Joe shows: GBA SP hinges made easy!

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How to take the two hinge barrels out of a Game Boy Advance SP shell and how to put them back in or, as is the case here, into a replacement shell. It's a job I used to find frustrating but once you understand how they work it's much easier to do, so I wanted to share that knowledge.
This is the latest entry in an on-going series of "Joe shows..." videos, with no-frills tutorials for specific jobs when modding consoles. If you have ideas for other tutorials you'd like to see, let me know in the comments!
0:00 Removing hinges
3:22 Inserting hinges
Music: Joe Bleeps
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www.joebleeps.bandcamp.com
My camera: Canon PowerShot SX610 HS
Editing hardware: Acer Swift One
Editing software: MS Photos app
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Until then you're stuck with these shoddy quality videos ;)
www.joebleeps.com
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[@Mozspeare]

What a life saver. I was sweating up a bath not understanding the jigsaw puzzle inside until your explanation. Absolute mad dog.

[@JoeBleeps]

That's awesome to hear!

[@Mozspeare]

@@JoeBleeps Since then, I have successfully reshelled three and onto my next one today which is a Famicom edition in mint condition although the LCD has one thin vertical line. I have an identical donor where the shell is not as good but the LCD is mint. Will do a swap if I have to but I will first check the connection of the ribbon cable to see if that’s the cause of the line. Wish me luck

[@JoeBleeps]

@@Mozspeare good luck indeed! And have fun 😁

[@pimpedoutstereos9747]

Thankyou Joe. I just finished my first gba sp reshell, was nervous about removing the hinges but the rest I didn’t care but watching this before attempting to remove them made it so much quicker and less frustrating

[@jameswasden8668]

Hey, wanted to say thank you for making this video! I've been fighting the hinges on GBA SP's and they always seemed to just 'magically' click into place once I was swearing and pushing hard enough. This makes so much more sense. Happy holidays, dude!

[@JoeBleeps]

That's brilliant! Thanks for the feedback, I'm glad it helped

[@artelliachan9525]

Oh my you made it so easy, I literally managed to do it first try, no problem at all. Thank you so so so much

[@JoeBleeps]

Excellent! Congratulations

[@BeccaBasilisk]

Really good video, thank you!! I broke my first shell forcing the hinges too much because someone said to do it with the gameboy CLOSED! It's definitely a little harder on the mirror clear shells to tell whether they line up because you can't see the little notches as easily, but my new shell arrives tomorrow and hopefully this will do the trick :D

[@JoeBleeps]

I hope so! I agree about the little notches being difficult to see on the clear shell. If you'd have removed the hinges with the game boy in its closed state they would have gone into a shell that was closed no problem, but it's easier to do it with the shell open like this. I've since designed a 3D printable tool that can help with hinge removal, it's in this video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGWmdKSBqNZlpaMsi=TA56ma26w0mGhEkE

[@groundcontrol6876]

Sweet, got to the part in my first mod where I had to remove the hinges but wasn't happy with the tutorial's "many times these plastic tabs will break but they'll work fine". Looked up "how to remove gba sp hinges", clicked your video and after watching just half of it, I successfully removed both tabs without breaking them relatively easily and I didn't even have a plastic screwdriver. Oh and my SP is old and in terrible condition, the rubber pads that cover the display screws had to be scraped off and came off in sections and everything was crunchy, old and brittle, so all odds were against me preserving the hinges. Excellent guide!

[@yotaman90]

Thank you! Saved me a lot of trouble and possibly breaking something

[@JoeBleeps]

It's easy when you know how 😊

[@og3139]

Thanks man! I followed your instructions and my Sp hinge closes like a dream.

[@JoeBleeps]

That's fantastic! Thanks for letting me know

[@TrunkJunky]

I stupidly broke one hinge but you helped me save the other one and all future hinges. Thanks!

[@JoeBleeps]

Excellent!

[@Kkmzji]

Thank you so much! I spent about 30 mins trying to get them out before I was about to give up, but im glad I found this video. I dont think I would of gotten them out without it 😅

[@JoeBleeps]

I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for commenting

[@kuleCristo]

love you dude. haven't done this in a year you are a life saver!

[@JoeBleeps]

😁

[@airfixer]

Now I understand how they work and can see where I was going wrong! Thank you. 👍

[@JoeBleeps]

Brilliant, glad it helped!

[@GlutzahnLP]

thank you so much for this video. I got them out but I wasnt able to get them back in correctly, the SP opened up far to wide. Thanks to your video the screen is now at the right angle!

[@JoeBleeps]

That's great news. I'm glad it helped.

[@Deniki666]

Brilliant. I always come back here if I forget.

[@dezm101]

this is very helpful and one of the best GBA SP hinge videos, thanks a bunch!!!

[@JoeBleeps]

Thank you!

[@gregorybolivar1876]

Thanks so much for this! I was having a lot of trouble with those stupid hinges 🤬

[@mafaldahopfkirch]

Most useful video about the hinges, thanks a bunch!

[@JoeBleeps]

Thanks so much!

[@denisemajor7124]

Thankyou, I was stuck as couldn't remove the left hinge. Did it thanks to you. Thankyou xx

[@JoeBleeps]

Glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know 😊

[@onasazi]

Thanks for this video! Helped me a bunch! 👍🏻

[@JoeBleeps]

Brilliant I am glad it helped!

[@spyroledragon]

That was a big help, thanks.

[@EJayNine]

God you made that look easy haha, busted my knuckle many a time doing this.

[@JoeBleeps]

Easy when you know how! Don't worry I've had shards of plastic flying in all directions in the past 😂

[@KonstantinConstantinerKovalev]

You made my day! Thanks!

[@anatoliy1407]

Thanks a ton, was having an issue not breaking my hinges

[@JoeBleeps]

It's tricky for sure. Glad this helped

[@ZackKoutaRoxas]

Thanks for the help!

[@JoeBleeps]

You're welcome!

[@sonicCherryBell]

Super helpful, thanks

[@JoeBleeps]

Great! Thank you

[@TheDaizYo]

Cracking thank you 🤘

[@JoeBleeps]

You're welcome!

[@bodhi1271]

When putting the hinges back in, start with the screen open like you did and get it in half the way, then close the lid and push the rest into place, it will go in without resistance.

[@emmettturner9452]

You probably don't want to do it that way unless you forced them out while in the wrong position because you will force the two halves of the hinge into the wrong positions.

[@fryingpanda9103]

This method is so much better than working with it closed.

[@JoeBleeps]

Definitely easier and more effective

[@puppercop9438]

Watches an insightful video- amazing -sees holes on his rubber- he's just like me fr😂

[@RetroAdam]

Omg THANK YOU!!!

[@JoeBleeps]

😁

[@user-rf3kx3rr9b]

????? That is mind blowing 😂

[@karwan6385]

If 1 of the tabs is broken, is it still good to go or do i have to replace the hinges entirely?

[@danielburns4630]

Thanks for this video - i followed it to install my touch screen kit i got from ali-express - didn't do any of the soldering. the screen is night and day compared to the old one and even the replacement shell is good quality. the only part which took me ages was removing the old hinges from the old gba sp to put in the new shell. no idea why they dont just supply new hinges with the replacement shells? very odd.

[@JoeBleeps]

Sometimes they are supplied with new hinges but the repro ones are never as good as the original ones so you're better off with those if you still have them 😊

[@jreschke5]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

[@JoeBleeps]

You are absolutely welcome

[@silver5liter]

I bought an aftermarket shell from handheld legend and it seems like my hinges snap go less of an angle than that. Did I put them in wrong or is that a common thing with the aftermarket shells?

[@JoeBleeps]

I think so long as you line up the profile of the hole correctly you should be okay. Did you keep the original hinges?

[@johntorn]

Lifesaver!!!

[@JoeBleeps]

😁😁😁

[@GlowMKW]

Thank you 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@JoeBleeps]

@@GlowMKW 😊 happy to help

[@Lojalny]

Thx

[@mellowmadness3865]

I devolved a piece of my finger trying to get the right one off. Wish I would've know about this earlier

[@JoeBleeps]

It took me a good few of these to figure out a good technique!

[@Shubibin_Man]

Thanks for the video, but one question : how to tell the right hinge from the left one when you bought new ones that aren’t marked as such ?

[@JoeBleeps]

With the after market ones it doesn't seem to make a difference, it seems

[@Shubibin_Man]

@@JoeBleeps ok thanks

[@Ocarinist_Drew]

Hey I'm curious... (and sorry if this is not the right place to ask), my hinges are a bit squeaky and stiff. I heard adding silicone grease can fix that. Do you think it's necessary to disassemble like this in order to apply grease to the hinges? Or would I be able to just get some grease in the cracks without disassembling?

[@JoeBleeps]

I would definitely just try working it into the gaps first

[@Ocarinist_Drew]

@@JoeBleeps Hey thanks for the response! I ended up buying some silicone and put a few droplets into the cracks. Seems to have eliminated 90% of the squeaking. Maybe at some point I'll try disassembling and putting some silicone on the inside of the hinges to see if I can get rid of that last 10%.

[@JoeBleeps]

@@Ocarinist_Drew it might just take a while to work it's way in there, keep opening and closing it between applications and see how it goes over time

[@Ocarinist_Drew]

@@JoeBleeps Actually, here's another update (hopefully someone finds this useful). I loosened the two corner screws near the hinges a tiny bit and it completely solved the problem. I think this whole time those screws were just too tight. That wasn't even something on my radar.

[@JoeBleeps]

@@Ocarinist_Drew nice. Process of elimination always gets you there in the end!

[@jannikbloedorn]

Hey Joe, can you help me pls, i think i have a weired problem. I use original hinges in a clear after marked chell. I put the black one left and the withe one right. But my Gameboy now dont snaps in the "Sweet Spot" when i closing it, AND when i open it, it snaps to far, like there is a 180 degree angle between the screen part and the button part. You know what i meen? What did i wrong, i dont understand it. :( is it possible that i destroy the hinges caus in the past i made a mistake that i switched the position of the black and withe hinges. Do you think my hinges are broken now?

[@JoeBleeps]

I think they are okay, it sounds like they need to be the other way round perhaps. So instead of snapping all the way open it will do that when closing, and instead of not quite closing it will open out more gently

[@jannikbloedorn]

@@JoeBleeps Okay ty Im glad your helping me, I didn’t know it made a difference. I just thought it was important to make sure the black on the left and the white on the right. So you’re saying I have to rotate the hinge along its axis right? Do you have a tip as I recognize the next time I use the hinge correctly? All videos on KZbin only say that it is important to pay attention whats the left and whats the right hinge but that’s all. Btw. sry if my english is not that good, i try my best ^^´

[@jannikbloedorn]

Editing to my answer: or could the problem be that my hinges only have 2 or 1 of the 4 clips?

[@JoeBleeps]

@@jannikbloedorn your english is excellent. The hinges all come in different colours. So if you remove your hinges again and put them in the opposite sides it may help. The plastic tabs snapping off don't matter really, they won't affect how it opens and closes.

[@jannikbloedorn]

@@JoeBleeps okay then I’m reassured thank you :) Ah okay, now i understand what you mean. But i thought, that oem (original) hinges are everytime the same. All KZbin Videos tell me that the black ones are left and white ones are right. So you think that there are differences between oem hinges? Becaus i have a clear shell i can see whats going on with the hinges so lets me explain. When i open my SP, both parts of the hinges snaps together, so the key snaps into the groove (but the Screen goes to far, as i said). But when i closing it, the key stops a little bit before it arrives the groove. So you can be right if you say i have to try it in the opposite sides, but if this is right, it is really strange isnt it?

[@emmettturner9452]

It's not just "easier" to push them out with the screen open to the self-supporting detent... forcing them out any other way potentially leaves them misaligned. Don't do it! I actually have a video explaining how to take care of the clips easily and safely with a super-common Bic Round Stick ink pen. Someone else on KZbin, Makho, made a genius little tool for doing the same thing for anyone with a 3D printer. Check him out!

[@JoeBleeps]

Makho is indeed a genius! I'll take a look at that!

[@KelpeeGee]

Still cannot for the life of me get these all the way in. I see all the ridges and I know how it’s supposed to slide in but it refuses to click all the way. It always gets stuck

[@JoeBleeps]

Are you using original hinge parts or the aftermarket ones?

[@mr.saigaikun]

Mine aren’t black and white..

[@JoeBleeps]

Don't worry about the colour 😊

[@edcAdventures.]

Hi! How can you tell which is left or right if you mess up? 😅

[@JoeBleeps]

Just take a guess and cross your fingers. If it doesn't snap shut effectively, pop them out and swap them over. In theory they should be interchangeable, the 3rd party ones are

[@edcAdventures.]

@@JoeBleeps thank you!

[@skullart2084]

I removed them but i wasnt able to push it in again

[@JoeBleeps]

If you feel like you lined them up correctly try a little wiggle of the lid as you push

[@archivushka]

wierdly I have 2 plastic tabs on the right 1:00 , and on the left 1:40. Model ags 101 (bright screen)

[@archivushka]

production year: 2007

[@Bennjammin]

My hindge won't fit in the new shell. Has anybody needed to do modifications to the shell?

[@JoeBleeps]

Is it a new hinge or was it taken from an old console?

[@Bennjammin]

@@JoeBleeps old console. The tricks online didn't work, but I was to get it in with pliers. Hopefully the hinge wasn't damaged. Doesn't make the snap sound anymore.

[@JoeBleeps]

@@Bennjammin that's a shame. Did you put them in the right sides?

[@sIacker]

what if i forced them out at the wrong position?

[@JoeBleeps]

You'd probably break the shell but you can use two pairs of pliers to realign the hinges before putting them in a new shell

[@sIacker]

@@JoeBleeps Ended up putting half the hinge in my old shell and turned with pliers and it worked perfect for both

[@iamnotyourbuddyGUY]

I don’t think one is right and the other left?

[@emmettturner9452]

They are definitely different. Mixing them up makes the display no longer spring closed and makes the self-supporting detent position feel wrong.

[@muadz6629]

I've followed every step on putting the hinges back in, but I still haven't been successful. I've been doing this all day

[@JoeBleeps]

Are you reusing the original hinges or putting new ones in?

[@muadz6629]

@@JoeBleeps I'm using original hinges from my old 19 year old SP and putting them into a brand new shell. Is it possible that it could just be from age?

[@JoeBleeps]

@@muadz6629 I don't think so, the hinges are well built. Could be that the new shell's profile is a tight fit

[@muadz6629]

@@JoeBleeps yeah, that could be it. It's just such a pain in the ass. Even when everything is aligned, it seems no matter how much force I use, I can't seem to push it in all the way. It's really been pushing me back from progressing in this.

[@sarahsayshello9726]

Wow. I feel incredibly stupid.

[@JoeBleeps]

Took me a fair few mistakes before really getting the hang of these, don't worry! 😅

[@leinsaat5779]

Jo

[@sophielarsimont9931]

Shit