REPAIR GUIDE - TurboDuo/PC Engine Duo: Total capacitor replacement chart

override · 04/16/2009, 06:43 PM

Quote from: Zeon on 04/16/2009, 04:08 AMReally? So do I! Do you live in the DFW area by any chance? It's always cool to find out when a fellow member lives at least somewhat nearby.

Newark is in the states, and my last order (made last month) which consisted of mainly caps, some ics, a plastic enclosure, and other electronic miscellany did not have the $20 fee tacked on. How much does your order total to? They might only put it on really small orders as my last one was something like $47 before shipping and whatnot.

EDIT: Nevermind, I know why. You must be ordering one or more items that are labeled: "Farnell UK Direct Ship" which means that they don't have the item(s) available stateside, so they have to put in a special order direct from the UK. I generally avoid those items. See if they don't offer an equivalent that is in stock stateside. They should as they have a crap ton of caps in general.

I didnt think about that...Yeah I think I had a cap on there from like japan or something it was the only one that I didnt have to order 5 + just to get one! Cool I'll go change the order up a little! I need those caps cause my local dealer takes so long to get em and well he doesnt have much stock...

I live in Abilene, TX...Im about 2 hrs from you...I drive on the outskirts of DFW when I go to houston to get to danbury (my home town)!

exile · 05/12/2009, 10:38 PM

Hello gents

I'm new to the boards and needed help with my American Turbo Duo. It loads CD fine but the sound it barely audible can anyone help me out here?

Charlie · 05/13/2009, 07:41 AM

So, you searched and didn't find "https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=960.0" or maybe
"https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=960.165"?

Hope this is not an omen!!

Charlie

blueraven · 12/13/2009, 05:05 AM

This is the PC Engine Duo I posted about in the Soundfix thread. Fortunately, replacing all of the caps (specifically the cluster around the heat-synchs) took care of the crackling and fades.

Redbook and Huey music running perfectly; clear graphics and sound. I re-flowed the solder on the AV port as well, and exclusively used NTK Hi-Temp Capacitors. The guys at the electronics store are going to start stocking them in bulk for me, so hopefully this won't be the first repair I report on.

Having the chart in front of me is really invaluable. Thanks again, RedGhost.

Keith Courage · 01/16/2011, 11:59 PM

I have a question about some capacitors I just replaced on a Turbo Duo. I was having a CD player warm up issue. I replaced 4 of the caps below The CD player shown in my picture here circled in Red and it fixed my problem. I used 3 100UF 100V and then one 22UF 6.3V. I know the 3 100UF 100V will be fine but what about the 22UF at 6.3V? Think 6.3V is enough? I noticed on the old cap it read 22 6A 28H.

pcengineduototalcaprepl.jpg

Keith Courage · 03/19/2011, 03:53 AM

I have a question. I notice that on my duo there are quite a few capacitors that say 4.7 and then 6V afterwards. However at the beginning this article you say that 16V should be fine for all except the 3.3UF at 50V. So should I use 6V caps for those 4.7UF or should I use 16V?

Duo_R · 03/19/2011, 09:51 AM

16v is fine. You can go a little extra.

BlueBMW · 03/19/2011, 11:29 AM

Yeah you can always go higher voltage that what is called for but higher voltage caps are typically larger in size which can sometimes cause issues with physical space.

grahf · 03/20/2011, 12:36 AM

I've got a spare IFU-30 (interface unit) coming in the mail, and I think I'll replace all the caps for the hell of it. It just feels good to know that everything is fresh inside.

SNKNostalgia · 03/21/2011, 09:50 AM

Quote from: grahf on 03/20/2011, 12:36 AMI've got a spare IFU-30 (interface unit) coming in the mail, and I think I'll replace all the caps for the hell of it. It just feels good to know that everything is fresh inside.

Good to see your back state-side grahf (lol... a while now, but still). Still making those mod boards? I still praise your work for the region and S-video mods.

Yep, I had to do the cap replacement myself before I sent my system off. It just happened to start having CD audio problems a little before you modded my system. I even had to replace the lens due to my CD-R phase, which I stay away from those now. I soon rather fire up the magic engine to play translated Ys 4 or Xak III which won't work on hardware anyways.

grahf · 03/21/2011, 10:23 AM

Actually I'm still in Japan. I came across a white PCE in a junk pile, and here I am.

Keith Courage · 03/25/2011, 08:56 PM

I have one more cap replacement question. There are two caps on this board that seem impossible to get to from underneath even though they were originally soldered from underneath (circled in red). Would I be safe soldering new ones in from above?

pceduoswap003.jpg

BlueBMW · 03/25/2011, 09:17 PM

To do those two you need to bend up the BA chip on the bottom and temporariliy remove that pad under it. Then you can access the solder points of those caps.

Keith Courage · 03/25/2011, 09:24 PM

Huh really? Is it okay to bend that up a little?

Keith Courage · 03/25/2011, 09:31 PM

Okay, I got it. Bent up just a bit to get the soldering iron tip under there. Thanks for the advice. I have replaced many caps on these before. Just not all of them at once for preemptive maintenance. Usually I just change the bad ones and call it at that.

BlueBMW · 03/26/2011, 09:49 AM

Quote from: Keith Courage on 03/25/2011, 09:24 PMHuh really? Is it okay to bend that up a little?

I should have added "carefully" to that! I have replacement BA chips if you manage to break one somehow

Duo_R · 03/27/2011, 01:15 AM

I just replace those ones from the top, bending up the BA chip isnt necessary.

Keith Courage · 04/01/2011, 01:26 AM

One more capacitor question. Unfortunately some of the capacitors I ordered in showed up with NP on it and no - or + markings. Is a non-polarized capacitor bad to use?

BlueBMW · 04/01/2011, 01:36 AM

I thought there were specific applications for non polar caps so I want to say don't use them in plavmce of polarized caps.

Keith Courage · 04/01/2011, 01:37 AM

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. The ones that came this way were for the few 4.7UF caps on the board. I do have some spare 35V ones. Would that be way too high or should I just get 16V as recommended.

BlueBMW · 04/05/2011, 09:20 PM

You can always use higher voltage, they're just usually larger and can cause clearance issues in some applications.

thesteve · 04/17/2011, 06:28 PM

np (non polarized) caps are always safe as replacements for standard.
just never the other way round

goukisama · 05/06/2011, 04:03 AM

Thanks this guide helped me a lot on my pc engine duo. But the Cd drive still wont spin or run. Is there something i'm missing? Or am i going of topic?

thesteve · 05/27/2011, 02:30 AM

My first duo full cap replacement

chop5 · 05/27/2011, 03:38 AM

nice steve

looks like factory repaired

BlueBMW · 05/27/2011, 11:52 AM

Wow that's nice work!!

thesteve · 05/27/2011, 12:07 PM

thats the untouched duo you sent.
the laser appears good.
the cap related to laser had leaked everywhere

BlueBMW · 05/27/2011, 01:10 PM

Quote from: thesteve on 05/27/2011, 12:07 PMthats the untouched duo you sent.
the laser appears good.
the cap related to laser had leaked everywhere

I figured most of the problems were cap related on that unit. It seems like more often than not, laser problems are caused by capacitor failure, not laser failure. Keep that new laser I sent though. You'll probably need it eventually.

thesteve · 05/28/2011, 11:21 PM

full cap replacement KIT for the DUO

Harmik · 06/15/2011, 12:36 AM

Thank you to Red Ghost and everyone for the great info

blueraven · 06/29/2011, 03:03 PM

Attached is a photo of a full silver cap replacement on a 1st gen Black PC Engine Duo with Hi-Temp NTK capacitors.

Hopefully this will go for another 20 years.

thesteve · 01/28/2012, 02:30 AM

to solve jail-bar issue on rgb modded system replace capacitor C961 10uf with 100uf tant or 220uf aluminum

SNKNostalgia · 01/30/2012, 04:05 PM

Quote from: thesteve on 01/28/2012, 02:30 AMto solve jail-bar issue on rgb modded system replace capacitor C961 10uf with 100uf tant or 220uf aluminum

Which cap is that exactly? Will this work for an S-video mod which is basically a RGB mod with S-video circuit after?

Also, I wonder if there is a way to get rid of some the RF like interference you see on some solid backgrounds like blue sky? I remember reading something about even getting rid of the HuCard chip tune humming after the music stops problem as well.

thesteve · 01/30/2012, 07:06 PM

its the cap thea the hu card sits above on the black unit
yes it clears up the noise on solid backgrounds, improving all outputs (including composite)

ApolloBoy · 02/05/2012, 03:10 AM

I'm in the midst of replacing the caps on a TurboDuo for a client of mine and it's actually much easier than I thought it would be. Tedious yes, but difficult not at all. I was almost expecting it to be like the TurboExpress where the solder pads will lift up if you do so much as look at them wrong, but the board is surprisingly sturdy.

thesteve · 02/05/2012, 03:29 AM

the black duo has a very solid board, the -R not so great

lastcallhall · 02/06/2012, 07:51 PM

Quote from: thesteve on 02/05/2012, 03:29 AMthe black duo has a very solid board, the -R not so great

I was actually looking at my Duo-R last night and decided I should probably replace all the caps as a precautionary measure. Well, that and my laser won't read much of anything other than audio CDs. I've tried adjusting the pot on the laser assembly itself, but not the V101-V105 pots on the board. However, my board looks different than the one shown in the original post - I'm guessing it has to do with it being a Japanese -R instead of an american Duo. In any event, are there any specific areas where I should use extra caution? Recapping is nothing new to me - I've done dozens of Genesis systems and rarely did I run into a problem, I was just concerned with your comment.

BlueBMW · 02/06/2012, 08:00 PM

Quote from: lastcallhall on 02/06/2012, 07:51 PM
Quote from: thesteve on 02/05/2012, 03:29 AMthe black duo has a very solid board, the -R not so great
I was actually looking at my Duo-R last night and decided I should probably replace all the caps as a precautionary measure. Well, that and my laser won't read much of anything other than audio CDs. I've tried adjusting the pot on the laser assembly itself, but not the V101-V105 pots on the board. However, my board looks different than the one shown in the original post - I'm guessing it has to do with it being a Japanese -R instead of an american Duo. In any event, are there any specific areas where I should use extra caution? Recapping is nothing new to me - I've done dozens of Genesis systems and rarely did I run into a problem, I was just concerned with your comment.

I havent seen the need to recap the R systems yet... not to say it wont start to have problems eventually though. I'd try and adjust your laser first. VR101-105 are your best bet, the adjuster on the laser should be a last resort. You may just need a new laser.

lastcallhall · 02/06/2012, 08:23 PM

Quote from: BlueBMW on 02/06/2012, 08:00 PM
Quote from: lastcallhall on 02/06/2012, 07:51 PM
Quote from: thesteve on 02/05/2012, 03:29 AMthe black duo has a very solid board, the -R not so great
I was actually looking at my Duo-R last night and decided I should probably replace all the caps as a precautionary measure. Well, that and my laser won't read much of anything other than audio CDs. I've tried adjusting the pot on the laser assembly itself, but not the V101-V105 pots on the board. However, my board looks different than the one shown in the original post - I'm guessing it has to do with it being a Japanese -R instead of an american Duo. In any event, are there any specific areas where I should use extra caution? Recapping is nothing new to me - I've done dozens of Genesis systems and rarely did I run into a problem, I was just concerned with your comment.
I havent seen the need to recap the R systems yet... not to say it wont start to have problems eventually though. I'd try and adjust your laser first. VR101-105 are your best bet, the adjuster on the laser should be a last resort. You may just need a new laser.

Yeah, that was ordered today, as well.

toofastforyahuh · 04/15/2012, 04:03 PM

I did a (nearly) total cap replacement on my TurboDuo and TurboExpress, with the help of a lab technician with expert soldering skills.
I missed the 3.3uF/50V cap and didn't touch the BRAM cap.
But otherwise I tried to make a part list for anyone who wants to do the job with correct size parts.
I posted it here in case anyone else finds it helpful. There's a few empty fields (e.g. things I forgot or part numbers covered up by gunk). Feel free to fill them in.

http://www.anthrofox.org/projects/turbo_caps.html

thesteve · 04/15/2012, 05:33 PM

the 3.3 is a common failure part
nobody changes the BRAM cap

ConHuevos · 06/09/2012, 10:22 AM

Hi everyone, just joined this forum because my Turbo Duo had extremely low audio. I decided I'd replace the caps and ordered a whole batch of 105C caps off of Digikey. I'm no stranger to soldering, but this is my first time replacing capacitors. Could someone please explain to me how to know which end gets soldered where (+/-)? Thanks.

I've already taken several closeup pictures of my Duo's motherboard before pulling the caps so I'll know exactly where everything was, and just pulled them all yesterday:

The red circled areas had leaked all over and it smelled like bad fish when I took some of the caps off in those areas. Some of the electrolyte fluid had corroded a couple of the solder pads, but I was able to clean some of it and salvage the pads (thank goodness)! The parts should be here around Tuesday and hopefully I can start then. So ya, if someone could help me on the +/- guidance for the caps, I'd appreciate it, thanks!

BlueBMW · 06/09/2012, 10:33 AM

On the cap replacement chart at the beginning of this thread, the black side is the negative side. Typically on the board they're marked with either white around the hole (for through mount caps) or the flat squared side of the SMT shape printed on the board.

ConHuevos · 06/09/2012, 11:10 AM

Ok thanks, and I'm correct in assuming that the longer lead on the capacitors is negative?

BlueBMW · 06/09/2012, 11:14 AM

Quote from: ConHuevos on 06/09/2012, 11:10 AMOk thanks, and I'm correct in assuming that the longer lead on the capacitors is negative?

The sides of the capacitors housing should be marked with a line or bar indicating which side is negative.

gilao · 06/10/2012, 02:49 AM

I have a Turbo Duo and was without sound, the sound was very low even changed all the capacitors, now the Hu Card games have sound normal, but the games on CD still has very low sound, have to increase the TV volume at most and is still down, anyone know what can be ? Thank´s.

ConHuevos · 06/14/2012, 05:25 PM

Quick question...I don't see the location of the 3.3uF 50V capacitor anywhere on the diagram. Where does that one go?

thesteve · 06/14/2012, 07:29 PM

3.3 is under the cd drive wires

ConHuevos · 06/14/2012, 09:49 PM

Got it, just replaced all my caps and sound is working 100% on hucards and cd games again:

Now my CD drive doesn't spin up though. The laser is still powered and tries to read the disc, but it doesn't spin. I'm hoping I just forgot to plug something in but what could that be? It worked perfectly fine before I did this.

EDIT:

Nevermind, I had the CD wires in the way, also forgot the disc won't spin unless the laser detects the disc first. Works great now! Another Turbo Duo saved from the capacitor leak issue!

HercTNT · 06/15/2012, 02:39 AM

Stories like this bring tears to my eyes. Another success story from the Pcenginefx STTF "Save The Turbo Foundation".

10/31/2023: Localization News - Dead of the Brain 1!

REPAIR GUIDE - TurboDuo/PC Engine Duo: Total capacitor replacement chart