System Board Baking?

[Navare]

Hello folks
I've reached a crossroads with my G5 in all I can do to fix an ongoing and seemingly unsolvable problem is a system board bake in the oven before I shell out for for a replacement system board.....

Has anyone attempted such a feat and what were your success rates?

Kind regards

N.

[Zotaccian]

Slightly offtopic, but...

I haven't baked any boards but instead used heat gun with infrared thermometer. I took couple strips of aluminium foil and circled the chip I wanted to reflow, single layer of foil is not enough. Blu-tack can also stand quite high temperatures so you could put it under the foil over spesific components if some not so heat tolerant components exist near the chip you want to bake. Some flux is also highly recommended altough eventually the solder will fail again if it is not replaced (reballed).

Longest fix I have accomplished has been 7 months. This was without any additional flux but I guess it wast just luck since everyone recommends using flux.

[Navare]

Originally Posted by Zotaccian

Slightly offtopic, but...

I haven't baked any boards but instead used heat gun with infrared thermometer. I took couple strips of aluminium foil and circled the chip I wanted to reflow, single layer of foil is not enough. Blu-tack can also stand quite high temperatures so you could put it under the foil over spesific components if some not so heat tolerant components exist near the chip you want to bake. Some flux is also highly recommended altough eventually the solder will fail again if it is not replaced (reballed).

Longest fix I have accomplished has been 7 months. This was without any additional flux but I guess it wast just luck since everyone recommends using flux.

Hmm interesting hadn't thought of that method....the only thing I don't own is a digital thermometer, what temperature did you take the chips too my friend?

Regards

N.

[Zotaccian]

Based on what I've read, non-leaded solder melts around 220-240 celcius so I took it around there, but when performing reflow with heat gun and using noname infrared thermometer I highly doubt the accuracy. Still it has worked in most cases, only the time it lasts has differed. Before the thermometer I have baked one Nvidia chip too much, it kinda started to boil or something, after that I knew that my heat gun can offer all that it takes to melt some solder

If the G5 has leaded solder it has lower melting temperature.

If you don't want to lose your temper I would find someone who can perform reball. Then again, it costs probably as muchas new (or used more likely) working board. I fixed my MBP couple times, first time with that 7 month success but eventually decided that it insane to disassemble the machine again and again after 3-4 months and I sold it for parts, now typing with my Fujitsu Siemens which still works (thanks to Intel GPU)....

[Wildy]

I've heard stuffing it in the microwave is pretty effective. Don't forget to post pics.

On a more serious note, make sure you surround the parts you don't want to bake in foil (as said before) to limit the amount of heat going to other components - if it's good enough to cook a turkey - it's good enough to bake a G5. Also make sure you put the board in level as it's possible that components will skew and mis-align if there's a tilt.

DISCLAIMER: DON'T PUT STUFF IN THE MICROWAVE

[ybz90]

Originally Posted by Wildy

I've heard stuffing it in the microwave is pretty effective. Don't forget to post pics.

On a more serious note, make sure you surround the parts you don't want to bake in foil (as said before) - if it's good enough to cook a turkey - it's good enough to bake a G5.

Not cool. I get the joke, but somebody is going to read that and fail to see your sarcasm, and then post angry things when their house is on fire.