Let’s take apart a Nintendo! (NES)

The Nintendo Entertainment System was released in 1985 and it's amazing.

Tools.

You need a philips screw driver for sure.  Optional, a toothbrush, Q-tips and Isopropyl Alcohol.

Let's get started. 

Flip the NES over and remove the six screws holding the case together.

Pop out the little tray in the center and use it to hold all the screws you take out.  Convenient!

Flip it back on its feet and take the top off.

Get ready, the machine is over 20 years old, there may be some disgusting things living or dead inside.

Remove the seven screws holding the metal shielding down.  Pull that off and you can see the cartridge ‘drop down’, the pin connector and the main board.

Remove the six screws holding the ‘drop down’ in place, two silver ones and four bronze.

Also, remove the two screws holding the rest of the main board down.  This will make it way easier to remove the drop down and pin connector.

Lift up the main board and slide off the drop down.  

Get a good grip on the pin connector and pull it off.  Watch out, you don’t want to graze your knuckles across the sharp solder points on the main board. 

It sucks.

Brush your teeth.

This is a good time to soak a toothbrush in alcohol and brush the pin connector.  You can choose to replace it, but, seriously, just clean it.

Or you could get one of these things to clean your pin connector.

 

This is usually how deep you have to go if you just want to replace your pin connector or try to fix your drop down.

Let’s go deeper.

Disconnect all the wires from the board.  Firmly grasp all the wires, as close as you can get to the connector, and wiggle the connector free.   If that bottom shield is in the way, twist the board free from the shield to get a better grip on the wires. 

Separate your board and take a good look at it.  Clean the contacts for the pin connector if you want.  Soak a Q-tip in alcohol and scrub it clean.

Side note:  If you need to replace the 'power a/v box', it’s soldered in like crazy.

You can pop off the top and bottom shield and check if your problem is a simple solder break. 

If you do need to replace the whole thing, invest in a solder sucker.

Back to what’s left.

Taking out the power and reset buttons are easy, two screws. 

Flip the bottom casing over and remove the two screws holding the black plate for the controller ports.

The plate folds down and comes off.  Remove the controller ports through their opening in the housing.  

That’s it, all the pieces are out.  Here’s a sweet picture of all of it.

Let’s put it all back together!

Count your screws.

The Nintendo has three different types of screws.  Two small and two long silver screws and twenty one bronze ones.  Easy.

Put the power switch back in (two screws, bronze).

Pop in the two controller ports and put the plate back on (two small screws, silver).  The port with the shortest wire is for controller one.

Feed the power button wire under the controller port wires.

Put the pin connector back on the board. 

Place the bottom shied on the board. 

Plug in the power and controller ports.  The board and shield should fit snugly into the bottom housing.

Slide the drop down back in place.   

Pro tip:  This little lip needs to be on the bottom of the board, if it’s on top it will stress the drop down and it may not work properly.

Screw in the drop down with the two long silver screws and four bronze screws.  The silver ones go in the second hole from the top on each side.

Screw in two more bronze screws beside the power a/v box. 

Put the top shield on and screw it down with seven bronze screws.

You should have six screws left, all bronze, use them to put the housing back together.

Clip the little tray back on the bottom and, voila, you’re done!