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Original Pac-Man PCB - How to Clean safely?

FluxChiller

FluxChiller

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Hey boys! Got this PCB for free a few days ago, supposedly it works - but its FILTHY. Whats the best way to clean this thing up to look like new without damaging it?

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Simple Green! Then a hose. Then leave it in the sun for a day, and canned air to make sure all the sockets are free from leftover liquid.

Lots of people use the oven to dry them, but I'm still afraid of that idea.
 
Thanks guys, I had read those threads and it blows my mind you can just wash um, then bake um. Wanted to post to be sure :) Will post an update after I do this.
 
rewrite said:
Simple Green! Then a hose. Then leave it in the sun for a day, and canned air to make sure all the sockets are free from leftover liquid.

Lots of people use the oven to dry them, but I'm still afraid of that idea.
Click to expand...
I'm more afraid of all the minerals in the water than baking it in an oven, it should be able to withstand some heat.
 
Well, it came out well. Sorta. So 1, I have no way of testing it either before the cleaning or after - so no idea if it works. 2. The hook on the back corner of the main board came off while baking and the heat warped the board slightly. Oof. so now it doesn't lay totally flat and I haven't had the time to try and reheat it back into a flat position. I am also worried the bend/warp in the board may have broken connections.
 
I would never have done the oven thing!!!!

It's fine to let it dry, maybe outside in the sun, then use compressed air, then let it dry again.

Why the oven?!!!
 
I decided for it based on some other threads here, as the idea was moisture may not leave the inside of caps or other parts fast enough and cause internal corrosion. The oven was set at 170F/81C which is well below what many computers/components top out at at many video cards run at. the warp isnt tooo bad - maybe a few degrees from true. I'd do it again, but use proper hooks next time rather than the hackjob i did. Will see down the road if it still or did work :)
 
Oven is the way to go. You want to bake out the water ingress from the chips.

However, the problem is your oven thermostat isn't very precise, especially at low temperatures. Next time maybe throw a thermometer inside to check the temperature before cooking any PCBs. Also, if your oven is big enough, always hang the PCB vertically from hooks.
 
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