Today, I had a little free time, so I decided to open up the Mac Classic and check out what was inside. My first challenge in doing so was that I didn't have a Torx T15 screwdriver that was long enough to loosen the screws in the top of the case inside the handle. Therefore, a trip to Sears was in order to buy the Craftsman 6" Torx screw driver part # 48171 for $6.99. My local Sears had the item in stock so I was in and out in a flash. (That's important to me because I hate going to the mall!).
I was scared to open the Mac Classic because it has an old-school CRT inside. CRT's potentially retain high voltage that might kill you. I encourage you to search this topic and be knowledgeable before you root around inside the Mac. Don't do it just because I did! After researching the subject, I rightly or wrongly concluded that I could remove the motherboard without killing myself.
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| Flickr photo credit: markltb |
When I pulled the motherboard out of the Mac, it actually looked pretty clean. The PRAM battery was dead as I mentioned in a previous post. How did I know this? The clock doesn't remember the time and the Mac doesn't remember any settings. That's how you know. Fortunately, the battery (1/2 AA size) hadn't leaked or become corroded. Still, I pulled it out to be safe. I'll order another online if I can get the Mac working otherwise.
Several websites recommend that you remove all the old capacitors from the motherboard and replace them with new ones made from a different material that doesn't contain liquid. You can find several websites discussing this. Others have suggested that the Mac starts working again if you give the motherboard a good cleaning. Some people suggest putting the motherboard in an empty dishwasher (without detergent and without using the dry cycle). I didn't see my wife going for this, so I opted to immerse the board in some warm water with a little dish soap and used an old toothbrush to clean around the capacitors. I am now drying the board thoroughly before I put it back into the Mac. I dried it first with a paper towel, then used the blow dryer and now I have it propped up in front of a fan.
I'll report back on how it works!
Links: Washing memory board, Bringing a Zebra Motherboard Back to Life, Repairing a Macintosh SE/30 with No Sound
UPDATE: As much as I hoped my Mac Classic would start from the hard drive with a resounding beep, that didn't happen. In fact, there was no change. I get some sound when I plug a speaker into the 3.5 mm jack on the back of the Mac but nothing from the speaker itself. I can live without sound. It's not like the Mac Classic will run iTunes! But, swapping floppies is the reason hard drives were invented. I'm going to look for a replacement hard drive for the Mac Classic.
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