pics would help...

I know there's a good chance it's beyond hope, but despite the corrosion on the IC leads, there's no evidence of damage to the mobo or traces, though I've yet to pull the board and put it under some magnification.

As for the case, I can't presume to reasonably restore it to factory condition, at least as far as the texture is concerned, but maybe a good match on the color will be satisfactory.

oh, i've seen worse. Not much, but this is salvageable.

The question you have right now; how deep do you want to go down the rabbit hole in terms of time and money? This machine can go either way. It can be restored, at significant expense, or it could be used for parts to restore other machines.

In any event. I'd take the big pieces apart and wash everything down. Clear the dirt to just see what you are getting yourself into. Dont get the speaker or any motors wet, but the cards/motherboard can literally be put in the dishwasher. Just get the big chunks cleaned.

What is your experience with fixing electronics?

luckybob wrote:

oh, i've seen worse. Not much, but this is salvageable. […]
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oh, i've seen worse. Not much, but this is salvageable.

The question you have right now; how deep do you want to go down the rabbit hole in terms of time and money? This machine can go either way. It can be restored, at significant expense, or it could be used for parts to restore other machines.

In any event. I'd take the big pieces apart and wash everything down. Clear the dirt to just see what you are getting yourself into. Dont get the speaker or any motors wet, but the cards/motherboard can literally be put in the dishwasher. Just get the big chunks cleaned.

What is your experience with fixing electronics?

I keep tossing the rabbithole question around, myself. Not sure how far I want to take it, really. I've got nothing but time, so I can solder / desolder to my heart's content. I'm not super experienced, but I've got a decent gun and know how to use a desolder braid. 😀 I've done a couple recaps and I'm generally not afraid of trying. Given the condition of this piece, I'd not be heartbroken if it turns out unsalvageable or just a bit out of my reach. I don't see evidence of trace damage on the motherboard, though I haven't got it under magnification just yet.

I need to figure out logic testers, too - I'm thinking that'll be a pretty critical element in moving forward on restoring the IC's, unless the assumption here is that they're all likely going to get tossed... Really, the value of bringing this thing back is just learning, I think. I imagine I'll know quite a bit about how a 5150 works by the time I'm done.

The power supply popped a cap when I plugged it in (unplgged it from the mobo first, of course), and I've never dealt with rehabbing a PSU before. I suppose that's the first order of business...

joelgraff wrote:

I keep tossing the rabbithole question around, myself. Not sure how far I want to take it, really. I've got nothing but time, so I can solder / desolder to my heart's content. I'm not super experienced, but I've got a decent gun and know how to use a desolder braid. 😀

Thats just fine for 9/10 things you will run into on these. Right now, I'd clean what you can, and reseat all the parts possible. Make sure all the sockets are free of green fuzzies. This stuff is mandatory: https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-D5S-6-DeoxIT-Cont … =gateway&sr=8-3 and a cheap toothbrush

Given the condition of this piece, I'd not be heartbroken if it turns out unsalvageable or just a bit out of my reach. I don't see evidence of trace damage on the motherboard, though I haven't got it under magnification just yet.

Exactly my point, this is a machine that someone like me would use for parts to complete other machines. So there is no harm in the attempt. Also, this machine is not beyond repair, so there is quite a lot to learn with little to lose should something go absolutely tits up.

I need to figure out logic testers, too - I'm thinking that'll be a pretty critical element in moving forward on restoring the IC's, unless the assumption here is that they're all likely going to get tossed... Really, the value of bringing this thing back is just learning, I think. I imagine I'll know quite a bit about how a 5150 works by the time I'm done.

I don't have a logic tester. I've never ran into a reason to get one. The real problem is having a known good 2nd board to swap parts from.

The power supply popped a cap when I plugged it in (unplgged it from the mobo first, of course), and I've never dealt with rehabbing a PSU before. I suppose that's the first order of business...

^.^ If I had a $1 for every cap that has popped when I wasn't expecting it...

Now, if it is a cap INTERNAL to the power supply, this video is relevant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAbrU17hLTM
If it on the motherboard, this is also a common occurrence. A google search for 'IBM 5150 recap' will have much more info than I can provide. Believe it or not, I've never recapped a IBM motherboard. They've all been okay and I have 10 of them. *shrug*

Also, while vogons is a great place, we don't specialize in these machines. That said, http://www.vcfed.org/forum/forum.php is going to be a treasure trove of information. Just take Chuck and Stone with a grain of salt, while they know their shit, they tend to be ornery old fucks.

luckybob wrote:

Exactly my point, this is a machine that someone like me would use for parts to complete other machines. So there is no harm in the attempt. Also, this machine is not beyond repair, so there is quite a lot to learn with little to lose should something go absolutely tits up.

Precisely. I'm too cheap to get in bidding wars on ebay and I just don't see them show up around me. I'd just leave it aside as a donor system, too, but at the moment, I don't know if or when I'll ever get another, 🤣.
Of course, I'll put into this what I would have spent for something functional on ebay when I'm done, I'm sure... Still - it's easier to spend money on maintenance than it is on capital. 😀

luckybob wrote:

I don't have a logic tester. I've never ran into a reason to get one. The real problem is having a known good 2nd board to swap parts from.

Yeah, since I don't have a spare, I figured a logic tester would come in handy just to verify that an IC isn't internally damaged, but I don't know that a cheap one would get me very far. The only other IBM I have is my PS/2 model 30 8086 from when I was a kid.

luckybob wrote:

^.^ If I had a $1 for every cap that has popped when I wasn't expecting it... […]
Show full quote

^.^ If I had a $1 for every cap that has popped when I wasn't expecting it...

Now, if it is a cap INTERNAL to the power supply, this video is relevant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAbrU17hLTM
If it on the motherboard, this is also a common occurrence. A google search for 'IBM 5150 recap' will have much more info than I can provide. Believe it or not, I've never recapped a IBM motherboard. They've all been okay and I have 10 of them. *shrug*

Also, while vogons is a great place, we don't specialize in these machines. That said, http://www.vcfed.org/forum/forum.php is going to be a treasure trove of information. Just take Chuck and Stone with a grain of salt, while they know their shit, they tend to be ornery old fucks.

Thanks for the tips. It's been really helpful. Just got done watching Adrian Black fix a 5150 that did have a bad tantalum. So I suppose it happens. Anyway, once I get the torx security driver, I'll be cracking open the PSU to see what popped. It wasn't loud or super smelly, so I'm hoping it wasn't a large cap.

As for forums , didn't know about the one you linked, but I've already posted elsewhere and have gotten trolled half the time, 🤣. Still, I'll check it out - any testing / troubleshooting tips I can get will undoubtedly come in handy.

I have quite a few spare parts too, so i'm always at your disposal. while the 5150 isn't the system I prefer (5160 FTW), I have several and lots of spare parts I've been meaning to get onto ebay.

luckybob wrote:

Dont get [...] any motors wet,

Actually, normally you can get them wet with no ill consequences - as long as they're entirely dry when you start using them again.

If you ever have to run in a brushed motor (= make sure the brushes are shaped to match the commutator), hang it upside down by the leads in a glass of water (don't put the other end of the leads under water), and run it. 😎

well, its still sound advice. Usually its stupid hard to get water out of them once its in there. And if there happens to be paper insulators inside, water will damage that. There also might be bearings in/near motors and water really fucks them up.

The disadvantages outweigh the advantages here imho.

luckybob wrote:

I have quite a few spare parts too, so i'm always at your disposal. while the 5150 isn't the system I prefer (5160 FTW), I have several and lots of spare parts I've been meaning to get onto ebay.

I'll keep it in mind. As I look over the IC's one of the worst is the 8088. Several leads have rust at the top right next to the chip, which doesn't seem like a good sign. 😒 In fact, at a glance, I would be inclined to think that it might be the only chip that won't run... If so, I may go hunting for a NEC CPU. I did that with my PS/2 - generally pleased with the result. That is, unless you can sub in an 8086 in a 5150 😀