What is this black stuff all over my chassis?

Fusion916

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That is "dirt". Believe it or not, games weren't always put in clean places, or places with good ventilation. Over the years, these things can get quite filthy. It's amazing considering that for the most part they are sealed in the cab, but I think the static generated by the tube and chassis attracts it.

That's one pretty dirty, but I've seen worse.

And if you wonder why the dirt is "greasy", now you know what cigarette residue feels like...
 
What is this stuff?

The whole area by the flyback is covered with it and the neck board is completely covered with it. Seems to be around all the high voltage stuff. As you can see in pic 3 the right side of the board does not seem to have it.

Also, how do I safely clean this stuff off the board?

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/7599/chassis.png
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/1742/chassis2.png
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/1376/chassis3.png

Something like Simply Green, followed by water. Here in AZ, during the summer, I take them outside, hose them down, and let them dry in the sun. They look almost new afterwards.

Just make sure you discharge first :)

You can also used compressed air to help dry it out. Make sure it's 100% dry before you use it again.
 
Take it outside. A 1" wide dry bristle paint brush and a can of air (or air compressor) will do wonders to cleaning that mess up in seconds.
 
How does dirt get on the chassis? And why is it only concentrated around the flyback? That place in the cab should be sealed (theoretically...).

So how can I safely clean this board?
 
Something like Simply Green, followed by water. Here in AZ, during the summer, I take them outside, hose them down, and let them dry in the sun. They look almost new afterwards.

Just make sure you discharge first :)

You can also used compressed air to help dry it out. Make sure it's 100% dry before you use it again.

So just spray it all over with simple green, then wash it off and let it dry?
 
So just spray it all over with simple green, then wash it off and let it dry?

After discharging, yes. You can leave the suction cup attached so water doesn't get in the hole.

Like I said, make sure it's 100% dry before using it again.

There are some monitors that you should be careful of washing off the tubes, I think someone like Ken can give more info on that. But the chassis itself is no problem.
 
This needs to dry for several days at least. Set it by a window where the sun can hit it. Water that might get under the flyback or chip might not dry as fast as water out in the open...
 
And the reason it accumulates near HV is because of static... kinda like the Ionic Breeze... too bad it took ~15 years to accumulate all that dirt, and guess how much dirt didn't stick ;) .

DogP
 
And most cabs I've seen aren't sealed either. They've got vents on the top and bottom for air flow. If air is flowing, so is dust :D
 
What is this stuff?

The technical term is funk.

Also, how do I safely clean this stuff off the board?

In the summertime, I will remove the chassis and hose it down. A quick bath with isopropyl alcohol (91%) also works wonders.

In the winter or when it is raining, I will use a rag & isopropyl alcohol.

Then let it dry for a couple of days or put it in a very low temp (175 degree F) oven for about 20 minutes.

How does dirt get on the chassis? And why is it only concentrated around the flyback? That place in the cab should be sealed (theoretically...).

It collects there because of the electrostatic charge. Rumor has it that the inventor of the ionic breeze style of electrostatic air filters had been a TV repairman and used a flyback to power the prototype filters.

Side note on ES filtration, several studies have suggested a link between the whole house ES filtration and asthma in children. Apparently the ozone produced by the process can damage children's lungs which leads to asthma later in life. Doesn't seem to have any correlation with adults.

ken
 
The technical term is funk.


Side note on ES filtration, several studies have suggested a link between the whole house ES filtration and asthma in children. Apparently the ozone produced by the process can damage children's lungs which leads to asthma later in life. Doesn't seem to have any correlation with adults.

ken

I think that is advertising BS spewed by competitors of the Ionic Breeze. I love the smell of ozone, as long as it's not coming out of my monitors!
 
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