Nes Cleaning Paste Formula?

[Kyle15]

Hey all,

I found a Nes at a flea market yesterday. Upon putting a game in, the blinking light thing you all are probably familiar with, reared it's ugly head. I read up on cleaning methods, so I began my prep and opened the system up. The 72-pin connector got a good cleaning, and I put everything back together. Now, the problem was either the blank screen or messed up graphics. I tried cleaning the games, but that did not do much good.
Now, I have opened the Nes back up again. I never did pull out the connector, so I did. The contacts on the motherboard look like they may be the ultimate problem: they have some green/grey gunk on them. Scrubbing with a toothbrush coated very finely in alcohol can't get it up, neither can a paper towel.

So, I'm asking you all this: is there a known formula for the game contact cleaning paste sold over on Nintendo Repair Shop? I would buy a complete repair set from them to quickly eliminate all of the problems, but I'm kinda strapped for cash at the moment.
Maybe just a new 72-pin would suffice....

Thanks a lot for your help! :)

[NES_Rules]

Did you try the pink pencil eraser trick? I picked up an NES that was flooded the other day and your description sounds like what I had, a quick rub with the eraser followed by rubbing alcohol got it all clean and shiny.
I also bent back the pins so that may be what you need to do too.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

When it comes to corrosion - the "gunk" (corrosion) you see on the motherboard pins probably came from people "wetting" their carts and then inserting them into the unit ... moisture will temporarily increase conductivity, and in some cases cause the cartridges to "read" better ... but some of that moisture probably dripped down through the pins onto the motherboard and super-molded up.

I'd recommend something a bit stronger than alcohol, and something a bit more abrasive than a paper towel.

Try non-conductive metal polish and a Scotch-Brite brand cleaning pad.

Don't go TOO nuts with the Scotch Brite pad, as you can actually take the copper coating right off the pins ... but you can definitely get the corrosion off with one of those, when standard rubbing alcohol doesn't work for me, the Scotch Brite pad has never failed me. Once you get the gunk off, you CAN give it a once-over with alcohol and a paper towel.

[Kyle15]

Did you try the pink pencil eraser trick? I picked up an NES that was flooded the other day and your description sounds like what I had, a quick rub with the eraser followed by rubbing alcohol got it all clean and shiny.
I also bent back the pins so that may be what you need to do too.

No, I didn't try that. Should I use a white eraser instead?
Also, I just straightned the pins. They are those golden strips, right? There were around four that were pushed back the wrong way. Everything else in the 72-pin springs up and down nicely! :)

I'm having someone I know clean my games and give them a check up at the moment, so I can't do any testing yet.....


When it comes to corrosion - the "gunk" (corrosion) you see on the motherboard pins probably came from people "wetting" their carts and then inserting them into the unit ... moisture will temporarily increase conductivity, and in some cases cause the cartridges to "read" better ... but some of that moisture probably dripped down through the pins onto the motherboard and super-molded up.

I'd recommend something a bit stronger than alcohol, and something a bit more abrasive than a paper towel.

Try non-conductive metal polish and a Scotch-Brite brand cleaning pad.

Don't go TOO nuts with the Scotch Brite pad, as you can actually take the copper coating right off the pins ... but you can definitely get the corrosion off with one of those, when standard rubbing alcohol doesn't work for me, the Scotch Brite pad has never failed me. Once you get the gunk off, you CAN give it a once-over with alcohol and a paper towel.

Thanks, I'll give that a try. ;)

[RadiantSvgun]

If you can't get it to work, I can find them pretty easy around here.

[Kyle15]

If you can't get it to work, I can find them pretty easy around here.

72-pins alone, or complete systems?

[RadiantSvgun]

72-pins alone, or complete systems?

complete systems.

[Cornelius]

I use a metal polish by the name/brand of MAAS on the connectors of the game carts. Never tried it on the main board itself, but no reason it shouldn't work.

I kind of doubt that's where the problem is, though. That 72 pin goes on there so tightly I really doubt corrosion would be getting in the way. Won't hurt to clean it up, though.

If you haven't taken apart the games to clean them, I'd start there. Also, I've been taking some fine grit sandpaper folded over a credit card and ramming it in and out of the 72 pin connector just enough to make sure every pin gets hit once. Then I wet some paper with alcohol and do the same again. Since I've been doing that and cleaning the games with polish, I've yet to have one not start working first try every time.

I used to bend the pins back, but in my experience that isn't nearly as effective as its proponents claim.

[Kyle15]

complete systems.

Well, I got the games cleaned and the problem still exists.
How much would one of the systems you find cost me?
(all I need is the control deck itself)


I use a metal polish by the name/brand of MAAS on the connectors of the game carts. Never tried it on the main board itself, but no reason it shouldn't work.

I kind of doubt that's where the problem is, though. That 72 pin goes on there so tightly I really doubt corrosion would be getting in the way. Won't hurt to clean it up, though.

If you haven't taken apart the games to clean them, I'd start there. Also, I've been taking some fine grit sandpaper folded over a credit card and ramming it in and out of the 72 pin connector just enough to make sure every pin gets hit once. Then I wet some paper with alcohol and do the same again. Since I've been doing that and cleaning the games with polish, I've yet to have one not start working first try every time.

I used to bend the pins back, but in my experience that isn't nearly as effective as its proponents claim.

It was in the motherboard tightly, but there is some pretty hard crust right on it's connectors. This probably is not the main problem as you say, but it is sure doing it's part.
I can try some of that metal wax, but I may as well go with Nintendo Repair Shop's complete repair kit to make the whole thing easy.