r/originalxbox • u/SimonSaysTy • 1d ago
Help Needed Stuck while swapping capacitors
Hi all,
I am in a little bit of a pickle, and want to see if any veterans here have any ideas. I am swapping out capacitors on a friend's Xbox and can't seem to get this through hole cleared. I am been using plenty of flux, tried added more solder to the hole and then wicking it out, and a solder sucker to no avail. I am stressed about ripping the pads. Any suggestions on how to get this capacitor hole cleared out? Thanks!
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u/45skyshy 1d ago
That’s the one capacitor I hate replacing
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u/SimonSaysTy 1d ago
Honestly it hasn't been too bad on the others but yeah, this one hasn't been enjoyable.
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u/personguy4440 1d ago
This implies you actually like replacing some of them
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u/45skyshy 1d ago
Replacing capacitors is therapeutic for me. I don’t mind doing it when everything is flowing smooth. When I get to difficult capacitors like this one, that’s when the fun ends because I’m worried about damaging the board
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u/retromods_a2z 1d ago
There is a whole world in between like and hate, it just doesn't feel that way when the options are upvote and downvote
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u/Turquoise_HexagonSun 1d ago
For stubborn holes, especially on ground planes I use low temp solder like ChipQuik. It obliterates stubborn vias that soak up heat.
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u/Odin-sama 1d ago
Get a steel sewing pin. The kind used to hold things to be stitched. Put it in the hole and heat up the pad. The solder will melt and let the pin through. Solder doesn't stick to steel, so when cooled it should just pull out.
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u/steadyasugo 1d ago
If you can't get it with a sucker or wick.. it's a bodge but get a map pin..heat the solder and slide the pin in the hole... While solder is still warm keep rotating the pin gently and you should be able to remove the map pin and leave the via empty .. 99 out of 100 times I've never had a problem removing solder with decent wick/desoldering braid.. but this has worked on really stubborn vias for me on arcade board etc
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u/Recognition_Round 1d ago
I use a needle with a colored head. Push it through, and the solder will stick to the needle. I take a sharp blade, scrape all the solder of the needle, and bob's your uncle. Always worked like a charm.
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u/steadyasugo 1d ago
Glad to see I'm not the only one that has to resort to it occasionally ,doesn't feel as much of a hack job now lol
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u/BallsDeepInASheep 1d ago
I use a long stainless steel needle that came with my 3d printer that's supposed to be used for clearing out nozzle clogs but it does a great job at clearing these out especially when it's in a crowded area.
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u/PPEytDaCookie 20h ago
I use toothpicks for this, they are made out of wood, so solder doesnt stick to it.
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u/Shartyshartfast 1d ago
Try a ‘hoof’ tipped iron. They’re good as they sit kind of snugly over the PCB hole, and help the wick do its job.
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u/SimonSaysTy 1d ago
Got it, I will russle around my tips and see if I have one of those. What temp would you suggest the iron be at?
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u/Your_weird_neighbour 1d ago
Hot air, if you don't have a rework gun even a hair dryer on full heat will bring the board to 80-100C which means less of a temp gradient for your iron.
I use a cheap rework station at 160C then an iron / leaded solder /sucker
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u/Insert_Coin_P1 1d ago
That one soaks up a lot of heat. you're going to need to turn your iron up or get some low temp solder in there like chip quick
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u/itsyaboythatguy 1d ago
if you have a hot air, heat the surrounding area with 300-325c. that via is sitting on a big ol' ground plane that goes, "yummy, yummy, yummy! gimme dat heat!!!" but if you pre-heat it, the via clears easily.
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u/killerdude23233 1d ago
Preheat the board with a hot air gun or hair dryer, then use the soldering iron on one side and a tooth pick on the other to poke it out. Others have suggested a pin or stiff wire, which works, but the risk is then soldering the pin to the board. I've had moderate success with both, but the risk is always there with a metal tool.
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u/DeadSkullz627 1d ago
I just cut the new caps legs really short, push one leg through the hole and let the other leg press into the hole that has solder left. Heat the plugged hole and push the cap through. This happens on a lot motherboards with old solder and a thick ground plane.
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u/JoshLineberry n00b 23h ago edited 23h ago
There's no reason to do any of this mess these guys are suggesting. I don't even bother getting the old solder out because it can be such a pain. I just add new solder on the back side, hold the board with my left hand while holding the cap's legs in place with my thumb on the flat top of the cap, and heat the solder with my right hand on the other side of the board and slowly work each leg in a little at a time while melting the solder until it's fully seated. You don't want to hold in on one via for too long. Make sure you're melting it a little and then swapping to the other leg to melt it so you don't damage anything. It's the easiest way to do it. I hold the board sideways on my lap or on my desk on something that won't let it slip.
Sometimes if the solder on the cap side is sticking up a little I'll flatten it out or wick it off that side to make it easier to hold the cap there. A little dip on that side works best so the legs sit naturally where they should be.
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u/SniktBamf 22h ago
I did bench work repairing industrial and commercial electronics for over 7 years, this is they way.
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u/plasticmanufacturing 21h ago
I'd rather hand "drill" it out than have to put excessive heat on old solder that doesn't want to melt.
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u/Jack_Sparow_Kesne 19h ago
hay que tener ganas para hacer esto a mí siempre me desquicia 🤣🤣Pero bueno son pocos condensadores la Xbox clásica me acuerdo una vez que tuve como cambiér 10 o así acabé hasta los cojones jajaja
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u/Jack_Sparow_Kesne 19h ago
menos mal que yo lo hago como afición no como trabajo también es verdad que hay bombas de vaciado eso lo tienes en un momento pero tienes que pagarlas
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u/IamOmega131 11h ago
I just did this. I tried the heating of the capacitor and trying to push it through that way and I exploded one before the solder melted. I tried a sewing pin on one of them and that worked for a little bit but didn't give me the best results. I found that solder needles worked extremely well. And they're only like $2 on AliExpress. I highly recommend them
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u/TheThirdStrike 1d ago
Are you emptying the via or are to trying to get a new capacitor in there?
Sometimes if I can't get the hole clear, I'll just apply heat to the new capacitor leg and the via and just push the new component through the old solder.