I just bought a defected iBook G3 from eBay for under $91 including postage and am wondering what to use to resolder the chip onto the board. I've heard of the heat gun and the tealight wicks in alcohol, as well as the shim fix. Which one is the most efficient? Can I find heat guns in Bunnings? How much will it cost? Can I find alcohol (not booze) in Coles or Woolies? What is the best shim to use? Thanks, bigdude101
PS it's the 12" G3 900MHz.
PPS how can I recell a battery?

From where did it defect?

i have used the shim, none of the others—i did get it to work tho (G4 iBook).

The logic board.

Considering the type of questions you are asking about heat guns, I'll make a suggestion. Forget using one, the potential to affect surrounding components, even accidentally or inadvertantly is a real issue. Heat guns aren't tools as such they are weapons (How would you be planning to practice for example?). Just to see how much damage you can do in 10 seconds, get an old logic board (off a dead hard drive or something) and see how fast you can remove surface mount components. It's absolutely frightening and you have to consider that you will want to heat just one GPU chip, just enough (but not too much) to reflow the solder without affecting any of the other components at all.

As for the shim idea? Quick but not an effective or good repair in any respect

Alcohol: use methylated spirits ~ 70% ethanol, ~29.5 methanol and ~0.5% petroleum spirit.
Heat gun: Bunnings. A cheapy should be well less than $30.

Lucky I have a good family friend who knows electronics very well. He used to work in Defence with electronics. He'll help me through

I did a "fix" on a defective one I bought. 4 stickie feet stuck to the inside of the case where the GPU square is. Haven't had the problem since! Try that first.

i got the 500Mhz (dual USB model) and i think the logic board is going on that beacause the battery has at least a day a week where it does'nt wanna work

Read through the stuff on this forum
A DIY iBook Dual USB Logic Board Repair - MacNN Forums
it will help you understand the risks.

I have had 2 logic board repairs by Apple to my iBook G3 dual USB 700 and when it failed again, managed to get another 6 months use with the shim method (4 x rubber feet above the chip) when the problem recurred.

Then tried the heat gun to re float the solder, explained in the attached link. As mentioned, I dropped a couple of pieces of solder on top of the graphics chip and heated the area with the heat gun (paint stripper type, available @ Bunnings if you like). When the pieces of solder became molten I waited for around 20 seconds continuing to heat the area and watched the chip sink slightly to what I believed to be it's rightful place.

I put it all back together and it's worked like a charm for a few months now.

However, the symptoms have returned. Although the laptop is much more useable this time around. I seem to be able to turn it off and let it cool down and when I reboot the display returns and it's fine for another week.

I'm thinking I may have to repeat the process at some stage. I'm still impressed that I've taken what was nothing more than a doorstop and made it a useful device again.

So, I had nothing to lose by trying this method of repair and still don't by giving it another go.
I guess you could lose your $91. Good luck.

dunno what the problem is now but I picked up the machine and has a different issue. It chimes, then makes three beeps, like a telephone after being hung up. I checked the inkernets but it says bad ram.

Urgh - so that's with no other RAM installed? A few iBooks can go south this way sadly as well, faulty onboard RAM.

JB

Here is some more info on the GPU issue

It originates from a French website (but its translated). The iBook that was repaired was mine and the intial fix was done with a plastic coffee spoon:

Off the pic, I can't see how that'd be a long lasting solution tazgtz - shouldn't the plastic spoon be on top of the heatsink, not under which will result in overheating and more failure?

JB

Working heatsinks are for losers.