Excellent video, very well explained my friend. Your instructions have allowed me to remove 25 years’ worth of dust and crud from my console. My 64 went dead in 2014 and it’s only in hindsight I worked out it was likely due to the power supply no longer working and not the console itself. All the same, it needed this thorough clean. A couple of small parts I lost were casualties but main thing is we now have our 64 working once again. If anyone else finds no power or picture on their 64, i would suggest ordering a new power supply first. Greetings from Scotland.
Awesome video! My old n64 was my first time attempting any sort of restoration, and I can confidently say that all those pieces never would've made it back together without this video. Thanks!
I normally don’t write comments, but I gotta give you special shout-out. My N64 wasn’t consistently turning on but now it turns on 1st every time. Thank you so much
You're a lifesaver, brother, much appreciated. I never would have tried to get the cartridge slot off but it was vital in cleaning this very filthy jungle green N64 I got from a thrift shop. I think someone must have spilled a coke down there about 20 years ago.
Wow thanks u so much Man U made me so happy after like 20yrs of my n64 being not cleaned and forgotten as a kid, I just cleaned it and followed this whole video and got it to work!!!!!!!!! THANK U SO MUCH MAN REALLLY!!!!!!!!!!!
I realize it's 2021 but it was actually fun to give my original N64 some TLC after all these years. This was a great and thorough video. I wasn't going to trust putting my plastic parts in the dishwasher so I just washed them in the sink. They came out really clean but I lost my white numbered sticker on the bottom so be careful with that. Thanks again, well done.
This video was very helpful, one of the pins going to the AV out looked like it was missing solder, (it was dropped pretty hard 😬) I re-soldered it and now my N64 works like a charm!
This was a great help in taking apart my broken N64 to clean it! It’s probably nicer inside than my Switch now lol. Only thing I want to mention is that I kept pausing the video so I could follow along with each step, and it doesn’t mention that the little clear piece of plastic for the LED can separate from the case until fairly late in the video. I had no idea I could have removed it and it tragically fell down the drain when I was washing the case in the sink. So this is my little PSA to everyone! Don’t end up like me and make sure you remove that piece before cleaning the case in a sink.
that is really tragic. That was clearly a last minute edit since I forgot and didnt wanna re-record the whole thing again. That being said... you dont have any drain cover/ hair catcher? What if its your wedding ring? Gotta be careful!
@ Thanks for the reply! I was doing this in a garage sink that didn’t have a proper drain cover. It had some sort of built-in thing that still left pretty big gaps. I’ll definitely be more careful in the future.
Bought a toys r us gold N64 and it didn't worked cleaned it up thanks to this video and now the guy i bought it from wants to hire me to clean the rest of their N64 stock. Thanks dude! Amazing video.
Thanks for this man. You are an underrated MVP. I'm trying to get my N64to boot up games again so I will check the pins if it needs cleaning. I want to be able to refurbish these systems to keep the around for generations to see.
Man you are the best, my brother havd a n64 abandoned and had nthe problem of the turn the light but no signal. Your tutorial helped me a lot, super easy and your cleaning tips help. Now I am ready to rock wwf no mercy!!!! Take care bro.
Thanks, this was a great video for all the shrouds and screws. I just capped mine and didn't get back to it right away... again was a huge help. thanks!
Thank you, kind sir. What a blessing it was to find this video. I took a good part of 3 hours to do this and also give my system a much needed cleaning.
Gave me hope that this unit can work. Followed your video and after years of being in storage it worked but the blue screen with no signal returned after cycling through my game cartridges. Will keep at it.. good video, well made and helpful 👍
Thank you so much man, I just followed the whole video step by step, completely took mine apart and cleaned the hell out of it with no problems at all. Would have been a nightmare without this video, thank you!!!!!!!
thanks a lot man, like another commenter said, you're a life saver. i had my n64 dissassembled for a long time, tried to assemble it back and wasn't working, almost threw it away. i had some stuff missplaced in the ram slot area. with your reassembly i could figure it out. as im writing this im about to go and play, thank you!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the video. Can't help but laugh at how the difficulty in disassembly has increased in each system from the nes to the switch with each one being a little harder than the last lol. Btw I really appreciated the reassembly portion, this one is easy to miss a step.
Wonderfully aligned, simple and perfect design. If you compare this to today's consoles and computers it is so customer friendly, it's ridiculous. Thanks Nintendo.
components were much larger back then, to be fair. And there was no wireless chips for bluetooth, wifi, NFC, Gyro, etc. We have so much more tech in devices a fraction of the size
Just finished watching all of your videos. Found you looking up info on Xbox classic repair and enjoyed the videos. I see the latest one says a year ago but any continued repair videos I will watch.
Are the cartridge tray screws the same as the small ones in the middle of the system? I need screws for my cartridge tray, but have no idea what size I need.
Thank you so much this was extremely helpful I was vary lost at the beginning now I’ve successfully refurbished my n 64 witch has raised the value thank you
10-19-2020 Very helpful, I got my N64 a few years ago. Decided to give it some TLC. The power and reset button are stuck. This video will help a lot. Thanks
Awesome tutorial dude! Thank you so much for this! Very detailed and thorough! I didn't have a special tool so I melted the tip of a mechanical pencil and let it set for a few seconds before twisting. Worked ok but the specialty tool is definitely on its way 🤣
Hi The metal part that goes over the led that you put back on at 13min 11sec is missing from my Pal N64. Do you know if this just a NTSC / Pal difference and it doesn’t need it, and what is its purpose? Thank you
It's always fun when you disassemle a console and find out that there's already some pieces missing inside. 😂 Thankfully they weren't at all vital lol.
I was wondering 🤔if u could buy a replacement cartridge slot new & install it the same way but unfortunately the only place I could find one was on Ebay & it would be coming from the uk 🇬🇧 no big deal but on there website Game Gorilla on Ebay it tells in the item description that there is soldering involved is this true & if so is there anyway around this without soldering?
Just saw your videos my man your great love your stuff, any plans of coming back my guy it would be a shame to loes a talent like yours my guy , where ever you may be or going through stay blessed and stay safe and stay the champion and the talent you are 🙏💪🔥💪😇💪💯👍!
@retro_vg_repairs3339 just wanted to say my guy that Gid has your back always, may you and your family have a spectacular and blessed week ahead 🙏, may you and you family have a blessed and safe warm and loving Christmas and may this year be even more successful for you and your family, be blessed and stay safe out there 💪😇💯🙌🙏‼️
@@retro_vg_repairs3339 I gave up. I had a right angle ratchet screwdriver that got some out. I'm looking to order one that is straight like a standard screwdriver.
@@Justin_Strack perhaps some very very light application of WD-40 or some other lubricant the screws may potentially be bound with rust in some way or just simple aging
This is really cool, great video! Very clear instructions, definitely the best I've seen. I've seen some custom N64 consoles with the 4 gray controller ports in different colors - what would you recommend the best way to go about that? Does that piece come off at all or would you maybe use a very thin paint brush once you have the shell off?
Any idea why my two bottom round stands aren't locking into place? They were very hard to pry off, and now they just loosely fall off when I try to put them back on.
i wouldnt recommend washing the case in the dishwasher. high heat of the dishwasher can warp plastic. i think scrubbing with warm soapy water would probably work fine
Any thermal compound or pads to replace? My n64 seems to run very slow I assume it's overheating but maybe all games were just slow back then? even Mario kart feels extremely slow.
Nice video Retro VG Repairs. It's been awhile since I've been here but I'm glad you did this N64 disassembly video. I have a yellow N64 controller in which the "right" trigger button does not work. I took it apart and I couldn't find what the problem was. I even tried testing the right trigger button while the controller was disassembled with a game running, it still didn't work. If you have any suggestions I would appreciate it.
Great video, thanks. I have one issue though, when putting back together my n64 two of the screws at the front connecting the shielding to the controller ports have become stripped. They still go in but do not tighten fully. Should I be concerned about safety/grounding issues because of this? Do you have any recommendations for fixing this issues? Thanks
Recently found my gold N64 after last seeing in 04 and it has surface scratches and blemishes all over the body, but I'm afraid cleaning with soap and water will strip off the gold paint. Any advice?
@@retro_vg_repairs3339 I went ahead full out dish soap, sink full of piping hot water, unused toothbrush, and Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. No paint issue afterwards at all and only prep I did was cover all stickers with tape. I'd say 80% of marks remain but it's lot less noticeable and there's this really nice shiny glow to the console now.
I also want to point out that the metal plate that goes on top with the ten short screws does not need to be in place before you screw in the first plate with the 5 screws. And frankly speaking you'd have to be kind of dense to misalign said plate.
a little late but did you have the right size screwdriver? Sometimes if the bit is too cheap, not sized exactly right, it can strip and make it really hard to catch the screw
Excellent video, very well explained my friend. Your instructions have allowed me to remove 25 years’ worth of dust and crud from my console.
My 64 went dead in 2014 and it’s only in hindsight I worked out it was likely due to the power supply no longer working and not the console itself. All the same, it needed this thorough clean. A couple of small parts I lost were casualties but main thing is we now have our 64 working once again. If anyone else finds no power or picture on their 64, i would suggest ordering a new power supply first.
Greetings from Scotland.
thanks lad
Awesome video! My old n64 was my first time attempting any sort of restoration, and I can confidently say that all those pieces never would've made it back together without this video. Thanks!
Happy to help
I normally don’t write comments, but I gotta give you special shout-out. My N64 wasn’t consistently turning on but now it turns on 1st every time. Thank you so much
This fixed the issue i had with my N64. Now it works well after a good cleaning. Thanks!
Bruh you are an angel thanks for the reassembly! I took it apart and had it on my table for over a week and i forgot how to put it back 😂
You're a lifesaver, brother, much appreciated. I never would have tried to get the cartridge slot off but it was vital in cleaning this very filthy jungle green N64 I got from a thrift shop. I think someone must have spilled a coke down there about 20 years ago.
nice! not too many people know its removable. It is definitely where a lot of dirt likes to hide
You're a lifesaver, brother. Very well made and helpful.
Jesus loves you sir :)
Wow thanks u so much Man U made me so happy after like 20yrs of my n64 being not cleaned and forgotten as a kid, I just cleaned it and followed this whole video and got it to work!!!!!!!!! THANK U SO MUCH MAN REALLLY!!!!!!!!!!!
Enjoy! what games did you want to get back into?
@@retro_vg_repairs3339 I was playing paper Mario,Mario golf,Mario party 3 and some others really fun and enjoyable
Been coming back to this video every few years, thanks!!
Just did a deep clean on a N64 and this couldn’t have been a better video. Thank you so much!
I realize it's 2021 but it was actually fun to give my original N64 some TLC after all these years. This was a great and thorough video. I wasn't going to trust putting my plastic parts in the dishwasher so I just washed them in the sink. They came out really clean but I lost my white numbered sticker on the bottom so be careful with that. Thanks again, well done.
Had a sticky reset button for years. Great video! Thank you so much
The lid for the jumper pak is the perfect fit for that little prying slot on the back of the jumper and expansion paks
This video was very helpful, one of the pins going to the AV out looked like it was missing solder, (it was dropped pretty hard 😬) I re-soldered it and now my N64 works like a charm!
Thats awesome. Happy it helped you out
You’re a boss for this! I took mine completely apart and forgot how to put it back together!!! Great content my friend!!!
I super appreciate the ste-by-step breakdown and reassembly.
Thank you very much for making this video. I left mine disassembled for over a year and would never have remembered where all the screws came from
This was a great help in taking apart my broken N64 to clean it! It’s probably nicer inside than my Switch now lol.
Only thing I want to mention is that I kept pausing the video so I could follow along with each step, and it doesn’t mention that the little clear piece of plastic for the LED can separate from the case until fairly late in the video. I had no idea I could have removed it and it tragically fell down the drain when I was washing the case in the sink.
So this is my little PSA to everyone! Don’t end up like me and make sure you remove that piece before cleaning the case in a sink.
that is really tragic. That was clearly a last minute edit since I forgot and didnt wanna re-record the whole thing again. That being said... you dont have any drain cover/ hair catcher? What if its your wedding ring? Gotta be careful!
@ Thanks for the reply! I was doing this in a garage sink that didn’t have a proper drain cover. It had some sort of built-in thing that still left pretty big gaps. I’ll definitely be more careful in the future.
Bought a toys r us gold N64 and it didn't worked cleaned it up thanks to this video and now the guy i bought it from wants to hire me to clean the rest of their N64 stock. Thanks dude! Amazing video.
Thanks for this man. You are an underrated MVP. I'm trying to get my N64to boot up games again so I will check the pins if it needs cleaning. I want to be able to refurbish these systems to keep the around for generations to see.
Man you are the best, my brother havd a n64 abandoned and had nthe problem of the turn the light but no signal. Your tutorial helped me a lot, super easy and your cleaning tips help. Now I am ready to rock wwf no mercy!!!! Take care bro.
🤘
Thanks, this was a great video for all the shrouds and screws. I just capped mine and didn't get back to it right away... again was a huge help. thanks!
Thank you, kind sir. What a blessing it was to find this video. I took a good part of 3 hours to do this and also give my system a much needed cleaning.
Gave me hope that this unit can work. Followed your video and after years of being in storage it worked but the blue screen with no signal returned after cycling through my game cartridges. Will keep at it.. good video, well made and helpful 👍
Excellent video. Great close ups and instruction. Thanks for your time. Everything went back smoothly.
Thanks for making this video. I just restored my first 64 and it’s working perfectly 👍👍👍
The reassembly portion of the video was super great!
Thank you so much man, I just followed the whole video step by step, completely took mine apart and cleaned the hell out of it with no problems at all. Would have been a nightmare without this video, thank you!!!!!!!
If it helped you, then it was worth it to me! Very glad to hear.
thanks a lot man, like another commenter said, you're a life saver. i had my n64 dissassembled for a long time, tried to assemble it back and wasn't working, almost threw it away. i had some stuff missplaced in the ram slot area. with your reassembly i could figure it out. as im writing this im about to go and play, thank you!!!!!!!!!
Awesome! Glad you didn't give up!
I didn't even get it to work, but putting that top piece back on was definitely satisfying.
Can you make a video on the same thing but for NES and SNES? This was an incredible tutorial!
Thanks for the video. Can't help but laugh at how the difficulty in disassembly has increased in each system from the nes to the switch with each one being a little harder than the last lol. Btw I really appreciated the reassembly portion, this one is easy to miss a step.
Wonderfully aligned, simple and perfect design. If you compare this to today's consoles and computers it is so customer friendly, it's ridiculous.
Thanks Nintendo.
components were much larger back then, to be fair. And there was no wireless chips for bluetooth, wifi, NFC, Gyro, etc. We have so much more tech in devices a fraction of the size
Just finished watching all of your videos. Found you looking up info on Xbox classic repair and enjoyed the videos. I see the latest one says a year ago but any continued repair videos I will watch.
oh yes finally found an useful video from cleaning the n64 system properly thank you
Are the cartridge tray screws the same as the small ones in the middle of the system? I need screws for my cartridge tray, but have no idea what size I need.
Thank you so much this was extremely helpful I was vary lost at the beginning now I’ve successfully refurbished my n 64 witch has raised the value thank you
10-19-2020
Very helpful, I got my N64 a few years ago. Decided to give it some TLC. The power and reset button are stuck. This video will help a lot. Thanks
This is the most perfect teardown video ive ever seen
Appreciate the comment. My goal was to make the most thorough and easy to follow video. Thanks!
This was a very useful video, repaired my reset button and cleaned my console, thank you
Thank you for this guide! You have helped save my n64 from the heap.
Thanks a lot saved me time which screw goes where, and the clips since I dropped it while it was open your a life saver👍👍👍👍👍
Awesome tutorial dude! Thank you so much for this! Very detailed and thorough! I didn't have a special tool so I melted the tip of a mechanical pencil and let it set for a few seconds before twisting. Worked ok but the specialty tool is definitely on its way 🤣
Nice teardown video. Did mines which had decades of dust and debris inside. Can't beat Nintendo's build quality though. Simplistic and Functional.
Hi
The metal part that goes over the led that you put back on at 13min 11sec is missing from my Pal N64.
Do you know if this just a NTSC / Pal difference and it doesn’t need it, and what is its purpose?
Thank you
I've seen it missing from a few jpn consoles too. Tbh I'm not sure what it's for. Don't worry about it
Retro_VG_Repairs interesting.
Great video by the way
Very informative. I just pulled out my N64 & it was covered with dust, & sticky gunk on the vents infront of the cartridge slot...! Thanks
Thanks for the amazing video, succeeded in my repair (the N64 was just dirty I got lucky)
This was very helpful and well-done, thanks!
Thanks a ton! My N64 was needing to be restored!
Great video! Very detailed, thanks man!
Thanks for such an in depth video! Mine needed a nice cleaning.
Greatest RUclips video ever
Thanks for the great video. I know I would have had extra screws leftover if I just winged it!
Your a literal hero dude
It's always fun when you disassemle a console and find out that there's already some pieces missing inside. 😂 Thankfully they weren't at all vital lol.
Great video man! Thank so much!
Excellent video Sir!! Helped me immensely! Thanks
Is there a thermal past under the smaller heat sinks?
There are thermal pads under each one. By now they are pretty brittle so be careful handling it
@@retro_vg_repairs3339 👍 thanks for the response.
Make sure you use J0 and J1 JIS bits instead of standard Phillips 0 and 1 if you have them to reduce chance of stripping.
I was wondering 🤔if u could buy a replacement cartridge slot new & install it the same way but unfortunately the only place I could find one was on Ebay & it would be coming from the uk 🇬🇧 no big deal but on there website Game Gorilla on Ebay it tells in the item description that there is soldering involved is this true & if so is there anyway around this without soldering?
What size of screws will work to replace those used to hold that cartridge reader?
Just saw your videos my man your great love your stuff, any plans of coming back my guy it would be a shame to loes a talent like yours my guy , where ever you may be or going through stay blessed and stay safe and stay the champion and the talent you are 🙏💪🔥💪😇💪💯👍!
im all good, just forgot this channel exists. But for real, that is such a nice comment. Thank you
@retro_vg_repairs3339 just wanted to say my guy that Gid has your back always, may you and your family have a spectacular and blessed week ahead 🙏, may you and you family have a blessed and safe warm and loving Christmas and may this year be even more successful for you and your family, be blessed and stay safe out there 💪😇💯🙌🙏‼️
@@rogerheller6838 same to yours
I just spent a few hours trying to do this. Those 10 screws on that heatsink plate won't budge. I was maybe able to get 3 off but the rest are stuck.
Make sure your philips screwdriver is the right size. A longer one with a bigger grip will give you more torque. Just be careful not to strip it
@@retro_vg_repairs3339 I gave up. I had a right angle ratchet screwdriver that got some out. I'm looking to order one that is straight like a standard screwdriver.
@@Justin_Strack perhaps some very very light application of WD-40 or some other lubricant the screws may potentially be bound with rust in some way or just simple aging
Me: does not have a n64
Also me: this is interesting
Thanks so much man! Video was perfect! Step by step
Thank you , your video was on point and made everything easy to do .
I used your video to help me again on my second n64 ! Thanks Again !
Thanks for this upload. Is the best on youtube imo. Glad you did the reassembly too
This is really cool, great video! Very clear instructions, definitely the best I've seen.
I've seen some custom N64 consoles with the 4 gray controller ports in different colors - what would you recommend the best way to go about that? Does that piece come off at all or would you maybe use a very thin paint brush once you have the shell off?
That is soldered onto the board. I'd recommend you carefully paint it with the top and bottom shell off
13:10 I don’t think my n64 had this part or I may have misplaced it during the disassembly process is it important ?
it’s been a bit but no it’s not. just rf shielding. at worst you’ll get some interference in the video and games will look slightly worse
Any idea why my two bottom round stands aren't locking into place? They were very hard to pry off, and now they just loosely fall off when I try to put them back on.
@@FistSaidToTheFace you're supposed to kinda twist on
i wouldnt recommend washing the case in the dishwasher. high heat of the dishwasher can warp plastic. i think scrubbing with warm soapy water would probably work fine
definitely wash by hand, idk wtf i was saying
Any thermal compound or pads to replace? My n64 seems to run very slow I assume it's overheating but maybe all games were just slow back then? even Mario kart feels extremely slow.
Any alternatives for the Nintendo security screwdriver bit?
nothing worth your time. Get the right tools for the job. No half measures
1:45 Now was that meant for the 64DD that we never got in this country?
Absolutely fantastic vid.
Nice video Retro VG Repairs. It's been awhile since I've been here but I'm glad you did this N64 disassembly video. I have a yellow N64 controller in which the "right" trigger button does not work. I took it apart and I couldn't find what the problem was. I even tried testing the right trigger button while the controller was disassembled with a game running, it still didn't work. If you have any suggestions I would appreciate it.
Great video. Thank you for posting.
Great video, thanks. I have one issue though, when putting back together my n64 two of the screws at the front connecting the shielding to the controller ports have become stripped. They still go in but do not tighten fully. Should I be concerned about safety/grounding issues because of this? Do you have any recommendations for fixing this issues? Thanks
I mean once they are stripped you need new screws. As long as the system is put together with everything else, you will be fine
Thanks for the reply. I meant to say that the screw holes are stripped.
Very thorough video. Thank you!
great tutorial
Great job bossman
Thanks just make sure you clock out at the right time today
did I miss a fan and heat sink? or are there not?
Cooled passively
what should I clean the plastic parts with?
soap and hot water
very thorough video well done
great vid! But should I be concerned if my console didn't include a small thin plate to go on top of the red LED at the very front?
Don't be concerned. Certain revisions didn't include it. Not necessary to have
@@retro_vg_repairs3339 aaah ok, had me worried... cheers for your help
Great! You help me a lot! Thanks!!!
Awesome video, thanks my dude.
Great video! Very helpful
Can someone please point me to a video on how to put the springs back in correctly so the doors spring back after the game is removed?
Recently found my gold N64 after last seeing in 04 and it has surface scratches and blemishes all over the body, but I'm afraid cleaning with soap and water will strip off the gold paint. Any advice?
try just using water on a rag, or a mild soap + rag
@@retro_vg_repairs3339 I went ahead full out dish soap, sink full of piping hot water, unused toothbrush, and Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. No paint issue afterwards at all and only prep I did was cover all stickers with tape. I'd say 80% of marks remain but it's lot less noticeable and there's this really nice shiny glow to the console now.
So the N64 doesn’t run on a fan?
I also want to point out that the metal plate that goes on top with the ten short screws does not need to be in place before you screw in the first plate with the 5 screws. And frankly speaking you'd have to be kind of dense to misalign said plate.
have you met people before
Can you take the ports off??
Controller ports I mean
They are soldered on, 2 pairs
Epic video! Thank you!
Thanks for the video - really easy to follow:)
I did the tear down,put it back together and it didn’t work when I plugged it in. There was a red light but no picture. Help plz
Does it work now?
I want to RGB mod my N64, but the internal screws are completely stuck. Tried spraying WD-40 on each one and it didn't work. :/
a little late but did you have the right size screwdriver? Sometimes if the bit is too cheap, not sized exactly right, it can strip and make it really hard to catch the screw
Thank you for this
Thank you, my friend. You're awesome!
Super helpful. Thanks so much.