This is what is actually on my bench. Nothing here is exotic and none of it is
expensive. If you already own a decent precision screwdriver and a spudger, you
are most of the way there.
The list is split by what you are doing. If you bought a pre-soldered kit
you can ignore the soldering section entirely.
¶ Some links on this page are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy through them. It costs you nothing extra. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, and I earn from qualifying purchases made through the AliExpress affiliate program. I only link tools I use or would use myself.
¶ 🔓 Opening and disassembly
Needed for every install, pre-soldered or not.
- iPod opening tools — thin metal picks to walk the seam apart
without chewing up the shell. Amazon
- #00 Phillips screwdriver — the size the internal screws actually
take. A bad fit rounds them out. Amazon
- Plastic spudgers (guitar picks) — for anything you would otherwise be
tempted to lever with metal. Amazon
- Precision tweezers — placing the engine and its leads without
touching anything else. Amazon
¶ 🧼 Handling and cleanup
- Anti-static wrist strap — cheap insurance around a bare logic board.
Amazon
- Isopropyl alcohol — cleaning flux residue and old adhesive.
Amazon
Only needed for the engine-only path. Skip all of this if your kit came
with the jack already soldered.
- Soldering iron (Pinecil) — temperature control is the difference
between a clean joint and a lifted pad. The Pinecil is what I use. Amazon
- Solder wire — thin leaded solder is far more forgiving on small pads.
Amazon
- Flux — makes the solder go where you want it instead of where it feels
like going. Amazon
- Desoldering braid — for removing the old piezo speaker and for fixing
your own mistakes. Amazon
- Wire strippers / cutters — small enough to work on engine leads.
Amazon
- Good lighting and magnification — a magnifier or a cheap USB microscope.
Most “bad solder joints” are joints nobody could see properly.
Amazon