nesdev.org

We all know that when a game is inserted into an NES and is pushed down, it bends the pins gradually ruining the 72-pin connector. Does anyone know a way to fix this?

Clean it every once in awhile...you can even rebend the pins. No way to fix it other then getting a toploader nes. It's really not THAT hard to clean it every once in awhile. (make sure your games are clean before putting 'm in and dont blow on them)

Keep your games clean with a little bit of brasso and then wipe the residue with 50% rubbing alcohol and 50% water. Then, apply deoxit to protect the contacts from further corrosion over the years.

To clean the 72 pin connector, I find the most effective method to be getting a narrow greeting card and then folding a piece of white printer paper over the end and then inserting it a couple of times in the 72 pin connector. If you have a thin enough greeting card, it won't even bend the pins as much as a cartridge, yet a lot of black stuff seems to come off after a couple of inserts. I have to perform this maintenance once every few months when I'm playing a lot...seems to keep it in good working order. I also have a new 72 pin connector (or at least, professionally refurbished. I haven't tried bending my own pins).

*EDIT* a comment on "black stuff":

Beware using brasso. It will ALWAYS turn black. Don't interpret the blackness as "dirt." Instead, are the contacts shiny? If so, stop, then wipe the residue as described above.

Black stuff on the paper on the greeting card DOES stop coming off after a couple of inserts. I guess it must be dust or something.

Gradualore wrote:To clean the 72 pin connector, I find the most effective method to be getting a narrow greeting card and then folding a piece of white printer paper over the end and then inserting it a couple of times in the 72 pin connector. If you have a thin enough greeting card, it won't even bend the pins as much as a cartridge, yet a lot of black stuff seems to come off after a couple of inserts.

I think the official Super NES cleaning kit does something like this. (The original NES cleaning kit used a wet system.)

I have the SNES kit. It is like a weird foam board thing in the shape of the connector. I think it also came with some kind of wet and dry brush and some kind of liquid solution you put on it. So you used the wet side of the brush and solution on your cartridges. Then the dry side. For the console you just put the cleaning cartridge with the weird white foam thing inside it and repeatedly insert and remove the cartridge to remove nasty stuff. It worked well.

MottZilla wrote:I have the SNES kit. It is like a weird foam board thing in the shape of the connector. I think it also came with some kind of wet and dry brush and some kind of liquid solution you put on it. So you used the wet side of the brush and solution on your cartridges. Then the dry side. For the console you just put the cleaning cartridge with the weird white foam thing inside it and repeatedly insert and remove the cartridge to remove nasty stuff. It worked well.

Is it by Players Edge and has a little door on the front of the cart with the wet, dry, and other pads? If so I have it and used it on my decks yesterdy when I saw this, I think it work decently actually. For game cleaning use Wieman or watever stove top cleaner, that stuff it awesome.

stove top cleaner seems a little harsh considering the pins are plated.

Your getting me wrong, I'm looking for a way to prevent the bending of the pins. I'm not looking for a way to clean them/the games.

endrien wrote:Your getting me wrong, I'm looking for a way to prevent the bending of the pins.

Well just don't push it down.

Buy a new 72-pin connector (from a trusted source) & it should be tight enough so you shouldn't have to push down on it.

Another thing is that if you do have to push down on games, don't leave them in the "down" position overnight.