Blues Deluxe RI - relay question

[trem]

The date on the board is 2004.
The sockets are black.

I looked at the solder the best I could (with a magnifying glass) .....nothing looks cold, and there does not seem to be any cracks or defects.

At first, I was not too worried about it...planning on installing a new socket.....but desoldering and then resoldering a 9 pin part can be tricky (for me anyway) with some of these "modern day" PCB.
My experience with the lead free solder is that it is hard, and needs a lot of heat to melt, and then be sucked or wicked off the board. I try to go fast.....but just one lifted trace or pad can be a headache.
But yeah, these sockets are Real Loose. I can see this happening all over gain in a few weeks if I leave this original socket in there.

[52 Bill]

The date on the board is 2004.
The sockets are black.

But yeah, these sockets are Real Loose. I can see this happening all over gain in a few weeks if I leave this original socket in there.

The black ones were the ones that had a problem. The wrong metal was used to make the contacts and they would become so loose that tubes would just fall out of the sockets whenever the amp was moved. It wasn't all of the black sockets, but one specific run that was really bad. The new ones are beige and hold up much better.

As for your desoldering problems, maybe you should look into getting a Quik Chip kit. It contains a low melting point solder that you heat and add to the existing joint, making it easier to remove all of the solder without damaging the pc board.

I would suggest that all of the black 9 pin sockets be replaced with new ones.

[trem]

Thanks for the Chip Quick tip (say that 3 times fast).....going to give that stuff a try.
I realize it was designed for surface mount.....
http://www.amazon.com/ChipQuik-SMD1-...ords=chip+quik