Turbo Express Repair and Overhaul

[xelement5x]

So with some help from a friend I recently got a Turbo Express, my first ever after years of looking for a good price.

Here's the details:
It turns on fine from what I can tell.  I used batteries since I don't have an AC adapter.
Cosmetically it's in decent shape, there's a crack on the front lens but the screen underneath seems fine.
It also boots up a game when inserted, but there's no sound.

The start and run buttons work, but the other controls don't seem to work
One of the turbo switch sliders looks like it's broken, but the pieces are still inside the unit.

I know these normally needs cap replacements, so I opened it up.  Here's the control board:
Turbo Express Control Board by xelement5x, on Flickr

So, hoping for a bit of assistance in my next steps.  I'm pretty decent with soldering so I don't mind doing the change, but I'm wondering if anyone knows the best source to get the following:

1) Replacement lens cover
2) A good cap kit. I'm fine with SMD or radial, just want to make sure the quality is good
3) A region switch. I remember someone was selling kits previously that were really easy to install, and there was an extra board you could by for the express so that you could hold down select or something on boot to switch the region.

Oh, and if there are recommendations for any other parts I should swap out while I'm in there I'm all ears.

[nyandeyanen]

console5.com has a lot of what you're looking for. The cap leaks in these systems can get really bad, this controller board actually doesn't look too far gone compared to one I have. There's more under the shielding on the main board though. I've also seen two systems with cracked ceramic caps, one was so far gone that there was nothing left but the terminals aside where the ceramic part would have been.

[xelement5x]

Thanks!  I see they've got the radial and SMD versions of the cap kids I may just pick up both to see which is easier to fit.

I've yet to take off that heat shield on the other side as well.  It looks like taking that off is really one of the harder parts of this update.  I've heard from some people just to discard the shield after removing it but I'm not sure how that could turn out in terms of shorts.  I suppose I could always put down some Kapton tape instead...

Turbo switch is totally cracked, will probably use locktite to re-join the pieces.

[esteban]

OK, I am ashamed to ask this, but the sound on my TE is now basically 1-10% (stupidly I've been living with this and not getting capacitors fixed).

Do you have any recommendations on who might fix TEs these days? I know a bunch of folks from the past... but I have no idea who is actively doing this now. I know I have to ask other places, too, but it doesn't hurt to start here. I have such little desire to check facebook for this sort of thing... 

[Necromancer]

Chops is my go to guy; he's on discord often.  Keith here is also a good bet.

If that switch is the same as the ones in pads, I have a dead pad that can donate its switch.

[esteban]

Chops is my go to guy; he's on discord often.  Keith here is also a good bet.

If that switch is the same as the ones in pads, I have a dead pad that can donate its switch.

Chops is probably watching Tom Baker era Dr. Who as I type this.

[Keith Courage]

Super glue that slider back together. I do that all the time. Works great.

Also, I have some CBT3383 Chips on hand for region mods.

[xelement5x]

Super glue that slider back together. I do that all the time. Works great.

Also, I have some CBT3383 Chips on hand for region mods.

Nice! do you just wire them up yourself using the chip instead of a board?  The region mod isn't a huge thing since I could use an everdrive but I'd prefer the option.  I talked to a local friend who does this stuff too and he doesn't have any boards but I guess he's asking around. 

I found this thread:
https://www.pcenginefans.com/forum/index.php?topic=10112.0

But it looks like turbokon isn't selling the chips anymore on his website, and I haven't had luck reaching out to steve yet. 

The version 3 flex ones look really cool, but I haven't seen them around at all.  Also that switchless mod for the TE is badass, but I don't see them either.  I'd have to assume the switchless board checks continuity of the select button on boot or something and uses that as the switch.  I'd be happy to get more of them all made myself if I had the gerbers or whatever. 

[xelement5x]

Got it apart further yesterday when I had a bit of time.  Definitely some bad caps here you can see the leaking on the joints:




Still need to pull off the FCC/grounding plate to fully get to them and then remove them. 

I had been watching this video from iFixRetro and the only thing that seemed odd to me was he just doused the board in vinegar after removing the old caps.  Seems a bit excessive to me but possibly expected to counter the electrolytic fluid?

[Keith Courage]

Not really sure what you mean by region mod board. This is what I use and then just wire it up. I usually use a Rocker switch instead of a Slider but you get the idea.



I've always been afraid to use vinegar since I've seen vinegar corrode metal/aluminum. So some grounding plates on that board could start corroding from it. I just stick to rubbing alcohol and a toothbrush if I see excessive amounts of leakage on boards.

[xelement5x]

Not really sure what you mean by region mod board. This is what I use and then just wire it up. I usually use a Rocker switch instead of a Slider but you get the idea.



I've always been afraid to use vinegar since I've seen vinegar corrode metal/aluminum. So some grounding plates on that board could start corroding from it. I just stick to rubbing alcohol and a toothbrush if I see excessive amounts of leakage on boards.

Oh very cool!  I might be down for one of those boards, they seem like they'd do the trick fine.  Let me finish the caps on this first though.

Yeah I figured vinegar might be a bit corrosive as well so I'll probably stick to isopropyl as well. Got the shielding off yesterday, will maybe try and pull off the caps today or tomorrow.  Most people seem to use the twist method, but the snipping across seems a bit less rough on the board so I may start with that.  I've got the caps enroute too, huzzah!

[xelement5x]

More progress, I was able to get all the old capacitors off without too much issue, chop mentioned that the pads are very delicate on this so I tried to be very careful when removing them. 

Instead of the twist method I basically kind of chopped them in half with snippers, while pushing down on the cap (so I didn't accidentally rip it off the pads while cutting) then I used side cutters to get rid of the rest of the lead so I could remove the black plastic part and get it out.  Turned out pretty well I think!


You can also see how juicy that audio circuit was, yuck!


Now I need to clean off the board pretty well and touch up the pads.  Hopefully the replacement caps come soon so I can put them on.  Holiday shipping right now is nuts though.

[MasterofBiscuits]

I think the theory behind vinegar is that it's an acid and will neutralise the alkaline capacitor electrolyte (and cheaper that using IPA or PCB cleaner). Personally I use IPA with a swab and give it a spray with PCB cleaner.

If you have battery leakage though, vinegar is the best.

[xelement5x]

I think the theory behind vinegar is that it's an acid and will neutralise the alkaline capacitor electrolyte (and cheaper that using IPA or PCB cleaner). Personally I use IPA with a swab and give it a spray with PCB cleaner.

If you have battery leakage though, vinegar is the best.

That makes sense, I actually used vinegar a lot for getting rid of the smoke smell in plastic items (enclose in a container with open bowl of vinegar) and works quite well.  I did it one time with a Dreamcast controller though and was too lazy to take the guts out the first time.  It corroded all the surfaces on it and was a bad move.  I've been good about disassembly since but lol yeah, vinegar and PCBs makes me nervous.

I was lucky to get four 32oz 99% IPA bottles recently so thankfully I've got much less of a problem using that in terms of availability.  Finished cleaning the board and re-tinning the pads this weekend, LOTs of using a q-tip or old toothbrush to clean the gunk off.  Still waiting for the caps though, and I'm hoping I didn't damage that inductor under the goop when pulling off the insulator/caps in the upper left corner.

[CZroe]

I got my Turbo Express at Goodwill around 13 years ago. Of course, the audio was low and the screen was hard to see but it was better after it warmed up. I would open it up and check everything about once or twice a year until a few years ago when I noticed a freshly leaked capacitor on the controller board. I went ahead and choped it off (it was a thru-hole cap) and removed some other caps that were a little more accessible to me with a soldering iron and then set it aside until I had better equipment to remove the shielding (I didn't have a hot air station back then). Well, earlier this year I took it apart again and found another freshly leaked cap had dropped down and contaminated the card slot PCB, so I finally threw it on the board pre-heater and got the RF/EMI shielding off to do a proper cap job.

I was very proud of my work, having removed all the caps without damage, fluxed and cleaned up all the pads, cleaned all the electrolyte with 99.9% isopropyl, cleaned and resoldered many passives, cleared all the vias, checked continuity everywhere there was a cap of a clogged via, tinned/plated over any existing corrosion, used proper SMD caps, etc... but it doesn't seem to power on anymore. The thing that looks like a voltage regulator doesn't seem to be getting power. When trying to trace the power circuit I removed some of the potting compound and found a cracked inductor but as far as I know that could have happened when removing the compound even though I was being careful. I feel like I need to buy and refurbish a PCE GT just to troubleshoot my own dead Turbo Express but my confidence was so shaken by this that I'm really not sure I want to risk that.

To add perspective, I've literally installed hundreds of UltraHDMI kits, dozens of WiiDual, dozens of DCDigital/DCHDMI, dozens of Hi-Def NES, several PS1Digital, several GCDual, etc kits. I definitely know my way around a SMD recap job.