Replacing a USB Connector on Galaxy S3

This instructable will make your life easier for USB replacement on Galaxy S3 smart phones as well as others (may need a slightly differently-configured stencil). You will need the following:

Replacement USB stencil

Replacement USB

Soldering iron

Hot air or IR heating source

Paste flux

Soldering braid

Isopropyl alcohol (for cleaning)

Soft-bristled cleaning brush

Some type of magnification to help align stencil and inspect solder

Using a hot air source (or other means such as IR) carefully remove the connector requiring replacement. Make sure to mask off outlying areas so as to prevent heat from damaging neighboring components. Use tweezers to remove. Use soldering iron, flux and solder braid to remove remnant solder on all of the pads.

Inspect the stencil to make sure that you have the correct Galaxy 3 pattern for the USB. Peel off the release liner. Align stencil over the communication pads as well as the mounting pads.

Using a micro squeegee squeegee solder paste over the apertures. Go back and forth several times in order to make sure all of the apertures are filled with lead-free solder. Wipe any remnant solder paste off of the surface of the stencil.

Using a pair of tweezers place the USB connector leads into the matching apertures filled with solder paste. Reflow the solder paste. The stencil will stay in place to assist with alignment and to prevent the solder from shorting neighboring leads.

Clean off any remnant flux residue. Inspect your work. Test the port electrically for connectivity. This entire process should take no more than 10 minutes!

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