Help! Need to know what to use to clean monitor chassis!

I've always had problems with my monitor ever since I got my MVS. The problem being the monitor tends to shake a flicker every couple of minutes while playing. Anyway, I believe I finally know what is causing this problem. On the underside of the monitor chassis there is this brown crud caked around several of the sodder points. I tried to use an x-acto knife to remove it, but some of it still remains. I was wondering if anyone knows what I can use to clean the chassis more thoroughly. Thanks.

it sounds more like your monitor needs a cap kit.. other than that, some rubbing alcohol carefully used should help getting that stuff off, but be careful and make sure to unplug the cab beforehand.

NO! It still holds a charge! Someone here can tell you how to discharge the monitor. I've never done it myself, and don't wanna screw it up.

yeah, but that charge isn't going through the PCBs. you can clean those if you are careful not to touch anything else. of course, don't try to clean the neckboard or the tube itself without discharging.

Actually I recently replaced all of the caps, and it still is messed up.

Could somebody please tell me what to use to clean around those sodder points?

OK, now i would like to NEVER see anyone making such remarks about safety not mattering in a cab again.

CRTs hold a charge of up to 40,000 Volts. That's not important, it's the current. And that can hold a VERY large current, enough to kill. When using such high currents/voltages, DON'T take ANY risks. I'm not being funny. Its not just around the terminals, it can actually be anywhere. And YES it DOES REACH THE CIRCUIT BOARD!!!!! That's crap, as if the current would magically drop between the two. The circuit board is what converts mains voltage up to that required.

First, discharging the monitor. Well, Get 2 plastic or wooden-handled screwdrivers. Basically you have to hook one up to a ground point to send the charge from the HV terminals to earth. I wouldn't really recommend this if you don't know what you're doing.

Now, the other danger with CRTs is implosion. You don't really want that, imagine having your hands sucked in with a loada shattered glass.

Well, to clean you would be best off using either a special CRT cleaner or just a damp cloth. However, that "crud" is just a bit of oxidization from the HV terminals, shouldn't be too much to worry about.

Well ive always just used ALOT of tissue paper when cleaning dusty jamma boards. You can get a can of compressed air, and blow it all off the chassis, but on dusty jammas id just wipe it off little by little with wads of tissue.

The gunk probably is not the cause of your problems. My Night Striker cab was doing this, and it was actually some loose wires. Take a look around and see if any of the wires are loose or have poor connections. It may save you a lot of hassle.

-Nick