How to remove broken s-video pin jammed in VCR plug?
 

One of the pins in the connector of my S-Video cable broke off and is jammed in the hole. It's pretty far in there and no part is sticking out so it can't be removed with tweezers.

According to other sources online, you remove the pin by heating up a sewing needle or other small, sharp object with a lighter, then stick it in the hole until it cools, and it will pull out the broken pin. BUT this assumes you have access to two things: a needle and a lighter. I don't have either.

The closest I could come to this would be a bent staple heated up on the stove, but I don't know if that is a safe idea. Is there another way to solve this problem that doesn't involve heating anything? Or do I have to blow $300 to $500 on another VCR solely because of this stupid problem?

Use gasket maker, squeeze some into the face of the plug and let it dry overnight, Then pull out the blub of rubber, if you are lucky it will come out if it's too tight than you need to use another trick.

Thanks for the advice, but you caused a catastrophe.

I still don't know what gasket maker is, but I bought a tube and screwed on the nozzle. Unfortunately I could NOT get the stuff to squeeze all the way through the nozzle. It stopped one-third of the way through and no more would go in there no matter how hard I squeezed the tube, so I could not apply this stuff in a fine manner. I had to unscrew the nozzle and do the best I could. I hope it went where it was supposed to but I have no idea how much got in there (see attached picture).

To make matters worse, as I was squeezing, a small hole developed near the bottom and I didn't notice it until my hands were very blue. And you did NOT tell me how hard it is to get this stuff off your hands! I was scrubbing for like ten minutes and blue stuff is still in my fingernails. And I just NOW noticed fine print on the package that says "SUSPECTED OF CAUSING CANCER" so you probably just killed me.

Tomorrow I try to remove it (it BETTER be simple to remove or I'll be back to yell at you some more) but if it doesn't work, I'm not subjecting myself to this twice. I really don't want cancer. Do you have another solution?

This reminds me of friend in college. He didn't have a spoon, blank paper, a pen, or a stapler. :screwy:
I still don't see how he graduated.

Uh ... Google? :unsure:
https://www.permatex.com/product-cat...gasket-makers/

So ... why didn't you just buy a needle and a lighter? :question:

I was going to make an obligatory Smurfs joke, but then... :mad4:

Congratulations. This is now the WTF? thread champion! :popcorn:
I don't recall a more weird thread on this forum.
And it beats anything gamemaniaco ever did, by a wide margin. Ziplock screwdriver DVDs? Nah, pfft. Cancer. < mic drop >

I suggest reading the instructions.

Gloves. :wink2:

No.

Buy a lighter and needle this time, not the expensive auto parts goop.

Bubble gum?

There often aren't stupid problems, but there are stupid solutions. Don't respond to a problem by doing something stupid.

There are no instructions on the tube or the packaging for removing the stuff. From Post #2 I was led to believe I could just pull it off once it gets hard. Is that not the case?

UPDATE: https://www.google.com/search?q=remove+gasket+maker

I don't see anything here that suggests you can just pull it off. Then why would the second poster tell me I could? I'm going blind off people's advice here, I don't know anything about this stuff. You can laugh at me if you want, but of course I'm going to make mistakes, especially if I'm fed the wrong info.

What do I do -- do I wait until tomorrow and see if he's right, or try to remove it now? I DO know trying to remove it when still wet would create a bigger mess.

https://www.permatex.com/products/ga...on_info_custom

It's not really made to be removed. But it's just silicon.

So...what does that mean? Does that mean it can't be removed once it dries? Do I take it off now or not? I'm not familiar with the properties of silicon.

It means it wasn't made to be removed. It's like a mild threadgripper (threadlocker). But it can be. It's just silicon. May leave residue, pain to remove, and yet less difficult than the pin stuck in a hold. Stronger than liquid latex.

I should have thought twice about your user name, I didn't expect you to squeeze half the tube in there, You should only cover the round plug. Now you may have to replace the S-Video socket, Don't blame me, I was just trying to help, Always read the package before using. Cancer? yes most if not all chemicals can cause cancer for long term exposure, you touched it for few minutes, come on.

I can't replace the socket...I took a peek inside earlier and it's soldered to a circuit board. I wouldn't know how to begin from there.

Guess it's back to eBay for me. :(

Did you try to pull out that thing?
No remover, STOP using chemicals, you will destroy the plastics.

I don't understand the instant defeatist attitude. It's not a lost cause. And honestly, you're no worse off now than you were before covering it in pureed Smurf. Pull it off now, before it cures 100% hard as granite.

I just tried now. If I can't use chemicals there's no hope; it left a lot behind. The outlet is totally gummed up. How is it not a lost cause? I don't get it. I don't see how this can be overcome.

I would ask if Smurf is selling any models lately, but I probably just blacklisted myself.

- Yes, I have a few decks, PM me.
- You're not blacklisted.
- I'm just shaking my head in disbelief. But I've seen worse, refurb'd worse.

Out of curiosity, what would it actually take to repair what I just did? I don't see a way with my skill level; I'm assuming you'd have to replace the plug entirely and I already said it's soldered in.

Out of interest, have you actually done this successfully?

So am I, at the suggestion itself.

what about a magnet (a strong/big one) to pull it out the socket ?

I was never stupid enough to break a pin inside a S-Video socket, but I'm familiar with silicon based rubber gasket maker, I've used it quite a bit in my life, and I know how it works, and no it doesn't harden to granite.


No, the pins are not made of iron, they don't stick to magnets.

So, Yes or No?