Hi guys,
Just got to thinking while reading one of the other noobs posts (LOL!) about the j-box.
I wondered some time back about taking it apart to fix it, or at least check it, and thought I read about a procedure for drilling in certain locations or something to take it apart.

Well, whatever it was aint there no more, so does anyone know how exactly to go about taking the thing apart to get at its innards?  Id like to at the least check the solder connections...

remove the j-box, unplug from the wiring harness, turn it over. There are 5 plastic 'rivet heads" on the back. Drill just the tops of those off. Turn jbox back over and remove all the fuses. It should pull apart after that. It's been recomended after repair/inspection, do not glue all the way around the perimeter when putting back together, could help aggravate condensation forming on the inside and not able to evaporate. I've personally just "snapped" them back together and pressed on, but thats just me.

HTH

d e a d

I save things every once in a while ....... not sure where I got it from.

Good find, RFH87!  Those are the pics I used.

I didn't glue the j-box back together, tho.  The rubber damper thingie holds it together OK.

I save things every once in a while ....... not sure where I got it from.

If I remember correctly, they came from Guy (no relation) B. Young' website, which is now off the air.

I had a few questionable joints on my 87.  I either don't have the right iron or skill (or both) so I took the circuit board to a T.V. repair shop and they did it for free.  Can't imagine more than $15-25 though if you were to be charged.

I didn't use glue.  Just put a few layers of kitchen plastic wrap between the halves and put them back together. Has worked well this way for countless years.

I either don't have the right iron or skill (or both)

Just guessing, but I doubt the little 25W pencil-type would work.

A 100W gun heats 'em up in a hurry.

Just guessing, but I doubt the little 25W pencil-type would work.

A 100W gun heats 'em up in a hurry.

It will work fine.  If its a good one like a Weller (kinda the cheap end of good ones), but either way, 25W might not seem like much, but since its not a gun, it doesnt need that much power. 
Ive desoldered bigger joints, and my 25W Weller completely melted the connections in just a couple seconds. 
I prefer the iron just because Im more used to them, and for me anyway, the tips seem to work better. 

carefull with the high wattage guns.....it's really easy to lift the copper trace off the board if you super heat it....then you got problems....and the way the box fits back together running repair "wire" runs doesn't work.....use care

The 25W iron should work perfectly. A 15W barely melts solder.  I would recommend against using any soldering iron over 30W for electronics.

It will work fine.  If its a good one like a Weller (kinda the cheap end of good ones), but either way, 25W might not seem like much, but since its not a gun, it doesnt need that much power. 
Ive desoldered bigger joints, and my 25W Weller completely melted the connections in just a couple seconds. 
I prefer the iron just because Im more used to them, and for me anyway, the tips seem to work better.

+1. Don't cheap out. Get a decent 25W pencil type. My experience designing/fabbing PCBs bears that out.

Yep, thats why my "cheapie" is a Weller, there are better, but there are a LOT worse too....I wont go cheap on that stuff anymore.  Seems like when I do, I end up using it a lot more than I thought I would and it breaks or just generally doesnt work like it should for long.

And really, soldering irons arent all that expensive anyway...