[b3lha]

Originally Posted by longassname

I'm pretty good at desoldering; I don't have any problems removing the surface mounts. I think your euro and jdm tcu's might not be coated but the usdm tcus are coated after assembly--that's really the annoying thing about socketing them. It costs a fortune in solvent getting them stripped before desoldering.

I guess now is a good time to give tips to anyone who's going to socket a US tcu. Don't even try desoldering/soldering until after you clean off the coating. Assuming you aren't experienced at desoldering, do what Phil does and cut the legs of the surface mount with an exacto knife instead of desoldering it (cut along the rom, not the pcb). If you do a clean job of cutting the legs you shouldn't even have to desolder them. You still have to clean the coating off of the through holes for the dip chip before you can empty them and solder in the socket.

The euro and jdm ones are coated too. I haven't used solvent on mine. Just melted it with the soldering iron and scraped off the residue. Then take off any remaining solder with copper braid and polish with a fibreglass pencil. It looks shoddy but it works.

Solvent would be a better way to do it, but I didn't know at the time.