Lead Free desoldering help!

[acorkos]

I'm trying to replace a broken input jack on a Fender G-DEC 30 amp...I'm having trouble removing the solder to pull off the broken jack. I have 25-watt Weller and 60-watt ECG irons, and I tried a friend's Weller WD1002 85 watt digital station...no luck in heating the solder up enough to suck it out, with either a Weller 7874B pump or with copper desoldering braid. Any (hopefully low-cost) suggestions? Thanks!

[52 Bill]

Add some new leaded solder to the existing joint and then try sucking it off.

[Kazooman]

I agree with 52 Bill. That should do it. If not, you might try one of the kits made for removing SMP chips such as Chip Quik. They are designed to blend with existing solder to lower the melting point.

[defaced]

If the board is free, get the solder molten and smack the PCB against something hard. You'll fling the solder out of the holes. Very effective, and no I'm not being a smartass.

How are you using the desoldering braid? I have never run into this problem with that. I place the braid between the iron and the solder to be removed.

[acorkos]

i tried flowing in some of my regular solder....no luck. i'll pick up some chip quik....that looks promising. thanks

[Steve Conner]

Did you try the digital iron with the temperature cranked up as hot as it would go?

[acorkos]

no luck w/digital iron set at 850 degrees

[jrfrond]

The melting point of RoHs solder is a little higher than that of Sn/Pb solder, and SHOULD melt with any solder iron. It will not flow like the old stuff though.

What I do is use a dab of RMA flux (the same kind that comes with Chip-Quik) to help things along, or alloy it with some regular solder.

I think your issue might be more with the double-sided PCB sinking too much heat. In this case, the Chip-Quik will work, because it will shift the melting point to around 200 degrees. As long as you keep all of the connections above this temperature, you should be able to pull the jack out of the PCB. You might also try a desolder pump instead of solder wick Cheap, contaminate/tarnished and/or old solder wick can be next to useless. After MANY years of trial and error, I purchase one brand only: Chem-Wik. Not cheap, but it works every time.

For those who use a lot of Chip-Quik (like we do) and find it pricey, I found another place to purchase the same stuff called ZephyrTronics. They call it Low-Melt Solder, and is about 2/3 the cost in bulk. It's all the same tin-bismuth alloy. I purchase the flux from a separate place called Howard Instrument Corp. If anyone wants the detail, PM me.

[dai h.]

bigger tip can help also (more heat capacity)

[jrfrond]

bigger tip can help also (more heat capacity)

This is extremely important. You need to size the tip to the job. I keep three sizes handy in a small metal tray and will change them on the fly if necessary. Two of us here have dual solder stations because of the type of gear we work on.

[Alex R]

Yes to all that and I wouldn't expect wick to suck high-melting-point solder out of a double-sided board with the metal jack contacts in there heatsinking things for you. Wick acts as a heatsink too, so I'd underline the point that that a solder-sucker will be more effective in that situation.

[Enzo]

Keep your eye on the prize.

Break up the old jack. Now you have a number of individual little metal pieces soldered to the holes. heat each joint and pull the metal leg from the hole when it melts. I find it helps to resolder with fresh solder first if they are stubborn. The fresh solder makes it easier to melt the connection.


Once you have the old jack leg removed you are left with a hole full of solder, not a hole with a leg in it. Much easier to clean that.

[R.G.]

Lead free solder in general has the flow characteristics of an equal-parts mix of hide glue, oatmeal, and steel wool. Solder wick and suckers have limited success with a pin still in the hole. Enzo is, as usual, correct. Divide (the part to be removed) and conquer. Break it up with nippers until you only have one leg per hole. Remove the leg.

Often the toothpick trick works. Keep a box of wooden toothpicks on your bench. When you have a stubborn hole to clear, heat one side and as soon as it flows, push in a whittled-down toothpick from the other side to clear the hole. This breaks the surface tension and the solder retreats to the wetted pad if the temp is high enough to flow. If the temp is just making it slushy, as with Sn-Cu solders, it will at least leave a hole.

[acorkos]

i was able to get the jack off in one piece using a new pointed tip on my 60 watt iron and a $5 flux pen