset over and over again. Some people call this "blinking". Blinking can happen for several reasons:

 

1. the pins that connect the two lockout chips have a bad connection due to dust, dirt, grime, or loose pins

 

2. the cart is unlicensed and the system-side lockout chip notices this

 

Note that one of these cases means that licensed games don't run, and the other means that unlicensed games don't run. Either way, disabling the lockout chip means more reliability.

[omne]

I just wanna know how many systems this has been successful on, and how long they have been working.

 

More info please.

[keilbaca]

I used a folded up 800 grit sandpaper inside of the cartridge slot, and sanded it for 5 minutes. After that, used rubbing alcohol to get rid of the dust and particles inside of it.

 

Its been months since I cleaned it and it works without a problem. Once this starts giving me bad boots, I'll try what renowilliams did. This sounds very promising.

 

BAMM!

 

Bet it works killer though, hunn..?

1010380[/snapback]

 

It has worked fine for a long time, as stated. I'm just saying, if I do start getting bad boot screens again, I'll give the other method a try.

[spikey911]

I just wanna know how many systems this has been successful on, and how long they have been working. 

 

More info please.

1010392[/snapback]

 

Not sure why some people are trying to discredit his cleaning method...

 

I think its great that he is inventive, and has chosen to share his method with us all..

 

I have many many years of electronics manufacturing experience, and I can say that WD40 will NOT catch the unit on fire, or harm the unit, or the connector..

Of course you have to rinse the WD40 off, and he stated that..

 

In manufacturing, industrial dishwashers are used to clean boards, yes thats right soap and water (ionized water, and soap that does not bubble).. They are then dried in ovens... We used to use Freon before it was outlawed...

Just remember there is always more than one solution to a problem, and there is no secret way to fix it to last forever.

 

Connectors such as these are meant to be replaced because they do wear, however you can certainly extend the life of it by using the methods suggested by everyone here..