xXxPARAGONxXx’s 1999 Chevrolet K2500 Crew Cab

[xXxPARAGONxXx]

I've been doing a lot of studying on micro-soldering (mostly YouTube videos), and I do think I will tackle the job of replacing the head unit bulbs myself. Since it's not something that has to be done right away (in order to accomplish other things), I can save it for later as I save up money for the proper equipment. I know I said I would let a shop do it, but I figure it's something I'd like to learn to do myself and later pass that knowledge down to my children. YOLO

(Might be able to get everything I need around tax season next year, so might not be too long of a wait to get it done.)

 

[Orpedcrow]

How much experience do you have soldering with a pencil type iron?

Hakko is my go to soldering solution. This red pencil gets used for just about everything. We used these blue and yellow stations in school, and I’ll order one eventually but it’s been a long time since I’ve had any regular micro projects.

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[Orpedcrow]

Do y’all have a fry’s electronics? That’s where I discovered hakko stuff a long time ago.

I worked at a hole in the wall stereo/tint shop in Arlington, the owner kept every single factory radio we pulled out and had me pulling potentiometers and lcd displays out of most of them during down time. He supplied a tiny low watt iron that worked but I ended up always reaching for the red one with a pointed tip.

Just the other day I re-flowed all the pins on my cruise control module using it with the big chisel tip.

 

[Caman96]

Just the other day I re-flowed all the pins on my cruise control module using it with the big chisel tip.

 

[xXxPARAGONxXx]

Do y’all have a fry’s electronics? That’s where I discovered hakko stuff a long time ago.

I worked at a hole in the wall stereo/tint shop in Arlington, the owner kept every single factory radio we pulled out and had me pulling potentiometers and lcd displays out of most of them during down time. He supplied a tiny low watt iron that worked but I ended up always reaching for the red one with a pointed tip.

Just the other day I re-flowed all the pins on my cruise control module using it with the big chisel tip.

Yeah, we have a Frye's. Edit: Or, we did. What I'm reading suggests they closed their stores. So, I don't know.

I was looking at the Weller dual micro-soldering station.

Is that what the cruise control modules need if they go bad? Or were you doing it as a sort of preventative measure?

 

[Orpedcrow]

Yeah, we have a Frye's. I was looking at the Weller dual micro-soldering station.

Is that what the cruise control modules need if they go bad? Or were you doing it as a sort of preventative measure?

With the desoldering tweezers?!? That’s a serious unit

The general consensus is cold or broken joints, although I haven’t seen any physical proof, nor did I see anything wrong with mine. Mostly just hoping.

 

[Anchor]

Hard to believe with 300 K that sheet metal looks new. Great looking truck. I was not a kid when these trucks came out and they have never looked old. The earlier series trucks were new, then they got old and worn out. Then slowly came back into fashion. These never left. This is the final stop on my automotive journey. I bet the folks from the northeast on this forum are eating there hearts out over the condition of the truck.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Yeah, we have a Frye's. Edit: Or, we did. What I'm reading suggests they closed their stores. So, I don't know.

I was looking at the Weller dual micro-soldering station.

Is that what the cruise control modules need if they go bad? Or were you doing it as a sort of preventative measure?

Uhh, yeah, Fry's Electronics closed all their locations a couple of years ago. But unless you went there often, had one on your commute, or went there as part of your work (like I used to, servicing their magazine rack) you probably wouldn't have noticed. To be fair, they'd been struggling with declining sales and revenue for years, and were on COD with most of their vendors. My route changed several months before the location in SW Houston closed, but it was already sad to see how few people were in the place, and how bare the shelves were. In their heyday, they were the go to place for electronics. Not cheap, but they had an amazing selection, and tools/diagnostic equipment out the wazoo. The original location in Houston was on the North Freeway, near The Dump furniture outlet store and a Walmart supercenter. It was oil patch/wild West themed. Second one was in Webster, off the Gulf Freeway; that one was space/NASA themed because of the area. Then they opened the one in SW Houston.

 

[someotherguy]

It was sad to see Fry's go. Their location on Houston's North side, I-45 near West road, was near my old wrecker service/storage lot that I ran in the early 2000's before I had my salvage yard/truck shop. Fry's was like what Radio Shack wished it could have become, before Radio Shack became just a glorified cell phone store. Amazing selection, just huge, and all kinds of products across the board. Everything from individual electronic components to science style kits, CD's/DVD's, home and car audio, of course TV's, home appliances, digital cameras, gaming stuff, computers and parts, really just everything. Yeah you'd pay more to walk in the door and browse vs. buying online, but they existed in that time period where online hadn't completely taken over people's purchasing habits. It was nice to be able to see and hold things in your hands before buying, vs. just looking at it on a screen.

Richard

 

[someotherguy]

How much experience do you have soldering with a pencil type iron?

Hakko is my go to soldering solution. This red pencil gets used for just about everything. We used these blue and yellow stations in school, and I’ll order one eventually but it’s been a long time since I’ve had any regular micro projects.

You must be registered for see images attach

Hakko is good stuff. I've still got an old US-made Weller unit that I use for practically all of my soldering work; it's got good temperature control and is a sturdy unit. Bought it in.. wow.. 1999? 2000? Still going strong. Usually just use cheapo disposable solder suckers and buy 'em several at a time, toss them when they quit. As pictured..

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I've also got an ancient Hakko 700 solder/desolder unit but I've got to repair the vacuum pump for the desolder side. Sucker was an expensive unit back in the day. Built like a tank but not very portable so it gets used far less often.

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Richard