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Recap guide

Recap the Macintosh LC and Performa 450

'030-era SMD electrolytics leak on the logic board, and the LC III and Performa 450 have a cap installed against its marking that matters when recapping.

Open the interactive checklist Tick off each capacitor as you replace it. It saves in your browser.

Worth a recap. Reports say it is a common and useful fix on this machine.

Which board do I have?

Boards changed during production. These notes come from the linked sources, and many are only partly documented, so check the board in front of you.

  • LC and LC II (Medium confidence). How to tell: Original LC and LC II. Capacitors: C22 (47uF 16V, -5V rail) is installed the right way round on these. Capacitor list differs from other revisions: not known. Source
  • LC III and Performa 450, 460, 466, 467 (High confidence). How to tell: Models listed by the article. Capacitors: C22 47uF 16V was soldered reversed with a wrong silkscreen; tantalum swaps reduce the -5V rail, so fit it opposite the marking. Capacitor list differs from other revisions: yes. Source
  • LC 475 supply Dyna Comp DCF-353 (Apple 614-0028) (Medium confidence). How to tell: Dyna Comp DCF-353, Apple part 614-0028. Capacitors: C19 and C20 1000uF 10V, C18 2200uF 10V, C15 330uF 35V, C16, C21, C22 82uF 35V, C9 33uF 35V, C26 10uF 35V, C7 180uF 400V. Capacitor list differs from other revisions: not known. Source

Where to start

Clues from write-ups and forum threads, not a diagnosis. Low confidence means one thread or one repair; high means several write-ups agree.

  • Backwards C22 (Medium confidence). An article explains that Apple installed C22 (the -5V bulk cap) against its silkscreen on the LC III and Performa 450/460/466/467. It warns that reversed C22 or tantalum replacements can fail dangerously. Source
  • LC III recap experience (Low confidence). One first-hand LC III recap ran into lifted traces and a hard-to-find 385V PSU cap. Source
  • LC 475 supply (Low confidence). A thread gives part values for the Dyna Comp DCF 353 supply (Apple part 614-0028) and a kit tip. Source

Tips, tales and maybes

Found in write-ups and forum threads. These are other people's reports, not tested by us. Check part references and values against your own board.

  • Tip: What a backwards C22 looks like (Medium confidence). The article says C22 (the -5V cap) was fitted backwards at the factory with a wrong silkscreen, so its positive terminal goes to ground. With a tantalum fitted the way the silkscreen shows, the -5V rail read about -2.3V with about 1.3A drawn and a risk of fire. It suggests checking continuity unpowered, then voltage powered. Source

Before you start

  • Boards changed during production. Check your board number against the guides before you order parts.

Guides we used

This page and the interactive bench are built from these. They have the photos and the full detail, so please read them and support their authors.

The capacitor list

We have not checked a capacitor list for this machine yet, so none is shown. Follow the guide above for your board, then add the capacitors in the interactive checklist and it builds a shopping list for you.

Skip the sourcing

While you are in there

Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These links only search by name. Disclosure

Steps, tools and safety

The steps, the tools in top, middle and budget picks, and the safety list are the same for every machine, so they live on one page: How to recap, step by step.

Values are shown as published in the guides above, and boards changed during production. Check the board in front of you. A recap involves hot tools and, on some machines, dangerous voltages. You do it at your own risk.

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