Experiments on a Nintendo.

[Ace McPlane]

I've been bored lately with no PC's to build so I'm trying to solve some mysteries of why original Nintendo's have so many problems getting games to run correctly.

Basically, it's either that the pins get corrosion on them or that the pins get bent down over time, or both.

You can remove the 72 pin connector by taking the screws out and pushing it towards the back of the machine with the motherboard unscrewed and lifted up.

You can actually buy replacement 72 pin connectors so if you're looking to fix your Nintendo, that's what to do...

but this is for science!

 

So, I inspected it and yes there is a bunch of corrosion on the pins.. probably from blowing in the machine to get it working over the years. I'm first doing what I can to remove the rust from the pins. Each pin kind of forks off into two prongs and doesn't seem like a very robust system. It's both easy for it to rust and easy for them to just get weaker.

Though, I don't see any reason why the pins wouldn't connect with this one. They're all the same height and they all still grip the cartridge very well

so I did an acid bath overnight with just vinegar, scrubbed the pins with baking soda, and left it for about 6 hours in a rubbing alcohol solution as my first attempt to remove the rust and crud on there..

If that doesn't work, I'm taking it up a big notch and setting up an electrolysis bucket for extreme rust removal.

I may even break out the hydrochloric acid, but that's a last resort because that stuff stinks like crazy and I hate using it even outside.

 

If it starts to work flawlessly, the big problem is mainly the corrosion not the pins being bent.

 

I'll post my results when the experiment is finished.

 

Anyways, if you want your nintendo to work like brand new,

get yourself one of these replacement 72 pins connectors and follow this guide to repair it:

It's super easy and it's ifixit so it's probably higher quality than the other ones you can buy.

A fun, little, rewarding project anyone can do

 

 

 

 

[Monkey Dust]

On my list of things to do, but it works if I use my Game Genie so I keep putting it off. 

[Ace McPlane]

8 minutes ago, Monkey Dust said:

On my list of things to do, but it works if I use my Game Genie so I keep putting it off. 

really? Using the game genie just reduces the chances of it working in half for me since it means two connections have to be solid. Weird. I'm glad to hear that works though

[Ace McPlane]

9 minutes ago, Monkey Dust said:

On my list of things to do, but it works if I use my Game Genie so I keep putting it off. 

I do have this really stupid idea that I might try sometime though.

 

Cut the 72 pin in half so all I have is the pins sticking out and then solder every pin onto the game genie

It'd have to be some badass soldering though for that to work without shorting something

 

[Monkey Dust]

1 hour ago, stateofpsychosis said:

really? Using the game genie just reduces the chances of it working in half for me since it means two connections have to be solid. Weird. I'm glad to hear that works though

I think the Game Genie's board is very slight thicker than the standard game carts, making it both the cause and the temporary fix.

 

I might try to boil the pins, replacement 72 pins seem to be a bit of a lottery.

[TacoSenpai]

How about the good ol grab a junk cartridge game and spray the pins and put it in and out again to wipe off the crude?

 

I mean you get to put it in and out again. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[Ace McPlane]

15 hours ago, LordTaco42 said:

How about the good ol grab a junk cartridge game and spray the pins and put it in and out again to wipe off the crude?

 

I mean you get to put it in and out again. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Yea, that may work.

I'd use rubbing alcohol with that plan, because anything else may not evaporate on it's own well enough.

 

 

[Ace McPlane]

 

 I've succeeded and came to a conclusion!

 

It is the pins being bent down over time. At least that's the main cause.

I wasn't making any progress even though I cleaned up those pins very well, so i decided to skip the electrolysis experiment and try to bend the pins up.

 

I was able to do that by sticking a pair of finger nail scissors in where each pin forks into 2 prongs and pull each pin up.

(Do not do this yourself. You could damage your Nintendo, your games or even cause a short if you cross pins.)

 

Anyways, now the machine works perfectly and starts on the first try every single time! Of course you still need to breath into the game, but I've never seen a Nintendo start this easily. Not even back in the 80's. (I believe the moisture creates a conductive layer between the pins and that's why that works). 

 

Fixing the connector:

Fixing Nintendo 72 pin connector (1).mp4

 

 

[Ace McPlane]

Testing the Nintendo afterwards:

 

Testing Nintendo- works on first try now.mp4

[DrAwesome821]

theres a kit called blinking light win that replaces the "toaster" mechanism with a more standard slot loading insert. basically fixes the problem permanently

[Ace McPlane]

14 hours ago, DrAwesome821 said:

theres a kit called blinking light win that replaces the "toaster" mechanism with a more standard slot loading insert. basically fixes the problem permanently

Not a fun as macgyvering it yourself though.

 

If I was ever stuck on a desert island with nothing but a broken Nintendo to keep me entertained, I'd be good to go