Bending The Pins of the 72 pin connector in the NES

[OLD_SCHOOL_SAM]

I am posting this in a few different boards in hopes that I can get a fast answer for I am stupified at this seemingly easy task. All I am trying to do is bend the pins in my 72 pin connector so that I can try to temporarily cure the "blinking" problem.

I have read all the threads about buying new ones, and blowing in the games, and wiggling them just right, etc. and have decided that I want to first try the bend method.

First please view my diagram (http://www.guildverity.com/nes/connector_diagram.jpg).

Looking at the connector, do I want to bend the pins up or down? The logical answer would be up to ensure a tighter fit with the cart. However they do not want to bend up. They easily bend down but dont budge when attempting to bend up.

Do I really need to bend it forcefully up? Or am I missing something here?

As a side note, I tried bending the pins (labeled C in my diagram) up after reading this classic gaming article (http://www.classicgaming.com/features/articles/nesrepair/). This did not solve the problem for me, even though I can NOT follow his "uuuuuuu" drawing.

Could someone please help clarify this for me? I can get like 1 game to play in my NES (Mike Tyson's Punchout :)) only if I push down so hard on the cart and place a remote on top of the cart to keep it pressed down very far. So hard it almost wants to break the latch you close once the game is in.

Thanks all in advance!

[omnedon]

Sand 'em out with fine sandpaper, and a credit card. No bending necessary.

[OLD_SCHOOL_SAM]

I read your last post on the other thread and bending seems less damaging / time consuming than sanding.

Plus I have no sandpaper nor know what kind / guage to get.

Also I am afraid I will sand away the plastic.

[§ Gideon §]

First please view my diagram (http://www.guildverity.com/nes/connector_diagram.jpg).

Looking at the connector, do I want to bend the pins up or down? The logical answer would be up to ensure a tighter fit with the cart. However they do not want to bend up. They easily bend down but dont budge when attempting to bend up.

Do I really need to bend it forcefully up? Or am I missing something here?
Thank you for having the foresight to post a picture. That's considerate of you.

Now, of course the pins should be bent upward. You were correct in your initial thoughts. Imagine each pin like a tiny spring. When inserting a cart, the springs are compressed. Over time, the springs adjust and become weaker--more compressed. In fixing this problem, you simply stretch the springs out, bending the pins upward.

Yes, it should feel a little tough at first, but it's easy if you worry less about breaking things. Have you ever stretched a spring (like a Slinky or something)? It should feel similar when you're bending the contacts.

Personally, I enjoy doing it; it feels like dental work for some reason.

[§ Gideon §]

Oh, and I'm sure you've already thought about this, but please don't bend the pins too far. It's easy to feel when you've stretched it enough, but I don't want you to have to suffer a broken NES.

[chadtower]

Sand 'em out with fine sandpaper, and a credit card. No bending necessary.

Dude, use an Emory Board. Much easier, IMO, since the sand is pretty much glued to the stick.

[OLD_SCHOOL_SAM]

Thanks Gideon.

I am going to try it now and will let you all know what happens.

[OLD_SCHOOL_SAM]

hehe, WHAT THE HE** ???

Either I am missing something here or everyone is crazy. (prolly the former)

THE PINS WILL NOT BUDGE WHEN PUSHING THEM UP !!!!!

I have tried with many different tools that easily fit but the will NOT move. I pushed so hard I broke a tiny screwdriver in half. There is no way that something like that should happen.

According to my diagram, you are telling me to place a knife / screwdriver or something that fits UNDERNEATH the pins and force them up? It would be that same as trying to bend very hard plastic. It just will not move.

I am almost to the "give up" stage now. please someone help me ~

[chadtower]

Dude, you've got to be doing something seriously wrong. Those pins are barely thicker than tinfoil and are fragile. I just did this myself a few days ago to a stubbornly loose connector and the pins bent like paper.

[Chunky]

i take a dental pick, daved the tip down to like 1/8 - 16th an inch. Stick it in the front of the pin and push it back. by the time it hits the back, it's rasied the pin some 1/16 an inch and that'll do it for now, and some 2 sided sand paper on a card or whatnot.....very fine grit. like 400 or something lightly in and out. and clean it off with a little Achohol and bam working.

[OLD_SCHOOL_SAM]

chad did you look at my diagram? please tell me what I am doing wrong. I realize those pins are thin, but the are attached to something or hitting plastic because they will not bend up for me.

[dave2236]

theres also a set of pins above "a " also.

those need to be bent down, be careful because those bend adn snap easily.



....best thing is to use a piece of sandpaper, doesn't matter which kind. and sand between a and upper a. then spray it with alcohol and clean with a toothbrush.

[rbudrick]

I would imagine you bed the pins that touch the top of the cart down, and the pins that touch the bottom of the cart up.

Is that clear enough? Just don't bend them so much that the cart pushes the pin in a nasty direction or catches on the cart.

-Rob

[ste]

As a side note, I tried bending the pins (labeled C in my diagram) up after reading this classic gaming article (http://www.classicgaming.com/features/articles/nesrepair/). This did not solve the problem for me, even though I can NOT follow his "uuuuuuu" drawing.


dude... you want to bend A, not C....

[OLD_SCHOOL_SAM]

huh?

There are no pins above A. The only thing above A is plastic. There is 2 rows of pins on the bottom that connect to the motherboard and then 1 row at the top that touches the bottom side of the cart when pushed in.

Is that my problem? Is there supposed to be another row of pins above A? Making a total of 4 rows of pins?

Please everyone, is it supposed to be 3 rows or 4?

[Dr. Morbis]

In your diagram, you have circled as 'A' only the bottom pins that connect with the cart. B and C are a 'set' so to speak. A, and the row of pins above them (that you have not marked), are the set that connect to the cart. B and C together are the 'motherboard set'. A and the ones above A are the 'cart set'. Bend the pins you have circled as 'A' UP. Bend the row of pins directly ABOVE this row DOWN.

Does that make sense? Just as the motherboard connects with two rows of pins, so does the cart.

[dave2236]

think of it this way. the nes circuit board is printed on both sides...therefore you need "pins" on both top and bottom.

if you stuch a screwdriver in slot "a" most likely you bent the top pins out of place and probably will not get them back in place.


just buy a new one for $8

[§ Gideon §]

Sam, are you pushing on the right part? Slip the tiny screw driver in between a pin the black plastic next to it. Then, pull up and away. Here, tell me if this helps:

http://www.arcadecontrols.com/files/Uploads/NES_Pin_Pushing.gif

[OLD_SCHOOL_SAM]

Gideon, I have been trying the "wrong" way according to your diagram. However, I cant understand what your "Correct" way is. I cant get anything to fit between the pin and plastic.

And furthermore, are there 3 or 4 rows of pins? am I missing the top row? I am thinking this is one of my major problems here. I only have 1 row of pins which touch the bottom side of the cart.

Oh well, think I will order one from ebay. But I would love to know this so I can do it anyway for when my new goes bad.

[omnedon]

I, uh, use fine grit sandpaper, and an old CC, with great success. Just be careful not to tear ay pins, as it can be done if not cautious. The pins pass with my NTF2 cart, 19 times out of 20, and the carts slide in eeeeaaaaassssssyyyyyyyy.

But hey, go nuts everybody. I could be wrong, and the 3 or 4 NES's per week I do for customers (with warranty) aren't a factor at all. LOL

Don't get me wrong. I am the LAST guy to rule out trying a new way to restore an old part. I'm just saying that before I switched to new pins (and subsequently switched back to refurbing old ones) I used to do a lot of bending. I no longer think that it is usually necessary, or a big part of the problem with the pin in the first place. The ones I've done slip in so easy, but still work great. This is the experience of 75 + refurbed NES's behind me talking.

Whichever method suits you

[chadtower]

Agreed. Bending the pins is usually only necessary for really loose connections. A good light sanding/cleaning usually does the trick. I just did three of them the other day with an emory board and it worked on all three.

How rare are those test carts, btw?

[omnedon]

I've heard about $200USD rare.... @_@

I got mine through a game store buddy, and he gave it to me.

Now he owns my soul.... LOL

[chadtower]

Oookay, then. Since I'm not going to be spending $200 on a test cart any time soon... what are the best methods for testing a newly refurbed pin? My guess at this point is just to try out about 20 varied carts on it but that takes longer than refurbing the connector does.

BTW, should a refurbed connector be considered truly good if the NES is touchy once the game is being played? I know a lot of NES units don't stand up well to be jostled during gameplay...

[omnedon]

For me to call it a 'pass' and charge $, the unit has to be able to take light jostling without resetting or freezing, in addition to pssing al the NTF2 tests. Moderate to severe jostling will make the cart snap down mechanism pop up, and a rest in that circumstance is to be expected, regardless of how good the pin is.

The use of my NTF2 cart is main reason I haven't written a pin refurb tutorial. Most people can't test with an NTF2 cart, and it's a cornerstone of how I do it. :o

[OLD_SCHOOL_SAM]

sooo, 3 rows or 4 rows of pins? please..

[omnedon]

In your diagram, I sand between point A, and the row above it, in your pic. that is where the cart contacts go.

[ste]

sooo, 3 rows or 4 rows of pins? please..

There should be 2 sets of 2 rows - 2 for the NES cart to plug into, 2 for the main board to plug into.

Are you saying you only have 3 rows? Your previous post said you had no pins in the area labelled A.

If you really want to use this method, you need a really really small screw driver, you have to sneak behind and Under the pin to lift it up. Usually, you'll slightly press down on the left or right - depending on what side you start from. A compass (i.e. the one used to draw circles) is also good for this type of job.

I found this method quite simple to perform - but Omnedon's method sounds really simple - I'll use it next time I pick up an NES.

[chadtower]

Dammit... I have a stack of NES that I just can't seem to get working well. I had tried the sanding method with an emory board, which looked like it was working well, but then with testing a large number of carts most of them still failed. I picked up some 100 grit paper today and am going to try that. Maybe the emory board just isn't strong enough.

[omnedon]

I do find that I come very close to tearing the pins at times. Occoasionally, one will start to tear, but if careful enough, you can just push the tear back down, and resume.

This is a black art it seems. LOL

[chadtower]

Dude, we've already said like 3 times... FOUR ROWS OF PINS.

[OLD_SCHOOL_SAM]

Yes, I see. I guess I am just stumped as to how mine only has 3 rows. Did someone remove a row? I just doubt anyone would do that. Is there a reason behind it?

confused ~

[§ Gideon §]

Looking at your attached pic, things are fine. Nothing is missing. In fact, you linked to proof of this (http://www.classicgaming.com/images/image.asp?/features/articles/nesrepair/nesslot.jpg) in your first post. Compare and contrast.

So, have you fixed it yet? Jeez, this is getting a little annoying.

[dreamcaster]

I just bent the pins on my connector and now my NES loads most of my cartridges first time!

It's not that hard to do. :roll:

Then again, I've had my fair share of experience in dismantling consoles.

[OLD_SCHOOL_SAM]

well, people keep saying 4 rows and I only see 3 so I asked....

no its not fixed, I gave up and waiting on my new connector from my ebay order.

Thanks anyway all ~

[chadtower]

Dude, if there isn't that 'missing' row of pins than your NES never worked. It's THERE. It's just set back more than the others. LOOK AT IT.