cleaning the motherboard

[littleowl]

I would like to here from everyone about cleaning off all the conformal compound and dielectric grease?
Please let me know how you do it?

Thanks for everyones replys!!!

[REBEL900]

Go to an autoparts store and get Brake Parts Cleaner, i use it to clean my cpu from dielectric grease and so on.

[littleowl]

Thanks REBEL900

[bestmancajun]

smells good too...

[snipper_cr]

Rubbing alcohol (91%) got the conformal coating off of my motherboard. As far as the dieletric grease, a safty pin to clean the holes and lots of destilled water to rinse it off.

[littleowl]

I will have to try that snipper!! Thanks

[s7e9h3n]

I've used a paint-brush cleaner from the HW store as it has similar properties to pcb cleaners used in electronics washes. Rinsed with tap water to get initial dirt off and followed up using only distilled through the final cleaning. To dry the board, threw on a shoe rack in a clothes dryer as they are designed to remove moisture as the item is being dried. Used a air compressor and blow-gun @ 90PSI to blow any excess water off and if I saw anything, then I'd stick it back in the dryer for another 10min or so. Using a hair-drier may cause some deposits to form......

http://img435.imageshack.us/img435/2861/mobowholedirty9mv.jpg

http://img435.imageshack.us/img435/7720/mobosidedirty9nr.jpg

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/1424/mobomiddirty5tf.jpg

http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/5135/moboqtip9zz.jpg



http://img449.imageshack.us/img449/9794/mobodry2nr.jpg

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/4078/mobowash6eu.jpg

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/5921/mobosub4be.jpg

[s7e9h3n]

http://img449.imageshack.us/img449/5016/mobowholeclean0fw.jpg

http://img430.imageshack.us/img430/1971/mobosideclean2js.jpg

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/5466/mobomidclean6nm.jpg

[kiwi]

Are you sure tap water is safe? I mean won't iron or anything else that is in water stay on that board after that?

I haven't removed dielectric grease but I usually use acetone for anything else but I've found out that nail polish for example, is extremely hard to remove completely even soaking it in acetone.

[s7e9h3n]

Are you sure tap water is safe? I mean won't iron or anything else that is in water stay on that board after that?

I haven't removed dielectric grease but I usually use acetone for anything else but I've found out that nail polish for example, is extremely hard to remove completely even soaking it in acetone.
Tap is safe as long as you do the final washes using distilled. Ideally I would have used distilled ONLY, but I didn't have enough at that time. :p: I used to use acetone and such to try to remove all that stuff on the board and ran into the same problems as you. In fact, most of the mess on the board was created from using an entire can of contact cleaner trying to "wash away" the mess. Instead, the cleaner just spread all the gunk over the entire board and made it even MORE dirty than before I started :rolleyes:

[REBEL900]

That's a nice alternative s7e9h3n, but with 1 or 2 cans of brake parts cleaner blowing down, your done in no time with less of a mess without having to worry about having to blow dry and check and dry over and over, recheck etc.

[littleowl]

wow this is some good info!! I have to admit that your a brave person because I would be too scared to try that!!
Thanks for the pics that is a great to see how well it worked!!! :)

[[XC] mysticmerlin]

Your a brave brave man. Does the Mobo still work ?

[eBoy0]

Were you keeping cocaine in the dimm slots?:slapass:

[kiwi]

Check this (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=81984) this thread for some fun with fairy to clean the board :D

[littleowl]

Thanks Kiwi I am reading it now!! I still think it seems really risky to put it in water like that!! :)

[littleowl]

so let me tell everyone what I tryed today and what I learned!!
One of the boards I used got conformal in the AGP slot!! I went out and got a new mobo (all happened about 4 months ago) I didn't want to through away the mobo because I was sure someone has done something like this! (Ok you get the drift lets cut this short!)
The other day I too acitone to the back of the board and well I didn't see how I could get all that crap out of the pins on the agp!!
Today I decided before work I would try the break cleaner and it worked great but the problem I did learn was make sure you have a stiff brush I used a paint brush and it was just too soft I got a hard tooth brush and it worked ok but was still just a little too soft! I liked the water and dryer idea but I am just way too chicken to try it! :) I thank everyone for the info and I hope to here more so that others may learn like I have!!!!!! :) :p:

[littleowl]

before:
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/2716/dcp38014xj.jpg

After:
http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/4117/dcp38034gy.jpg

Thanks to http://imageshack.us/ for helping me post pics!! :D

[littleowl]

UPDATE!:
I had the board pronounced dead because I had gotten conformal compond in the AGP slot and after the brake cleaner it workes great!! :toast: :banana: :banana: :banana: :woot:

[REBEL900]

Brake cleaner to the rescue ;)

[littleowl]

your the man rebel900 Thanks again to everyone!!

[Holst]

I wouldnt ever recomend putting water on a motherboard!!

Brake cleaner or isoproprinol alchohol is the best way.