I typically replace the female connectors if possible, saving old ones for reuse.
Remove a pin, cut old crimp contact off, strip to length, crimp on new pin, insert pin into new housing.
Following this one for one process, you'll ensure the correct order is maintained.
Once the old housing is completely empy, I'll wash them in vinegar.

For the male sides, remove the board.
Sand the edge connector lightly to remove any corrosion, dirt, whatever.
"Tin" the copper strip by melting solder onto it, and while still molten wipe it off with a paper towel. Make sure you don't build solder mounds. Be careful to not apply too much heat as you can fry the copper from the board.

Good luck.
--
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
http://www.Team-EM.com
http://webpages.charter.net/chibler/Pinball/index.htm
http://www.PinWiki.com - The new place for pinball repair info

I have also used the fine sandpaper and re-tinning for the edge connectors on a Genie and it worked wonders.

"I typically replace the female connectors if possible, saving old ones for reuse."

So why don't you immediately re-use the one you have just taken off?

Andy

A reasonable question...I don't want to completely empty the connector while repinning. I want to do one pin at a time. Once I've transitioned each pin to the "new" connector, I bath the old one in vinegar to remove any hint of alkaline residue.

System 1/80 connectors are very reusable. You just need one extra to get started the way I prefer.

There you have it...
--
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
http://www.Team-EM.com
http://webpages.charter.net/chibler/Pinball/index.htm
http://www.PinWiki.com - The new place for pinball repair info

"Cleaning" header pins if significantly tarnished, is not feasible. Simply replace them. If you sand them, you'll remove the finish and the "fix" will be short term. You can use a pencil eraser on them for light tarnish.
--
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
http://www.Team-EM.com
http://webpages.charter.net/chibler/Pinball/index.htm
http://www.PinWiki.com - The new place for pinball repair info

Exposed copper will oxidize in no time. Cleaning it with an eraser (as Chris mentioned) is the best way to clean up oxidation. Old electrical trick from way back.

The act of plugging the connector onto the edge card actually does a certain amount of "cleaning" by the wiping action. It's why sometimes you need to plug and unplug connectors (in general) to get them to work. If they never move (ie: no vibration and the like), the will go for a LONG time. But, as the connections move slightly with no wiping action, you can get intermittent connection.

Jaz

I've always used an eraser for cleaning the board contacts unless they are
corroded. ONLY sand off the tin plating if it is damaged! Using solder is the
easiest way to re-plate but its difficult to get a smooth, thin coating. Use
solder wick to help with that. Remove the excess solder flux with alcohol.
Steve

Hey Chris - I see your advice all over System 80 questions on here -- thanks a lot. While I have you do you have a source for the edge connector pins?

My Black Hole works perfectly now... with the exception of the sound. It's sometimes works fine, other times plays all the wrong effects at the wrong times, and sometimes locks on a hellish scream in the middle of a game, and I have to restart the machine to fix.

I have read over and over about connectors on System 80 causing such intermittent problems, so I was thinking of repinning A6-J1 (pictured).

Thanks man.

Paul
IMG_0294.jpgIMG_0296.jpg

https://www.greatplainselectronics.com/products.asp?cat=77

@alonzomoselyfbi, the post directly above this is what I use.
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Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
Http://chrishiblerpinball.com/contact
http://www.PinWiki.com/ - The new place for pinball repair info

I see - thanks to you both. I wasn't understanding that the whole connector should be replaced. It's out of stock at Great Plains - Molex seems to have discontinued that model number and replaced it with another with the ribs in the wrong place. But it looks like Marco still has them!

You can reuse the connector that you have now.
--
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
http://www.ChrisHiblerPinball.com/Contact
http://www.PinWiki.com - The Place to go for Pinball Repair Info

Ok, interesting... the current connector and the pins inside (weirdly crimped perpendicular to the connector) look nothing like the new pins/connectors so I assumed I should replace both at once.

I need to document this for the PinWiki.
Use a small screwdriver to release the "tang" that locks the pin in place.
Pull the wire free from the connector. If you are lucky, the pin will come with it.
Use serrated tip needle nose pliers to grab the pin and pull it out.
That's it.

You can clip some of the connector off to clean it up a bit.
--
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
http://ChrisHiblerPinball.com/contact
http://www.PinWiki.com - The Place to go for Pinball Repair Info

Awesome. I think I can make that happen. I don't know what I'll do with all these extra connectors I ordered! Thanks once again.

A fibreglass pen cleans system 80 edge connectors nicely if they are tarnished. If you are down to the copper retin with solder/wipe off cloth method.

The new 12-pin edge connectors I received from Marco were in fact the Molex "replacement" part for the original part #09-01-6121, which has one rib in the wrong place. I carved the misplaced rib out with a sharp utility knife and then repinned it, wire by wire, from the old connector.

It has only been 24 hours, but the wacky intermittent sound problems I was having seem to be gone. Time will tell -- thanks... once again!
IMG_0305.jpg

Glad to see you got it fixed.

But it's completely baffling how Molex can discontinue a series that's been in use for 50 years only to replace the series with a new, incompatible series. Completely WTF!