Help with removing jack socket from PCB

[josephfra]

Hey everyone,

I'm trying to remove some audio jack sockets from a PCB, but it's proving pretty difficult. I've used a solder sucker the best I can, but it seems to be still firmly stuck on the PCB. I'm also having trouble getting the solder on the ground pins to melt, let alone suck the solder off it. And solder wick isn't giving me any joy either. :S

Does anyone have any advice on how to remove these jacks? I'm not concerned if I have to break the sockets, but I can't afford to break the pcb/other components on it.

Here's a couple of pictures incase they come in handy, of the jack and of the jack pins.

[duck_arse]

josephfra, I was going to ask for pictures, then saw you said pictures, then looked at the links [wow - they couldn't be made any longer, could they?] ....... the images aren't showing [here] because they are needing me to sign-in to googoo, of/at which I am a no account.


[PLEASE note - this post contains no slights, real, inferred or imagined. thank you.]

edit : excellent. thanks.

[josephfra]

josephfra, I was going to ask for pictures, then saw you said pictures, then looked at the links [wow - they couldn't be made any longer, could they?] ....... the images aren't showing [here] because they are needing me to sign-in to googoo, of/at which I am a no account.


[PLEASE note - this post contains no slights, real, inferred or imagined. thank you.]

Oh, my mistake. I'll reupload them now.

[stallik]

Trouble is, the pcb tinning allows solder to run right through the holes. When the component is soldered in, the solder follows to the other side making removal a bit trickier. I've struggled with this myself and have had to resort to using a bit of flux to loosen things up when attacking it with iron and solder sucker. One leg at a time

[Ripthorn]

Things like this (and surface mount IC's) are the reason I got an inexpensive hot air station. Get as much out with a solder sucker/solder wick and then hit it with hot air and it comes out nice and easy. With a soldering iron, I would just try to clip the legs, heat the solder, and pull them out with tweezers one at a time. Desoldering stuff like that with just a soldering iron is a royal pain.

[deadastronaut]

paradoxically adding your solder to the joint will help it with the melting point....then suck off.

failing that, snippy snippy...and pull one at a time. 

[davent]

paradoxically adding your solder to the joint will help it with the melting point....then suck off.

failing that, snippy snippy...and pull one at a time. 

Yes, sacrifice the jack to save the pcb and melting caps.
dave

[eh la bas ma]

I'd suggest to remove the IC next to the jack to protect it from the heat, and don't stay too long on the pads with your iron to avoid overheating the pcb and the smd IC.
I removed recently some transitors with an iron set around 380°C: heating quickly one pad at a time and pulling on the matching side of the component. It took me several minutes, it was slowly moving, but eventually it worked. I had to add some solder on some pads so that the iron could heat both pad and leg properly.

Edit: I am being nosy here, but why do you need to remove these jacks, if I may ?
I am always glad to have pcb mounted jacks on my builds...it feels reliable.

[PRR]

https://hackaday.com/2017/04/03/have-you-ever-tried-desoldering-needles/

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=desolder+needles

[josephfra]

I managed to remove the jacks. I did it by bending the gold contacts so they were all facing upwards, then levering the plastic body up with a screwdriver so that it slid away from the contacts. Then it was easy as just holding the heat to each pin and pulling them out of the board one by one. Thanks for all the helpful advice in the thread!

Also, those desoldering needles look like they could come in super handy, thanks for sharing.

Edit: I am being nosy here, but why do you need to remove these jacks, if I may ?
I am always glad to have pcb mounted jacks on my builds...it feels reliable.

If I could've kept them, I would. But when I was designing the PCB I put the through-holes in the wrong places, so the signal from the cable was sent to ground, and the cable ground was connected to the signal input - bit annoying (and noisy), but nothing that some cables can't fix with some new jacks.

[anotherjim]

Too late for my answer. I always use some leverage under the part while heating the joint starting at one corner and going around. You still need a hot iron though. The thing may well have been made with lead-free solder, which requires more heat than 60/40 leaded. I may get it with 350c or even 400c on the iron. Fresh solder & flux helps increase the thermal contact area with the iron so it all melts quicker. If you can't get the joint to wet, you need more heat and/or power. It can be easier to work the part out completely before trying the solder sucker! 

You can use flat blade screwdrivers to lever it out, but I have a scriber from a cheap set of "soldering aids" that has at one end a flattened wide tip with a slot in the middle that's bent back at an angle like a crowbar and that almost perfect for the job.