Fixing a Mac Classic II (Part I)

This will be the first of a series of posts that follows the transformation of an old, broken Mac Classic II that was found on a junk-pile at work into something both gaudy and functional.  Currently, the machine does not boot.  Instead garbled, black-and-white vertical bars are displayed and the machine does not issue the nominal start-up chime.  After a quick look on the web, it was discovered that the likely cause of this problem was a build-up of residue on the logic board that had been leaking from the ageing capacitors.  The solution suggested on various forums is to remove this residue by washing the board in warm water with detergent.  To do this, the machine first had to be disassembled, which proved challenging in itself.

Holding the chassis together were 4 security screws in addition to the usual plastic clips.  Two of these screws are down long narrow holes, which makes accessing them with standard security tools impossible.  To overcome this problem, a more specialised tool (in a pack of 4) was purchased from Dick Smith for $20 AUD.  Unfortunately, the handle on this tool was too large and contact with the chassis prevented the end of the tool reaching the head of the screw.  This was fixed by cutting the handle with a hack-saw.

Notice the straight edge on the handle of the tool, this is because some of the handle has been cut off. To the right of the tool is a pen torch. This is essential for lighting the long narrow hole.

After disassembling the chassis, it became possible to access the logic board.  Indeed, a thin film had built-up around the contacts of a few of the chips, which meant that the seemingly crazy idea of washing the board was entirely necessary.  The clock battery and RAM modules were removed from the board and then it was washed for half an hour in warm water with detergent, dried and then rinsed in plain old water for half an hour.  The meddling residue was a bit more stubborn than expected and had to be removed with the aid of a spare toothbrush.  It is recommended to wait at least 2 days after going through this process of washing the board before powering it up again.  As such, the board is still drying and it is not known whether washing it has fixed it or possibly ruined it.

This felt daring. Hopefully the board will still be functional when it is dry.

Whilst the logic board was out of the chassis, the voltage on the clock battery was also checked and the battery was found to be dead.  The battery was quite uncommon: 1/2 AA at 3.6V.  Nevertheless, a replacement battery was procured from Dick Smith for $14 AUD.

The battery on the left is the old, dead battery. The battery on the right is the new, over-priced battery. Above, is the RAM.

Dismantling the case would also provide an opportunity to make some cosmetic changes.  A coat of white, high-gloss enamel spray-paint was in order.  This was purchased at $8 AUD per can from MagnetMart.  The finish and colour was chosen to match my MacBook.  So far, only the back part of the chassis has been painted.  In some parts, the coat of paint went a bit drippy and dried lumpy.  I guess this could be corrected by sanding back where it is lumpy before a second coat is applied.

NB. it is dreary looking. Let's fix that!

The keyboard that is intended for use with the Mac was incredibly dirty when it was found on the junk-pile but was disassembled and washed.  It is much cleaner now and whilst it is disassembled, I shall paint it to match the Mac.

This man would surely have died if he had seen how dirty the keyboard was prior to being washed.

This is what a keyboard looks like when it is balding... and in the possession of someone who types violently.

~ by sargegoodweather on 8th February, 2009.