Weller W 61 C overheating

[smallfreak]

Seems that 30 years are the most I get out of my equipment...

I had an exploded tantal capacitor last week that burnt a flexi cable on his way to nirvana. Luckily I got a replacement these days and decided to replace all Tantals (that are used to flatten the main 18V before they go into the linear regulator on several places in the device) against MLCC.

But now as the first went out, my trusted Weller W 61 C seems to follow the tantals. The iron is overheating, the handle got burning hot and after opening ist, soma black and bad smelling "thing" might be the culprit.

Any idea what this might have been and whether it can be replaced?

[CJay]

I think it's just a mains rated capacitor across the magnastat switch so it should be really simple to replace but make sure you get one of suitable 'class' and rating or it might not fail so nicely next time

[smallfreak]

I think it's just a mains rated capacitor across the magnastat switch so it should be really simple to replace but make sure you get one of suitable 'class' and rating or it might not fail so nicely next time

Thank you. That seems reasonable. At the moment I can't get this thing out, as I first have to get another soldering iron 
It is quite black and full of sticky grease. I cannot even see how many pins it has.

If anybody who owns a W61C too would like to open it and read the markings, I can certainly change it.

I found a tiny schematic here


As far as I can guess from this tiny pic, this IS a capacitor and it should have a part number "5 10 660 99". Googling for this number pops up some capacitor from Weller (should fit) but the images always show a 100V 47µ Elko which must be wrong. Wrong in form factor, technology and voltage. We have 230V here so it should be at least 400V and in this size it might not go well beyond a few nF.
I wonder whether I can even leave this out completely. Could result in some static noise on the mains when the switch engages, but otherwise it shold still work.

[CJay]

This is the one in my Weller W61

[Gyro]

The capacitor you show in your OP photo looks like a classic Rifa Metalized Paper blow-up    (search Rifa on the forum). Yes the correct replacement looks like a 10nF @ 630V Metalized Polypropylene. The one CJay shows is an Epcos one.

[SeanB]

Replace with a 10n 400VAC Class X2 capacitor, which should do another 30 years in service. you can run it without the capacitor, but the life of the magnastat switch ( which is expensive) will be reduced by doing so.

[smallfreak]

Thank you all! 

I clipped off the black mess and the iron works as before. Stable temperature, familiar clicking 

I will replace the capacitor as soon as I get a spare soldering Iron to mount it in. At least I can finish my repair, that I was halfway throught whenn things went wrong - or I should say escalated again, as this is the third one in series this week.

I received a box of asorted MLCC (I like them very much) yesterday but none of them exceeds 50V. Last time I needed such high voltage parts was when I repaired an old tube TV from the stone age. Seems that I have to order some more. Where are the times when we had an electronic shop every few miles where I can pick up any of these penny parts in a few minutes?

[smallfreak]

Well, I dig out my own thread because I'm quite frustrated these days.

Two weeks ago my espresso machine left some magic smoke and shut of the lights. The culprit was a blown sieve capacitor (one again) in the power board. Luckily I had a replacement, but then the coffee grinder startet grinding immediately after power on and did not stop before I pulled the plug. Blown triac too. Meanwhile I got a replacement shipped and tried to solder it in.

Guess what? Cold Iron. Did not heat anymore. It was good enough to get it out but not to get it in again.

I checked the few parts inside the Weller and I easily could pull out one of the wires from the heater. Obviously burned off inside.

But Luckily I still have the small gas solder I bought for the repair of my Weller back in 2018. This is supposed to work, as it cannot fail. After all it's only a gas tank and a flame (or a catalytical tip). But it does not. It's filled with gas, but it won't come out. No trick could convince it to release any hiss I can ignite. Plain dead.

So once again I have a broken machine that I cannot repair because my soldering iron is broken, which I cannot repair because my emmergency iron is boken too. And it's weekend. And spare parts are hard to get.

Is just EVERYTHING crap today? 

So I have to get a replacement for my "replacement" and a replacement for my trusted weller too. It seems that one can get a suitable heater as spare part, but almost noone has one available and those wo have have heavy shipping costs added to the quite expensive spare part.

So I now can either buy a 50+€ heater to repair my W61, buy another W61 "like new" for 100+€, buy a "modern" tool from a trusted(?) manufacturer or something "equaly valuabe" from an unknown one, as EVERY part seems to be produced in China today, so it might make no difference at all.

The "original spare part" might do for another 30 years, or not, as it may be not that "original" as advertized. I have read dozens of customer experiences about stuff from trustful manufacturers lile Weller or Ersa that seem all the same China crap with stiff cables, plastic screws for fixing the changable tip, grossly changing temperature or failing alltogether after a few weeks of modersate use. But they now have software to define your own temperature profiles. WOW!

Any Suggestion what I should consider? I don't need a surplus industry station, but currently I don't need another frustrating experience. It's enough for some time.