ByteRot :: Repairing Nintendo 64 Cartridge Slot

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Repairing Nintendo 64 Cartridge Slot

Device	Nintendo 64
Difficulty	Moderate
Time	No estimate
Steps	5

This guide is by Benjamin Donnelly on iFixit and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0. ByteRot mirrors it for non-commercial preservation: formatting changed and photos resized for old browsers; full-size photos and the text are on the FTP in /DOCS/REPAIR. Original guide >>

Tools: Soldering Workstation

Step 1

• Open the Nintendo 64 to gain access to the motherboard. For instructions, go here.

Step 2

• Detach the current slot from the motherboard. To do this, simply pull at the cartridge slot located in the center at the rear of the console. Rock it back and forth and pull upwards until it detaches. Be careful of the pins connected at the bottom. These will need to be wired to the motherboard, so do not damage them.

Step 3

• Once the slot is disconnected, the soldering process begins. This will take 30-40 minutes as there are 44 motherboard-to-pin connections to be made. Obtain a spool of wire at least 96 inches long. There will be a 2-inch wire connection per pins (2 inches x 48 pins = 96 inches), so cut the wire into 48 sections of 2-inches each.

Step 4

• Start by soldering one end of the 2-inch wire to the left-most pin on the disconnected cartridge slot, and the other end of the wire to the left most contact point on the motherboard. Repeat this step for each pin-to-connection point. There is a front and back row, each with 24 contact points.

Step 5

• When all the connections are made, you should have a crowded group of wires. Place the connected cartridge slot into position so that it fits back into its original position when the cover of the Nintendo 64 is put back into place. Test its functionality by inserting a cartridge into the slot and turning the system on.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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