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[joeyvfx]

Luckily I haven't found any tar on the inside, at least nothing visible. There was definitely a thin coating of cigarette juice covering the outside. All of those panel pieces are off now (except for the back panel, it's held on by a locking mechanism & I can't pry it off.) Currently working on wiping everything down, then I guess I'll let it all air out for a while. But everything looks good so far! No bad caps from what I can see, not even in the PSU. Can't wait to have everything put back together to test the PCR again!

[joeyvfx]

After some strange issues with installing OS 9, I can happily report that the PCR is working with the Power Mac G4! ASIO and MIDI. What a journey. Thank you all so much for your help with this! Now if I could just find a way to get the cigarette smell out of the damn power supply... 

[GaryN]

Wow… I am truly happy to hear that it works! I guess we'll never know what was up with the other one.
Anyway, you're far better off with a "real" computer.

FYI: The PSU will come out if you have a Torx T-10 for the rear screw - which is also the same size as the rest of the rear panel if you still want to clean there too. You need to remove the front optical cage and possibly the main fan to first thread the wire loom back. Then, one (two?) screws inside plus the rear one and the PSU slides forward off of a hidden tab/slot thing. The case comes apart in two halves. It's VERY packed in there. I would just hold it upside down and spray in a 100% evaporating cleaner/solvent to flush the crud off.

Note the two fans… that's where 90% of the noise you'll learn to hate comes from. You can find endless debate and good model #s of quieter replacements by searching for "MDD cooling" here.

I have a buttload of MDD parts if you need something.

[joeyvfx]

I actually already removed the PSU, cracked it open and tried to clean/desmellify it with some carefully applied vinegar. The only visible grossness was a very thin, light layer of gray residue on one of the inner walls, which was easy to wipe off. The vinegar worked perfectly to destink the outer plastics of the case, but it didn't do squat in the PSU. That's probably because I didn't get to every surface, since it is super dense. I definitely need to take another shot at cleaning it though. The smell fills the room after a while

Have you ever tried mounting a 120mm fan in place of the two 60mm fans? I read about someone trying that the other night but I forget where I saw it, or how well it worked for them. I feel like that would help with acoustics big time, but I'm not sure about cooling performance. That PSU gets pretty toasty.

[GaryN]

I actually already removed the PSU, cracked it open and tried to clean/desmellify it with some carefully applied vinegar. The only visible grossness was a very thin, light layer of gray residue on one of the inner walls, which was easy to wipe off. The vinegar worked perfectly to destink the outer plastics of the case, but it didn't do squat in the PSU. That's probably because I didn't get to every surface, since it is super dense. I definitely need to take another shot at cleaning it though. The smell fills the room after a while

That's why i said: "I would just hold it upside down and spray in a 100% evaporating cleaner/solvent to flush the crud off." You can also poke at the crevices while wet with a small paintbrush.

Have you ever tried mounting a 120mm fan in place of the two 60mm fans? I read about someone trying that the other night but I forget where I saw it, or how well it worked for them. I feel like that would help with acoustics big time, but I'm not sure about cooling performance. That PSU gets pretty toasty.

That Frankenstein fan replacement required a bunch of custom duct fabrication and sacrifice of the optical cage (so no CD/DVD burner) for a small reduction in sound level and we never did hear how thermally effective it turned out to be.
Since you've had your MDD apart, you know how deceptively complex the airflow channels and such are. Messing with that should be attempted only if you have another MDD full of parts to replace the ones you just might burn up.
You can (and this is the practical solution) replace the two 60mm's with newer, quieter 60 mm fans as long as you match or at least near-match the airflow ratings. This is not that difficult. The secret of quieter 60mm fans is they use neodymium magnets that have much more flux vs. size and so the overall bulk of the motor is significantly reduced, allowing more airflow…simple. There are a zillion exotic fan makers and fans on the market that didn't exist when Apple designed and built the MDD. With all of the shit they got because of the noise, they would have absolutely used quieter fans if they had been available.

It's all a lesson in diminishing returns. I even have a "quiet box" - a very nice enclosure with a heavily insulated interior that encloses the entire computer. However, that requires more fans to move air in and out of the box! Those require sound-deadening zig-zag air ducts to keep the noise from those fans down. If you've ever tried build a studio or just quiet a room for studio use, you know that every time you identify and plug somewhere the outside noise is getting in, you suddenly begin to hear another crack, crevice etc. you didn't hear before, then another and another……

My advice is: Don't think you're a thermodynamics engineer because you can get free, unproven advice on the internet - except mine that is…

[joeyvfx]

Good point. I've ordered some evaporating radioshack cleaner & new fans, hopefully all goes well!

[DieHard]

Good point. I've ordered some evaporating radioshack cleaner & new fans, hopefully all goes well!

You may have missed, when we last mentioned this stuff, no need to buy from radio shack; a good (and cheaper) alternative in available at any auto parts store, look for CRC QD "Electronic Cleaner" or equivalent; only $12 a can instead of $40, quick drying, non conductive

[joeyvfx]

Ah, gotcha. I only spent 8 bucks on the can, not 40, haha. It looks like the CRC cans come with more for the same price, I'll look for that next time.

[IIO]

if you really want to clean it you might also want to remove the sidepanels - at least the left one.