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

Well today I decided to start assembly of my MS 2.2. For whatever reason I made an epic mistake or maybe it is not so bad but I figure it was designed a Specific way for a reason.

Any way I got the 37 and 9 pin conecters in with ease and after watching a short tutorial on how to properly solder my job has been easier and they look professional. Anyway with new found confidence I dove into my pacakge and got to work. The funny part about this is last night I reviewed everything and made sure that everything was in there due to a mishap I had with my MegaStim.

So here is my goof. I decided to solder my CPU to the board instead of soldering the 40 pin socket like I was supposed too. Enjoy and laugh it up.

I am hoping that I have not destroyed it but something is telling me it is gone baby gone. I am hoping that I will merely have to order a new CPU and remove the one I destroyed.

LMK guys.

Thanks

No reason it would be destroyed by soldering - that's now it's made. So I'd see if things are OK before trying to remove it.

Removing it will prove tricky, as the important thing is not to damage the PCB. Best to use a proper de-solder station. And maybe cut it into small pieces with a Dremel etc first.

The good news is I have only soldered the CPU and 9 pin and 37 pin connecters. That is it. I thought about cutting the cpu leads as close to the board as possible on the socket side and the using tweezers to pull the opposite end while adding a solder gun heat to them. If the CPU is OK then I would try to cur what is left of the leads to fit in the socket.

Why can not I not just leave the chip as is? Is it necessary to use the socket?

miander wrote:The good news is I have only soldered the CPU and 9 pin and 37 pin connecters.

It's always best to follow assembly instructions as regards the sequence of fitting components, etc. For a variety of reasons.

That is it. I thought about cutting the cpu leads as close to the board as possible on the socket side and the using tweezers to pull the opposite end while adding a solder gun heat to them. If the CPU is OK then I would try to cur what is left of the leads to fit in the socket.

That indeed is the best way to avoid damage to the PCB. Use solder braid to remove as much solder as possible, if you don't have a desolder station.

Why can not I not just leave the chip as is? Is it necessary to use the socket?

You have nothing to lose by trying it.

I spoke to Matt Cramer at DIY and there is no problem with it being soldered. I do lose the oppertunity to replace it or upgrade later on if I wish to do so. That really is not my interest so I am going to continue on. What a relief though.

My main concern was that I was going to lose the MSnS option but that still seems to be OK. I can't wait to get it operable so I can begin to tinker on my car again. Going to plug it up with a set of cams and a wideband and see what it"ll do.

You don't lose the ability to upgrade or replace it later, it's just a bit harder. If the processor gets fried somehow, or you want to upgrade to MS2, you'll have to de-solder it - as you noted, quite possibly in pieces. At that point just clean up the holes, install the socket, and carry on. Considering the MS1 chip is $18 from Matt and the gang, this really isn't a major financial catastrophe.

Oh, and you AREN'T the first person to post here, confessing to this little faux pas...