72-Pin Installation Guide

Flip your NES upside down and remove the screws that hold the case together, six in all. You may have to flip your system back over to get the screws out after you loosen them all of the way. Just be sure to not lose them.

Once your NES is exposed, remove the metal RF shielding (not pictured). What you now see is the motherboard with cartridge bay. Removing the bay can be a slight chore because of the tight space that it is in (youll see what I mean when you try to remove it). Remove the screws holding it down and slowly pull the bay out. You may have to pull slightly upward to clear the screw tunnel on the bottom of the case.

Now you have the motherboard (with a shield under it) and the 72-pin connector remaining. To remove the connector, youll have to unscrew the motherboard. When you do this, the main board will still be attached to the bottom with some wires. While the wires have removable plugs, it is best to leave them connected.

With the main board removed from the system, you will now be able to pull off the old connector. From age (and glue as Ive seen in some cases), the connector may be on the board pretty tightly. Pull firmly, but as always be careful not to crack or break anything. Pulling on one side at a time in small increments seems to work best for me.

Once the connector is off, simply plug in the new one and the install is done. Screw the main board back down, attach the cartridge bay, reattach the RF shielding, and finally the top of the case again. Game time!

Thats pretty much it for installing the connector!

Important Notices For This Guide Please be careful when taking apart your NES or any other game system. Always unplug your system before servicing it and only attempt to carry out the instructions in this guide if you feel you are capable. Im not responsible for any damages to your NES resulting from the instructions in this guide.