vB Easy Archive - A visual tutorial to change MPX220 housing

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A visual tutorial to change MPX220 housing
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: ffaridi1

I searched Hofo for that but couldn't find any thread about that.
Found following visual tutorial on Modaco:
http://www.cnn.cn/mpx220/mpx220instruction.htm

Just wondering if any one tried that ?
I ordered my Black housing this weekend with tools (TORX 5 + phone opener)

I'll post picks of finished product once they'll arrive and if I won't end up with a $300 paper weight.

Posted by: medenblik

Man those are nice pics but I am still a little nervous switching cases to the Black (Ox-Blood) color case.

I guess you just have to be patient when you do it.

Posted by: cortez

it took me about an hour and 15 mins. to replace my cover... patience is the key... don't rush the job and be careful with the components. i like having the unique color...i've posted a couple of pics with the cnn.cn OEM housing here.

Posted by: ffaridi1

Well... after 2 1/2 hours of very careful and delicate work (I didn't wanna convert my phon einto a $300 paper weight) finally I am able to change the housing of my MPX220 to black (or OX blodd).... believe me it worth taking this risk, especially with the black surrounding, homescreens look very nice.

Let me know if someone wanna tak ethe plunge and need any instructions.

Posted by: medenblik

Quote:

Originally Posted by ffaridi1

Well... after 2 1/2 hours of very careful and delicate work (I didn't wanna convert my phon einto a $300 paper weight) finally I am able to change the housing of my MPX220 to black (or OX blodd).... believe me it worth taking this risk, especially with the black surrounding, homescreens look very nice.

Let me know if someone wanna tak ethe plunge and need any instructions.

Check your PM

Posted by: ffaridi1

Inorder to take the silver housing apart the link provided in first post is enough, few things to consider while taking the housing apart are:
1- Practice on the black housing first using the phone opener tool ( yes you will need it for sure if you don't wanna mess your housing)
2- DONOT apply lots of pressure if you couldn't open it..... just slide the opener tool in the slot and it will pop up the housing.
3- once you are comfortable in the use of opener tool then only try it on your phone, because if you try it on your phone first, you could accidently break some circuit component inside if it slips in.
4- Use tweazers to take stuf apart, aoid using fingers.
5- Be careful with speaker its actually glued to housing (but its like a sticker and could easily be taken out).
6- Be VERY VERY CAREFUL with antenna, its stick too hardly with the housing and you have to tak eit out vey very slowly ( If you rip it off you'll be gone)......... I think taking out antenna is the most and only risky part o fthe whole thing...... every thing else is very tightly integrated with circuit boards and very easy to take out and put back in.

One more thing is, there is NO WAY that you put a part in wrong position because they all have slots for them ( Good designing Moto )

Now let me point out some procedures for installation:

1- According to the link above, you have to first take out the circuit board behind LCD, take it out and right away put it in your new housing on same place..... things to consider:

a- there is a piece of paper where camera has to go, remove it an dthere is one where speaker has to go (I meant earpiece) remove that too.
b- be careful with earpiece speaker asd make sure the 2 leads in speaker are aligned so that they touch the contacts on circuitboard.
c- after putting every thing in for this part the circuit board will be a little rised, dont worry about that after you put screws it will be fitted in.

2- Now tak eout the small circuitboard which has miniSD drive and earpiece, then takeout antenna and put the antenna in.
a- make sure antenna is placed EXACTLY in same position as in the old housing.if its not , you reception will be bad.
b- other than antenna every thing is very simple in this part.

3- The third circuitboard is the one which is behind keypad,
a- make sure it has clamps on either side be careful while pulling it out.
b- there is a small piece of the hinge which you have to take apart in order to pass the ribbon cable from the LCD circuitboard to this, if you had ordered a set of black rubber covers with your housing then only you'll get a black colored one other wise you hav eto use your old silver one.
c- you just have to arrange the hinge piece properly (it has slots to put in) after you pass the ribbon cable through the hinge, and thats the only tricky part in this section.
d- once you are done with this let the circuitboard fit in properly by GENTLY pressing it in.

If you can come this far without breaking any thing, that means you are ALMOST through, just put the covers back, tighten the screws and thats it

I hope I could provide pictures for you guys but when I was putting mine in I was so very careful that I didn't get chance to take pictures, I know this is not a complete guide or howto..... just few tips which I noticed and wanna share with whoever wanna take this plunge.

If you guys think that a picture tutorial will be useful for lots of folks I can do it again with pictures too. Just let me know. and GOOD LUCK !!!!

Posted by: r1v3n

What'd you do to remove the antenna? Its seems "near" impossible without a risk of ripping the tape.

Posted by: ffaridi1

Quote:

Originally Posted by r1v3n

What'd you do to remove the antenna? Its seems "near" impossible without a risk of ripping the tape.

The key is "slow pace" and use a tweazer with broad ends (not the pointed one)..... also the tape material is vey thick and it won't be ripped easily.

Posted by: r1v3n

I think I just screwed myself, though. The antenna came off (finally), but it ripped about 4mm from the end (where the phone connects to it).

I'm trying a circuit writing pen to bridge/bind the rip. We'll see how that goes...

While its drying....

Posted by: CingularWRX

wow, i was gonna order it but I really had no idea it was THAT involved....i dont know if i'm brave enough to try it out

Posted by: ffaridi1

Quote:

Originally Posted by r1v3n

I think I just screwed myself, though. The antenna came off (finally), but it ripped about 4mm from the end (where the phone connects to it).

I'm trying a circuit writing pen to bridge/bind the rip. We'll see how that goes...

While its drying....

Did u ripped the blue tape or the golden flat wire thingy?
I feel sorry for you ..... hopefully it will be ok.Let us know if that effects your reception etc.

As I said earlier , antenna is the most risky part but if you can get it don eright every thing else is very straight forward... Omega what you think of changing the housing, did you took the plunge? or you dont like the color?

Posted by: r1v3n

I ripped the gold connection within the "sticker" itself. Like I mentioned in this thread, I used a CircuitWriter pen (uses conductive ink) to repair the rip. Signal came in loud and clear...

Honestly, having done it once, it's really not THAT bad. Like others I just didnt want to turn my phone into a $400 paper-weight... I'd do it again, but take even more care on the antenna part. (Took me over 20 minutes to remove it).

Posted by: scepterr

I changed my housing to ox-blood too.Took me an hour and a half. Though I had a couple of shots of Bacardi 151 to ease my nerves lol.

Posted by: CingularWRX

can someone post the things needed for this?
I understand I need the housing kit, phone opener, t5 driver and nerves of steel

I'm looking to order from cnn.cn if thats the best place?
I want black, not the oxblood, so what all should I order?

Posted by: kms-lai

will the speaker from the motorola e398 fit it the mpx 220, e398 has a better speaker

Posted by: cortez

i believe cnn.cn only has the oxBlood color OEM case. i didn't see black when i ordererd mine. on the speaker question; i don't know what the e398 speaker looks like, but the one in the MPx220 is approximately 1/4 inch round and a 1/4 inch high and it has 2 metal contacts. its a tiny thing, that's for sure!!

Posted by: GT-[R]

sweet thanks for the tutorial

but if u guys have had any experience with opening up flip phones, its pretty straight forward... w flips in general, the hinge is the problem because the front lcd connects to the back component with a ribbon cable, and yeah it snaps easily (killed my t720 back when it was popular and had to buy a new lcd screen)

but it seems like for the mpx220 you dont have to take apart the hinge? or am i wrong? if thats the case then the housing change should be a cinch as long as you dont get careless and violent

Posted by: CingularWRX

The description on cnn.cn says its black...

any idea where I can get the black case for sure?

Posted by: Gen. Sternwood

Lest anyone be misled by the "photo instructions" in the link posted, this is a VERY INVOLVED process. It's a hell of a struggle just to get the old housing off. The pics make it look like a cinch, like the thing just snaps right off. Well, far from it.

Posted by: DStanton37

Hi. I have a somewhat odd favor to ask. I just got my new MPx220. I am very pleased; but being the idiot that I am, I managed to scratch up the Cingular emblem located just under the keypad. I know alot of people in this section of the forums have replaced there original housing. I was wondering if anyone has this emblem left over that they are not using. I would really like to get ahold of one of these (assuming this single part can be removed and replaced). I would greatly appreciate it of someone could PM me and let me know if they have this part. I would pay you something of course, at least to pay for shipping. Thanks to anyone who can help me. I know this isn't the most important thing in the world; but it actually is very important to me, so I apprecciate the help!

Posted by: ffaridi1

Quote:

Originally Posted by DStanton37

Hi. I have a somewhat odd favor to ask. I just got my new MPx220. I am very pleased; but being the idiot that I am, I managed to scratch up the Cingular emblem located just under the keypad. I know alot of people in this section of the forums have replaced there original housing. I was wondering if anyone has this emblem left over that they are not using. I would really like to get ahold of one of these (assuming this single part can be removed and replaced). I would greatly appreciate it of someone could PM me and let me know if they have this part. I would pay you something of course, at least to pay for shipping. Thanks to anyone who can help me. I know this isn't the most important thing in the world; but it actually is very important to me, so I apprecciate the help!

I on't think that you can remove the cingular emblem ?