Hacking cut legs on chip!!!!!

[SlyGuy]

I think the most impressive thing about that video was his handlebar moustache!

On topic, that is an amazing install! How exactly did you repair the connection without filing down the chip?

 

[thieves like us]

slyguy:
if you can find some pics of just the chip with cut legs, you'll notice that a small portion of them is still present.

so, what dipswitch is doing (he can correct me if I'm wrong, as I've got to do a few of these this weekend) is the following:
- tin a length of 30awg wire that is to be used to "rebuild" the chip's leg.
- tack one end of the wire down to the motherboard where the actual leg would have been wavepool (or heatbox) soldered.
- apply a bit of flux to the side of the optical drive controller chip where the leg bits are (this is to provide a better prepped area for the solder on the tinned wire to bond with.
- apply the soldering iron to the wire near the point where the pin is exposed on the chip. the "tinned" solder should flow from the wire and create a bond with the fluxed portion of the exposed pin portion.

I'm actually surprised that no one else has thought to do something like this and avoid the whole use of files and dremel tools. hats off to mr. dipswitch for making my life a bit easier on still being able to provide some of my friends with a mod solution which is less stressful for me.

 

[Strag0]

slyguy:
if you can find some pics of just the chip with cut legs, you'll notice that a small portion of them is still present.

so, what dipswitch is doing (he can correct me if I'm wrong, as I've got to do a few of these this weekend) is the following:
- tin a length of 30awg wire that is to be used to "rebuild" the chip's leg.
- tack one end of the wire down to the motherboard where the actual leg would have been wavepool (or heatbox) soldered.
- apply a bit of flux to the side of the optical drive controller chip where the leg bits are (this is to provide a better prepped area for the solder on the tinned wire to bond with.
- apply the soldering iron to the wire near the point where the pin is exposed on the chip. the "tinned" solder should flow from the wire and create a bond with the fluxed portion of the exposed pin portion.

I'm actually surprised that no one else has thought to do something like this and avoid the whole use of files and dremel tools. hats off to mr. dipswitch for making my life a bit easier on still being able to provide some of my friends with a mod solution which is less stressful for me.

Fantastic! I'm picking up a Wii later this week (would have been today, but the store sold out within the 20 minutes it took me to get there!) and I'm expecting a D2B chip with cut legs. So, I was looking for a good way to do this project. I wasn't about to attempt the dremel 'fix' as I fear that would do more damage than good. This technique is far more easier, and helpful since you can do it one wire at a time and if you mess up you can clean it up a bit.

 

[Mr_Grinch]

You can't always do it, it seems. I've heard (and someone can correct me if I'm wrong) that the pins are cut largely by hand which means sometimes there ARE little stubs and sometimes the points are almost completely gone.

 

[wiiza]

thats right a lot of the time there is so little of the tracers exposed that it is better to expose them to get a decent connection

 

[Strag0]

You can't always do it, it seems. I've heard (and someone can correct me if I'm wrong) that the pins are cut largely by hand which means sometimes there ARE little stubs and sometimes the points are almost completely gone.

And there goes my enthusiasm. So fingers crossed on getting a chip that has been cut poorly!

 

[Devante]

I'm not sure what exactly the significance of the cut pins/legs is (I'm new to Wii modding) but I have a Wii with the Sports game in a sleeve and I soldered the Wiikey in there (no wires) and it works.

 

[BoneMonkey]

wow im very impressed at some of the soldering i have seen in this pic !

 

[ziddey]

I'm not sure what exactly the significance of the cut pins/legs is (I'm new to Wii modding) but I have a Wii with the Sports game in a sleeve and I soldered the Wiikey in there (no wires) and it works.

sounds like you didn't have the cut legs then. I'm not sure what the consensus was, but I think all american wii's had the wii sports in a sleeve. Either way, if your legs were cut, then the points you soldered the wiikey onto wouldn't have led anywhere, so it wouldn't have worked.

 

[SD5150]

So this my be a dumb question, but if I have a wii with the 3 cut legs, I can just attempt to reconnect them like Dipswitch did and not have to use a dremel and file down the chip itself? Then just connect my wiikey like the official guide states? Or would the wiikey install also be different? I just got a wii from Bestbuy and I think it has a D2B chip, so I want ot know what my options are, TIA!

 

[Arfman]

slyguy:
if you can find some pics of just the chip with cut legs, you'll notice that a small portion of them is still present.

so, what dipswitch is doing (he can correct me if I'm wrong, as I've got to do a few of these this weekend) is the following:
- tin a length of 30awg wire that is to be used to "rebuild" the chip's leg.
- tack one end of the wire down to the motherboard where the actual leg would have been wavepool (or heatbox) soldered.
- apply a bit of flux to the side of the optical drive controller chip where the leg bits are (this is to provide a better prepped area for the solder on the tinned wire to bond with.
- apply the soldering iron to the wire near the point where the pin is exposed on the chip. the "tinned" solder should flow from the wire and create a bond with the fluxed portion of the exposed pin portion.

I'm actually surprised that no one else has thought to do something like this and avoid the whole use of files and dremel tools. hats off to mr. dipswitch for making my life a bit easier on still being able to provide some of my friends with a mod solution which is less stressful for me.

I can confirm this is a working solution, I have a working modded Wii here (serial LEH123xxxx, Europe model) which is modded according to these tips. A warning though, you'll need proper tools and a skilled soldering hand, this is not for the faint-hearted.

 

[kedest]

My serial number starts with LEH1063
Is that an old Wii that is easy to mod?

 

[lenselijer]

yes, only wiis that start with leh123 are with the cut legs

 

[Hooya]

So this my be a dumb question, but if I have a wii with the 3 cut legs, I can just attempt to reconnect them like Dipswitch did and not have to use a dremel and file down the chip itself? Then just connect my wiikey like the official guide states?

Exactly right.

 

[Gouf]

I took the cowardly way out after opening my Wii to find the legs cut and Wiikey solder point 3 missng (never cast into) my DVD drive's board.

I had a gent do it who just ran wires and mounted the Wiikey to another part of the drive housing.

I should have it back in the next few days.

For anybody who wants to try this on their own, you need some serious magnification to work on that IC chip. It's way smaller than the pics online.

In the end, it was cheeper to have someone do it right, than it was to buy the equipment I would have needed to do it right by myself. I guess my wisdom won out over my pride. :~

 

[Strag0]

For anybody who wants to try this on their own, you need some serious magnification to work on that IC chip. It's way smaller than the pics online.

No Kidding! I didn't know how small they were until I saw them for myself. Then again the 30 AWG wire should have given it away. Still seems simple enough if you can keep your hand steady and know the basics of soldering.

 

[avexdevil]

hey i'm confused, aardvark...

in the first post you said those that came in a dvd case was bad, because they originally came in cardboard sleeve...

then later you said those with wii sport in a dvd case 'will haf fun'

then later you said those that have wii sports in a dvd case is fine, and those that have theirs in sleeve have the 3 legs cut off...

so which is what?

 

[tNB]

Ignore all reports that don't even mention the region heh.

 

[lenselijer]

wii sports in dvd cover = 100% non-cut legs
wii sports in paper sleeve = most likely to be cut legs, but it dont have to.

just remember for pal wii's: leh123 or higher = cut legs! I got several leh1229 and all were with legs intact.

 

[superrob]

Yes my Wii's number is: Leh1112 and i got it in a DVD case.
Looks like im good togo.