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Macintosh Color Classic II Capacitor Replacement Guide

From RetroTechCollection

The Macintosh Color Classic II logic board and analog board contain electrolytic capacitors that leak after 30+ years. This guide provides capacitor specifications and replacement procedures.

The Color Classic II uses the same logic board as the LC 550/Performa 550, so capacitor specifications are identical.[1]

Why Recap?

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Electrolytic capacitors contain liquid or gel electrolyte that leaks over time. The leaked electrolyte is:

  • Conductive — creates short circuits between traces
  • Corrosive — destroys copper traces and attacks solder joints

The Color Classic II's logic board has capacitors clustered around the sound chip (343S0129). Leakage in this area commonly destroys traces, requiring repair beyond simple capacitor replacement.[2]

CRT Safety Warning

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Discharge the CRT anode before working on the analog board. The CRT retains 10,000+ volts even when unplugged. See CRT Discharge Procedure.

Logic Board Capacitors

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The Color Classic II / LC 550 logic board contains 9 surface-mount electrolytic capacitors:[3]

Color Classic II Logic Board Capacitors
Capacitance Voltage Qty Package Recommended Replacement
47 µF 16V 6 SMD electrolytic KEMET T491D476K016AT (tantalum)
100 µF 6.3V 2 SMD electrolytic KEMET T491D107K006AT (tantalum)
10 µF 16V 1 SMD electrolytic KEMET T491B106K016AT (tantalum)
Color Classic / Color Classic II logic board capacitor locations. Source: Recap-a-Mac

Replacement Options

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Tantalum (recommended):

  • Solid electrolyte — cannot leak
  • Available from Mouser, Digi-Key
  • Slightly larger footprint than original SMD electrolytics

Polymer electrolytic:

  • Panasonic OS-CON or similar
  • No liquid electrolyte
  • Lower ESR than tantalum

Standard electrolytic:

  • Matches original footprint
  • Will eventually leak again (but buys another 20-30 years)
  • Use 105°C rated, low-ESR types

Analog Board Capacitors

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The Color Classic II analog board contains the power supply, deflection circuits, and video amplifier. It has 40+ capacitors. The most failure-prone capacitor is the 3300µF 16V main filter capacitor.

Critical Capacitors

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High-Priority Analog Board Capacitors
Reference Capacitance Voltage Type Notes
CF8, CP39 3300 µF 16V Radial electrolytic Main filter — causes display problems when failed
CP30 330 µF 400V Radial electrolytic Primary filter — high voltage, use quality replacement
CP13, CP14 1000 µF 16-35V Radial electrolytic Secondary filter
CP40, CP42 5600 µF 10V Radial electrolytic Low voltage rail filter
Color Classic / Color Classic II analog board capacitor locations. Source: Recap-a-Mac

Complete Analog Board Capacitor List

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The following list is from powercc.org. Board revisions may vary — always verify against your specific board:[4]

Analog Board Capacitors (Reference List)
Ref Value Voltage Type
CD3 10 µF 16V Electrolytic
CF2 4.7 µF 50V Electrolytic
CF7 100 µF 25V Electrolytic
CF8 3300 µF 16V Electrolytic
CF9 220 µF 25V Electrolytic
CF10 220 µF 35V Electrolytic
CF11 470 µF 35V Electrolytic
CL4 100 µF 25V Electrolytic
CL11 1 µF 50V Electrolytic
CL13 2.2 µF 200V Electrolytic
CL14 47 µF 100V Electrolytic
CL19 10 µF 250V Electrolytic
CL21 100 µF 100V Electrolytic
CL23 100 µF 6.3V Electrolytic
CL24, CL31 1 µF 50V Electrolytic
CL33, CL34 2.2 µF 100V Electrolytic
CL35 0.47 µF 100V Electrolytic
CP9, CP15, CP34 100 µF 25V Electrolytic
CP10 1 µF 50V Electrolytic
CP12 100 µF 100V Electrolytic
CP13 1000 µF 35V Electrolytic
CP14, CP41 1000 µF 16V Electrolytic
CP30 330 µF 400V Electrolytic
CP35, CP47, CP54, CP55 1 µF 50V Electrolytic
CP39 3300 µF 16V Electrolytic
CP40, CP42 5600 µF 10V Electrolytic
CP43, CP44 470 µF 25V Electrolytic
CP46 1000 µF 10V Electrolytic
CP56 330 µF 16V Electrolytic
CS4 1 µF 50V Electrolytic
CV13 10 µF 100V Electrolytic
CV17, CV21 100 µF 25V Electrolytic
CV18, CV19, CV20 2.2 µF 200V Electrolytic
CV39, CV40 1 µF 50V Electrolytic

Note: Film and ceramic capacitors (marked "poly capacitor" or with values like .22µF 250V) do not typically need replacement unless visibly damaged.

Tools Required

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  • Soldering iron with temperature control (for SMD: fine tip; for through-hole: chisel tip)
  • Hot air rework station (optional but helpful for SMD removal)
  • Solder (60/40 or 63/37, 0.5-0.8mm for SMD, 0.8-1.0mm for through-hole)
  • Flux (no-clean or rosin)
  • Solder wick and desoldering pump
  • Isopropyl alcohol (>90%) and brushes
  • Multimeter
  • Safety glasses

Logic Board Procedure

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Removal

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  1. Heat one terminal while gently tilting the capacitor
  2. Alternate terminals until the capacitor releases
  3. Or use hot air at 350-380°C with heat shields around plastic connectors

Cleaning

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  1. Remove all electrolyte residue with isopropyl alcohol
  2. Inspect traces for corrosion damage
  3. Use a multimeter to check continuity on traces near capacitors
  4. Repair damaged traces with conductive pen or jumper wire

Installation

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  1. Tin one pad with fresh solder
  2. Position new capacitor (verify polarity — tantalum: stripe marks positive)
  3. Tack one terminal
  4. Solder second terminal
  5. Reflow first terminal
  6. Clean flux residue

Analog Board Procedure

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Safety

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  • Discharge CRT first
  • The analog board contains high-voltage capacitors (250V, 400V) — treat them with respect
  • Wait for large capacitors to discharge before removing (or discharge manually with resistor)

Through-Hole Replacement

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  1. Desolder old capacitor using solder wick or pump
  2. Clean holes with solder wick
  3. Insert new capacitor (verify polarity — stripe marks negative on electrolytic)
  4. Solder both leads
  5. Trim excess leads
  6. Inspect for solder bridges

High-Voltage Capacitors

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  • CP30 (330µF 400V) — use quality 105°C capacitor rated for switching power supplies
  • Do not substitute lower voltage ratings
  • Observe polarity carefully

Post-Recap Testing

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  1. Visual inspection — check all polarities and solder joints
  2. Continuity test — verify no shorts between power rails and ground
  3. Power-on test — start with logic board disconnected; verify PSU voltages
  4. Full test — reconnect logic board; verify startup chime and video

Expected Voltages

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Rail Voltage Tolerance
+5V 5.00V ±5%
+12V 12.00V ±10%
-5V -5.00V ±10%

Purchasing Kits

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Pre-assembled capacitor kits are available from:

  • Console5 (console5.com) — logic board and analog board kits
  • Recap-a-Mac (recapamac.com.au) — tantalum kits with guides
  • Various eBay sellers

References

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  1. ↑ ReCap, powercc.org—link(accessed 2026-02-09)
  2. ↑ Macintosh Colo(u)r Classic, Recap-a-Mac—link(accessed 2026-02-09)
  3. ↑ ReCap, powercc.org—link(accessed 2026-02-09)
  4. ↑ ReCap, powercc.org—link(accessed 2026-02-09)
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