MSefi.com read only forum (Jan.15,2018)

Posted: **Sat Apr 30, 2005 10:31 am**

What is everyone using to glue down their crystal? I did manage to find the appropriate electonics safe RTV 162 at a few places on-line but it would cost about $30 for a 2 oz tube of the stuff. The idea of hot glue is nice, but since it melts at abou 120 degrees, won't it melt once the board warms up?
What seems to be working for the rest of you out there?
Thanks in advance!
Dan

Posted: **Sat Apr 30, 2005 10:46 am**

The board doesn't really warm up in a general manner, especially in the crystal mounting area. The FETs may get a tad warm but that's far from the crystal, relatively speaking. I have 20K miles on my MS without any special mounting of the crystal, just soldered and laid flat in the PCB plane. The MS box itself is mounted via a 3x5" sheet of Velcro so as to hopefully prevent any sharp vibration getting to the components. This makes it R&R easy too. At times I've thought about throwing a dab of RTV around the crystal but have decided that it probably would have failed by now so haven't. However, I'd go with the hot glue if I were you. I have it on my bench units' crystal and it seems to work fine.

-Mike

Posted: **Sat Apr 30, 2005 10:56 am**

I used standard automotive rtv silicone. Haven't had any problems yet...

Posted: **Sun May 01, 2005 4:36 pm**

Hi,
I use a hot glue gun - nice and soft ("cushioney"?) and simple to apply

Posted: **Mon May 02, 2005 5:37 am**

boost junkie wrote:I used standard automotive rtv silicone. Haven't had any problems yet...

You might want to be careful with that stuff. It certainly has different chemistry than normal "bathtub" RTV silicone, so as to be sensor safe (no acetic acid), but I'm not sure that makes it electronics safe. The Dow Corning electronics-safe stuff that I use is guaranteed not to attack any of the metals on PC boards, most notably copper, silver, zinc, tin or lead...

Posted: **Mon May 02, 2005 6:21 am**

I used hot glue.

jib

Posted: **Mon May 02, 2005 12:40 pm**

I used "that bathtub sealant"! Just basic clear and got a tube big enough to do probally 1000 Ms ECU's for $4. I figured since the build manual just said "clear silicone" and nothing more that it would work well. So far so good.

Posted: **Tue May 03, 2005 9:07 am**

Well, I ended up getting a cheapo hot glue gun and tried that- I put a blob on my MegaStim in the empty section as a test and it stuck.. well.. like glue.. so I glued the crystal on and it all looks good- it functions fine and is very solid on the board- stiffer than I would have thought, but it sure won't be bouncing around!
Thanks for the advice!