Fix your NES, once and for all!

[n8littlefield]

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

 

More info please.

1010392[/snapback]

 

He says right at the beginning it works on the several that he owns. I doubt he knows exactly when he did them. Seriously, alot of people here have NES's that they made work better - do you want to hold them all to the dates they did their repairs? If you have nothing to add except mentioning that you have secret methods that we can't know about, why are you posting in here except to harrass Jag?

[omne]

What the hell is with this place!? I encouraged Jag and his sharing of his method! I even gave him the credit he's due.

 

All I'm doing is trying to learn more about what he did, and share my knowledge and experience. He refuses to answer my questions. Maybe he holds some silly grudge from some perceived slight elsewhere. I don't know. All I know is I consider NES repair advice important stuff, where the detials are important

 

In the past Jagasian has been very particular about details for things important to him. Now when I get particular about details, about something that is important to me, it's not kosher?!

 

Could someone elucidate me as to what is and is not acceptable to fret minutaie over on these forums?

 

Hypocrisy abounds.

[Jagasian]

I don't have precise numbers on how reliable my repair method is, as I really haven't approached the situation in a scientific manner. Instead, I just did what seemed to work. I use a bright light to look at the grime build up on the pins and I "eye" the amount of bending that pins need. These methods are what I use to get rid of the grime and bend the pins back into shape. I am sure that other people have different methods. However, like I have said, there is no doubt that "fixing" a toaster without replacing the pin connector involves:

 

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

 

Assuming you are not replacing the connector, there is no debate with that general list. How you accomplish each of those points is debatable. Another debatable topic is whether it is best to replace a connector with a new, third party part or simply refurb the original Nintendo made connector. I've heard many horror stories about bad third party connectors, which gives me the impression that its best to refurb the connector as opposed to replace it. The exception is, of course, if you can get an official Nintendo made 72-pin connector replacement part. Some guy at the DP forums had a box of them at one point. That, is the ideal thing to go for, but supplies are limited.

 

I'll state a bit of advice again: it is easy to over bend those pins. You should barely be able to notice any visual difference in the pin after bending it, otherwise you have bent it too far, in my opinion. The difference is a perfect fit tightness versus an overly tight connector. It really isn't that bad to have an overly tight connector, but I think it will cause more wear and tear on the carts and the connector in the long run.

[omne]

Thank You.

[JB]

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.

1010359[/snapback]

Definitely.

 

And the WD40 makes sense as a grime breaker-upper. I just don't get why a bath(I think).

 

 

 

 

Shame the lockout chip ois so finnicky. It'd be a lot easier if it worked on the same connection quality as the ROMs.

[Avid Fan]

Gasoline will work better than than WD40. But I dont know what it will do to the plastics. It didnt do anything to the many carts I've cleaned with gasoline

[n8littlefield]

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.

1010359[/snapback]

Definitely.

 

And the WD40 makes sense as a grime breaker-upper. I just don't get why a bath(I think).

 

 

 

 

Shame the lockout chip ois so finnicky. It'd be a lot easier if it worked on the same connection quality as the ROMs.

1010536[/snapback]

 

I didn't bother with the fullout bath and still had excellent results (but I didn't look really close at the connector to see how dirty it was beforehand). The best thing I have to say about Jagasian's method is it does prevent you from having to use pliers to pull games out of systems.

 

There's a local shop around here that restores NES's (basically replaces the 72pin) and they warn people that their systems are so tight that you will need pliers for some games. That can't be good for the carts can it?

 

I mean, I slightly bend a few pins that I could see were out of whack with the rest of the line of pins, but I didn't bend all of them up like some do. Isn't there some damage that could potentially be done to the carts when you are in effect scraping their connectors repeatedly with metal to the point that you need force to rip them out?

[keilbaca]

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.

1010359[/snapback]

Definitely.

 

And the WD40 makes sense as a grime breaker-upper. I just don't get why a bath(I think).

 

 

 

 

Shame the lockout chip ois so finnicky. It'd be a lot easier if it worked on the same connection quality as the ROMs.

1010536[/snapback]

 

I didn't bother with the fullout bath and still had excellent results (but I didn't look really close at the connector to see how dirty it was beforehand). The best thing I have to say about Jagasian's method is it does prevent you from having to use pliers to pull games out of systems.

 

There's a local shop around here that restores NES's (basically replaces the 72pin) and they warn people that their systems are so tight that you will need pliers for some games. That can't be good for the carts can it?

 

I mean, I slightly bend a few pins that I could see were out of whack with the rest of the line of pins, but I didn't bend all of them up like some do. Isn't there some damage that could potentially be done to the carts when you are in effect scraping their connectors repeatedly with metal to the point that you need force to rip them out?

1010655[/snapback]

 

Yeah, after a while it can possibly scrape a nice small line into the contacts.

 

I got a NES with a "new" connector, making it almost impossible taking the game in and out. I had an original connector still laying around here, so I used my sandpaper method, and it hasn't failed me once. In the NES i'm doing for a friend, it uses my original connector. You can't even tell that you're putting a NES cart into a slot, it slides in like there's nothing there, but it boots every single time.

[pacc76]

I recently received a NES from ebay that was supposed to work but doesn't. I have pulled the 72 pin and bent the pins upward (it's now a little tough to get a cartridge in there, so they're surely tight). Didn't work, even after cleaning them and the game contacts with alcohol (used ethyl alcohol, does this make a difference?).

 

Then I tried the sandpaper method with 100 grit sandpaper. I didn't sand for 5 minutes, but did it enough thtat the contacts look clean. Stilll doesn't work. I evn cleaned the contacts to the motherboard and it still doesn't work! Any suggestions (I'm trying to avoid buying the 72 pin!).

[n8littlefield]

Have you tried not even pushing the game down in? If it's not the original 72 pin (if the seller had already replaced it) some of the replacements work better without actually pushing the game down into the system.

 

That is assuming you cleaned all your games of course !

[pacc76]

Cleaned the games using ethyl alcohol, seemed to get some dirt off of it and onto the cotton swab.

 

This NES is in very, um, original condition (as in it's kind of beat up, and the inside probably last saw the light of day in 1980's Japan). I saw on some dude's website that you can also bend DOWN the upper game contacts, but all I could get to were the lower game contacts which I bent upwards (didn't mess with the contacts that go to the motherboard).

 

Will try not pushing the game down, seems like I may have already tried that.

 

Does the connector ever just finally call it quits for some reason? Also, does anyone have a good method of cutting the contact on the lockout chip (ie, what tool to use). Maybe cutting that would make it less fussy?

[pacc76]

Cut the 4th pin on the lockout chip and it stopped blinking, but had a gray screen. With the cartidge in the up position, however, I actually got RC Pro Am to work for a few minutes (before it cut out in the middle of a game). It could be dirty games, though I cleaned them again (albeit without using an eraser, I can't open them up) with alcohol. I only have 2 of them, so it's tough to tell. I think the 72 pin may have to go.

[omne]

If you have an aftermarket 72 pin in there, you are wasting your time with Jags or anyone elses method.

 

Only genuine Nintendo pins have a hope of being restored, and not all can be.

[n8littlefield]

I think there is someone over there still selling real Nintendo 72 pin connectors on the digitpress boards pretty reasonably. If you could get one of those you'd probably be in good shape.

[Jagasian]

Do you have a working NES or clone to test out your carts with? It takes two to tango, so to speak, and hence the system and the game need to be functioning properly.

[pacc76]

Do you have a working NES or clone to test out your carts with?  It takes two to tango, so to speak, and hence the system and the game need to be functioning properly.

1012203[/snapback]

 

Jagasian you must be smart because I thought the same thing. I took the games to the used games store where I bought them and they booted right up on their NES. I think it's time to retire the old 72 pin unless someone has some 11th hour suggestion to keep the NES original.

 

On the plus side I was able to trade some old CDs for some classic games. They were probably ecstatic that someone actually wanted Nintendo baseball. Oh, and they have some cheesy NES clone there for 60 bucks.

[keilbaca]

Do you have a working NES or clone to test out your carts with?  It takes two to tango, so to speak, and hence the system and the game need to be functioning properly.

1012203[/snapback]

 

Jagasian you must be smart because I thought the same thing. I took the games to the used games store where I bought them and they booted right up on their NES. I think it's time to retire the old 72 pin unless someone has some 11th hour suggestion to keep the NES original.

 

On the plus side I was able to trade some old CDs for some classic games. They were probably ecstatic that someone actually wanted Nintendo baseball. Oh, and they have some cheesy NES clone there for 60 bucks.

1012274[/snapback]

 

The original connectors are better than the replacements. I got 2 replacements, and they went bad in a month, and the games were *way* too hard to get in/out. Just refurbish the original connector.

[pacc76]

The original connectors are better than the replacements. I got 2 replacements, and they went bad in a month, and the games were *way* too hard to get in/out. Just refurbish the original connector.

1012280[/snapback]

 

 

I have tried, that's what this whole thing was about. If you have a way to bend the top row of pins down I'm all ears, that's the only thing left I can figure out that might work.

[Jagasian]

Try to get a new official Nintendo replacement connector. Also, do NOT throw away your old connector, even if you don't want to use it anymore. Ebay it, give it away, whatever. There are people that will work their magic until it works correctly. The unlicensed replacement parts suck compared to a real Nintendo connector.

[pacc76]

I think there is someone over there still selling real Nintendo 72 pin connectors on the digitpress boards pretty reasonably.  If you could get one of those you'd probably be in good shape.

1012038[/snapback]

 

 

I tried looking over there after you wrote that. Could you tell me where it was on there (link?), or where it would be?

[keilbaca]

I just refurbished another NES connector here at work with the fine grit sandpaper. Plays perfectly

[Lord Thag]

Take the connector out and run it through the cold rinse cycle on your dishwasher. The dish detergent does wonders for contacts, and all you have to do is let it air dry. I've fixed entire mac motherboards with this. Works great. There was an article on the web about it awhile back.

 

The only drawback is that you have to remove any socketed chips from any board you clean this way, or water gets trapped in the socket.

 

Way easier than going through all of that rigamarole though.

[n8littlefield]

I hate resurrecting threads, but since this one had alot of good information on fixing NES's, I just wanted to add my newest favorite.

 

I got Lifeforce and Gradius recently and they were absolutely filthy. I opened them up and there was just a ton of black crap along the contacts. I remembered that I recently bought a new toothbrush and retired my Spinbrush. Let me tell you it worked absolute wonders. The spinning action with alcohol on the brush cleaned those carts like nothing I've used before.

 

So, if you open your games to clean them, you may want to splurge $4 and pick up a spin brush, they really work well - like a little Dremel but more gentile on the carts.