I am trying to get to the circuit noard on this ECU for a motorcycle. There is some kind of "glue" that is like rubber as can be seen in the picture. I tried to cut it open with a dremal, but the "glue" is sorounded around the entire board.

My question is how to remove this glue without damaging the circuits? What is this "glue"?

Thanks for any help!

 

It will have been encapsulated in this stuff to protect it from water/oil/petrol/vibration. Depending on what was used (various different substances have been used for this purpose) it may or may not be removable without damaging the circuit.

 

I suppose I may have to experiment... will acceton hurt the circuit board?

I may cut a piece of the rubber off and test it in different chemicals until I find one that will disolve it.

 

I suppose I may have to experiment... will acceton hurt the circuit board?

I may cut a piece of the rubber off and test it in different chemicals until I find one that will disolve it.

By all means try it, but I think anything that will dissolve the encapsulation is likely to be so aggressive that it will damage components too.

 

Is this a soft rubbery compound, perhaps silicone based in nature? If so, good luck on getting it out. The inly way I know of ismto carefully dig it out with dull utensils. If it is hard, then there are chemicals to remove some types. Look up potting compounds. Naptha if you can still get it will soften up the rubbery type.

 

I worked on equipment that used some stuff like silicon rubber to insulate high voltage parts. You could dig it out fairly easily with your fingers but it made tiny bits that, if they got on the floor, were like walking on marbles - really slippery - so care was needed to avoid that. It seems yours will be harder to get out.

 

Try a search on words like 'conformal coating' and 'potting compounds'. Dev-Con used to make lots of that stuff. Don't know who does these days.

 

I have been removing that stuff from some automotive modules that I work on. It is not fun and you have to be really patient. If there is SMD parts involved, care must be taken not to remove them from the board at the same time. Lots of fun.

 

Well so far I am boiling it to soften the rubber stuff up, but It isn't coming apart without breaking the casing. I am going to save some rubber chunks to experiment with.

It looks like I may be scratching the board a little with the plastic scrapper that I am using. I just hope that I am not damaging the board too badly. As of right now I would say I am at a point of no return.

Fun!

 

So, the heat method seemed to work until it cooled and I warmed it up again. It seems to be tougher now.

So when this storm passes, I will proceed with the experiments.

 

Yes you are at the point of no return now and you like many of us who have come before you, are going to learn the hard way. This stuff is not fun and very difficult to remove. I have asked this same question on the forum a long time ago. Now I know that if the module isn't worth a few hundred bucks, it isn't worth opening. Sometimes even if you do get it apart, it's not worth it. Let us know how you make out. Where are you that you are getting a storm? Canada? They are getting it pretty good right now.

 

I am here in Louisiana. Mainly just a lot of rain. We are at the point where I don't think the ground can take in any more water. It has been raining every few days. Flooding is on the menu.

 

We (Cumbria UK) have a(nother) yellow rain warning and, currently, a thunderstorm.
It seems there is a lot of weather about at the mo.

 

At the moment I have a piece of the potting material sitting in acetone. Now to wait...