Hacking NDS Case replacement questions, with pics! I need help!!

[79TAKid]

I got my new DS case a few months ago from Dealextreme and just now got time to change it all out. I am putting my DS back together and when I got to the L and R buttons, I noticed the R button wasnt going on right. Then I saw that the plastic piece to hold the spring in the right place was not there. I just took this thing out of the case, and it looks like it just wasnt there to begin with, not like it broke off.

^Here is how it fits on there

Original DS Case

^looks like its clean and not broken off, like it was a defect.

Do you think I can get away with this? Or by glueing the bottom of the spring on the one side? Ive hit the R button with the spring on there several times and it hasnt popped off? I would use the orignal case, but the colors dont really match and its a little scratched up.

And where the heck does this go, it fell out when i took the mainboard out.

 

[Steevsee]

Definitely a defective case. Looks like the spring could slip out fairly easily, if not held in place.
You could try something like hot glue to hold it in at the base.

The small clear plastic part is the lens for the power and charge leds - it just pushes into a slot on the top half of the lower case.

Good luck.

 

[79TAKid]

I glued the bottom of the spring so we'll see how it does.... Now how the heck do you get the hinges back on?? I had to cut the case to get the longer one out the first time!!!!!!

 

[Steevsee]

Replacing the hinge pins on the old DS can be the worst part of the whole process. I have actuallty broken a new case while fitting the hinges.
Make sure the long hinge and the short hinge are in the right sides. The hinges will only fit one way so you need to check carefully and line them up with BOTH case parts - Normally the shell pieces should be in the fully open or fully closed position. Once they are lined up properly they will usuall slide in ok.
They are meant to be tight and you may have to force them a little. If you feel that they are just too tight, you can try filing the slots a bit, but be careful.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[79TAKid]

Great... I had to use plyers to jam the pins into the hinges.... now when Im putting the main board in, the screw holes are WAY to big and both original and the screws that came with it fall right to the bottom.... UGH!!

 

[Steevsee]

Sounds like your new case is really nasty!
Just wonder if you might be better off getting a different case?

I have just done three DS Phat case replacements over the last week and the last one had similar problems to what you describe.
Two of the four screws holding down the mainboard had no plastic for the screws to even "bite". Also two out of seven case screws had the same problem!
The DS still works ok but I'll probably pull it apart again and try to see if I can fix it somehow. (I'm thinking superglue directly into the missing thread holes?)
Anyone else had this problem on a replacement case and can offer other ideas to fix it?

The easiest one I did was a gold coloured one from DX which came with new hinges PRE-INSTALLED!

UPATE
I filled the missing "threads" with superglue and the screws went in ok. Just make sure the Glue is totally dry before attaching screws.

 

[brak]

Sounds like your new case is really nasty!
Just wonder if you might be better off getting a different case?

Agreed. That missing bit is going to be too hard to fabricate. Cases are cheap. Or, send it back and ask them to send you one that isn't defective.


QUOTE(Steevsee @ Jul 6 2009, 11:15 PM) I have just done three DS Phat case replacements over the last week and the last one had similar problems to what you describe.
Two of the four screws holding down the mainboard had no plastic for the screws to even "bite". Also two out of seven case screws had the same problem!
The DS still works ok but I'll probably pull it apart again and try to see if I can fix it somehow. (I'm thinking superglue directly into the missing thread holes?)
Anyone else had this problem on a replacement case and can offer other ideas to fix it?

The easiest one I did was a gold coloured one from DX which came with new hinges PRE-INSTALLED!

UPATE
I filled the missing "threads" with superglue and the screws went in ok. Just make sure the Glue is totally dry before attaching screws.

You might want to try a product called JB Weld. Mix up a bit of it and put it in the holes, then, BEFORE IT IS DRY, run a starter hole into it so that you will have something for your screws to bite into. The stuff works wonders, but it seriously is almost as strong as steel, so use it judiciously.

I am doing a Phat case replacement (Aqua) with the exact same problem: Two of the mainboard mounting holes are too large for any of the screws I have. I tried some screws from my laptop repair toolbox, but the heads on those were a little bit too big, so I'm leaving the board secured with just two screws (and all of the bits of plastic that will be pressed around it). I could go the JB Weld route, but am trying to give up perfectionism. It won't be perfect on the inside, but it will be good enough for my niece when it's all done.

 

[brak]

And where the heck does this go, it fell out when i took the mainboard out.

This thing goes inside the lower faceplate. I think that it diffuses the power indicator LED. It goes just below the lower screen inside a tiny almost-square area. You'll see how it has a tab so that it can only go in one way.

Please, somebody make a good DS Phat disassembly/reassembly guide! I have another niece and might have to do this again one day.

 

[79TAKid]

I used:

http://forums.maxconsole.net/showthread.php?t=81938

http://www.psychotic-arts.com/dsrepair/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_lMxnFDwTc

 

[brak]

I got my DS all reassembled, but now the cable is bad, so nothing shows up on the upper panel except light (it was already in bad shape from the kid playing with it with the broken hinge for ages, and I did it no favors by abusing it in my attempts to take it out by following faulty instructions--and not paying attention). A new cableis on order. I'm debating getting the kid a replacement lower screen while I'm at it, and a screen protector this time, but think I'll wait to see if the cable replacement works, first.

Has anyone ever replaced the ribbon cable? How hard is it? What about a lower screen? Everything in the lower chassis seems so much easier than stuff in the upper one. I'm more nervous about replacing the cable than the screen. Thanks in advance for any insight.

 

[Steevsee]

The hardest part is folding the cable so that it will sit properly. (Use the old one as a guide and you shouldn't have too much trouble)
If you want to replace the screen, you would only need to replace the touchscreen, unless the whole lower lcd is damaged.
DX sells both parts for reasonable cost.