• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Right tool for the Job! (OKI PGA-X)

L

lowen

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2014
Messages
1,684
Location
Western North Carolina, USA
Ever wondered how you properly pull something like a 486 or Pentium from a non-ZIF socket, such as the hapless Pentium MMX 233 on this industrial single-board computer?
20170403_150938.jpg

Well, late last week I scored an OK Industries PGA-X pin-grid-array extraction/insertion tool on eBay for a real deal.

Here is the PGA-X mounted to the 233 MMX:
20170403_151236.jpg

And after a few turns of the knob:

20170403_151350.jpg

Right tool for the job!

(EDIT: yes, getting ready to re-cap this SBC and get it back in service......)
 
Last edited:
I've always just used two flathead screwdrivers on opposite sides of the chip, slipped in between the chip and socket and carefully rocked back and forth until it comes loose enough to be removed by hand.
 
commodorejohn said:
I've always just used two flathead screwdrivers on opposite sides of the chip, slipped in between the chip and socket and carefully rocked back and forth until it comes loose enough to be removed by hand.
Click to expand...

I have done that on a few 486's, a 68030, and a 68882 years ago, but I have a few SBCs here with some tight clearances where you would need a doglegged screwdriver to get into the area. I saw the PGA-X on eBay for cheap and jumped on it, since I've wanted one for a long time to pull things like this Pentium. The odd and somewhat rare (at least according to wikipedia!) LIF version of Socket 7 is quite a bit more fragile than the 486 and other smaller PGA sockets I've dealt with before, and so that became my first test of the PGA-X. Worked flawlessly and left no marks.

It's also an insertion tool, but I haven't changed to the blue sideplates yet to try that.

I wouldn't have paid the full price for a new one from Caulfield (almost 500 euros) but when I saw one for $25 plus S&H I simply couldn't pass it up. It looks almost new; I can't tell it's ever been used until now.
 
Neat to see the correct tool for it! I've used the above-mentioned hack methods (still do, I don't have the tool) which of course usually work fine. I've probably bent pins before.

I recently picked up a tiny Indestro hollow rivet set -- it looks like a little arbor press, but instead of a rack it has a setting tool which you strike with a hammer. Until now I always just put them on the anvil and put a steel ball bearing on the end to be set, and gave it a whack with a hammer.
 
I have a slightly different IC puller that came with my 68040/50 upgrade for the Quadra 950 machine. It works very well in taking out any CPU without bending pins.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top