Cheap way to desolder SMD capacitor?

The only cheap way I have used is to destroy the cap by cutting it down to the base with diags and then applying heat from a soldering iron tip while gently levering both sides in stages with a scalpel blade.

If you have a fine jet hot air gun you could use that.

In article , snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (known to some as snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com) scribed...

I run into those constantly in some of the radios I service. I find that a set of Pace Hot Tweezers works wonders.

Remember: The proper soldering/desoldering tools are an investment, not an expense.

Happy tweaking.

Hot air paint stripping gun - not ideal as the air flow rate is rather high (risk of blowing parts off the board as the solder melts) and too large an area heated typically, but if push comes to shove it will do the job.

They usually come out easily enough, if you heat what tiny piece of the leg is visible, one side at a time, and add new solder. Use a reasonable power iron eg 30-40 watts, and fitted with a pointed tip. The existing solder will then melt right under the leg, and you can lift up the first side simply by leaning the body of the cap over a few degrees. Then go back to the other side, and reheat its leg. This one will usually then allow the cap to lean over far enough the opposite way, to get that leg right off the board. Back to the other side, and one more application of the iron, will fetch that leg off also. Clean up the pads with desolder braid. Make sure you noted carefully which was the " + " side of the cap, before fitting a new one. Place new one on pads, and hold on with your index finger tip. Apply iron to one side, and hold it there for a couple of seconds. The tinning on the pad and leg, will hold the cap 'tacked' in place. Now heat the other side, and apply a tiny amount of fine gauge solder. Finally, reheat the first side, again applying solder.

Whilst using a heat gun is ok if you're experienced, I would caution against it, if you're not, and don't want to see a neat pile of other surface mounted components that were nearby the one you wanted off, all sitting on your bench ...

Cutting the cap is also a workable method, but be careful if you do, that you don't sqash the bottom of the cap too, and tear the legs, complete with pads, off the board. I would agree with Anton above, who said in his post that good soldering equipment is an investment, but I also completely understand that this is often not a practical proposition for the non-professional, who'd only going to use it once a year.

Arfa

Pain in A$$. I had to deal with 50H82 toshiba replacing most of it just with my adjustable weller. I don't get that, this metal box has plenty of height space for standard through hole capacitors which I did instead. Just to get color back per the toshiba bulletin.

Cheers, WIzard

I had a TV tech show me a way to remove these type caps from a mitsubishi circuit board. He mashed the "can" with a pair of needle nose pliers and twisted it off the board. The two "leads" were left soldered to the board. Each "lead" can be desoldered individually.

TOM

It doesn't always work. though. Many Sony CD players of a few years ago, are fitted with a servo pcb on the bottom of the deck, which employs several of these exact type sm electros, which in the case of the Sony, leak. If you go ahead and replace them with standard radial lead types, the board will never work again ...

Arfa

I understand, I made sure to use decent caps that has best ESR. The new SMD ones we have here is also poor on ESR.

Cheers, Wizard

I would use two soldering irons, one in each hand, to heat both pins at once. For at least one of the irons, an Antex brand might do well, they are cheap and much better than most of the irons at that price. You might already have a good iron to use in your other hand.

Chris