Sounds like your capacitors are ok, and probably not polarised. If they were polarised they would have a stripe or '+' symbol to indicate the polarity.
As Conrad said, next thing to try is a loopback test.
1) Test your PC serial port using a terminal program. For hyperterminal you need to make sure that 'local echo' is turned off, or it will print everything you type anyway. As I remember Bray's terminal has two windows - one for transmit and one for receive (use ASCII mode for this test). With nothing connected to the port you should receive nothing when you type in the transmit window. Now connect pin 2 to pin 3 (Tx to Rx) on the serial port - now when you type you should receive the same characters as you typed.
This tells you if the serial port and terminal software is working correctly.
The following is easy if your chips are socketed...
2) Connect to megajolt with MAX232 removed and in it's place a link between pins 13 and 14. Repeat the test - again you should recieve what you type while 13 and 14 are linked.
This tells you the PC, cable and connector on the megajolt are working.
If it's soldered in, don't bother - you may damage the chip or board if you try to de-solder it without the correct equipment.
3) Re-fit the MAX232 and remove the processor. Link pins 11 and 12 of the processor socket. Repeat the test - again you should recieve what you type while 11 and 12 are linked.
This tells you the PC, cable, connector and MAX232 circuit are all working correctly. Obviously you need power to the megajolt for this test.
Let us know your results.
For soldering, a hot iron for a short time is best - as you say it heats up the rest of the component less. This is especially true for the new lead free solders. The wattage doesn't really matter, as long as it's big enough to heat the joint quickly. Physically large irons can be a bit cumbersome though.
Still no connection with PC???
Moderators: JeffC, rdoherty, stieg, brentp
Ok first let me appoligise
Ok first let me appoligise for not noticing brays terminal has a seperate reseave box from the send. What I thought was the reseave box must just be a log of what i am typing. So I had assumed that mjlj was sending back the same letter i was typing, this is not true. I am not getting anything back from mjlj when I type a C or a S.
Now with nothing connected to the port in the pc i get nothing back when i type, when I loop test the cable and am reseaving a S and a C when typed.
My max232 is soldered to the board so skiped that test.
The loop test with the proccessor out through pins 11 and 12 gave me no response back. I assume this means the signal is not getting past the max232 and that is where the problam lies?
Im confedent I can remove the max232 with out damaging the board, but i think the chip will get too hot, is now the right time to go ahead with this anyway as its probable dead since the signal is not coming out of it? and then loop test pins 13 and 14 where the max232 was?
Thanks
Timon
Now with nothing connected to the port in the pc i get nothing back when i type, when I loop test the cable and am reseaving a S and a C when typed.
My max232 is soldered to the board so skiped that test.
The loop test with the proccessor out through pins 11 and 12 gave me no response back. I assume this means the signal is not getting past the max232 and that is where the problam lies?
Im confedent I can remove the max232 with out damaging the board, but i think the chip will get too hot, is now the right time to go ahead with this anyway as its probable dead since the signal is not coming out of it? and then loop test pins 13 and 14 where the max232 was?
Thanks
Timon
Id like to get this working one day (soon) 
sigh
1977 toyota Celica fastback with 1997 Toyota 3sge (minus dizzy, plus mjlj) and a w57 box.
sigh1977 toyota Celica fastback with 1997 Toyota 3sge (minus dizzy, plus mjlj) and a w57 box.
Removing MAX232
Yes, sounds like the fault is with the MAX232. You can often de-solder chips and re-use them if you have a de-soldering pump like <A HREF="http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/endecaSearch/ ... 4">this</A>. Depends how big the holes in the PCB are though - on PTH boards the solder flows through the hole and can be difficult to suck out again if the hole is not much larger than the component lead. Since the chip is probably faulty anyway, you can cut the legs off and unsolder them individually if you have problems. You need to get the joint hot enough for all of the solder to melt and flow out, but not too hot or the tracks may de-laminate from the PCB. Once you are done you may want to clean up the pads with some <A HREF="http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/endecaSearch/ ... -soldering braid</A> to allow the new component to be fitted.
When replacing chips on the board be very careful to not delaminate the board by applying too much heat and / or pressure.
As suggested, snip off all of the pins from the old chip and pull them out one at a time with heat.
Since the holes in the board are plated, you will have a very tough time getting all of the solder from the hole on all of the pads. Using a braid doesn't always work- sometimes a 'solder sucker' works better when the pads are heated.
Again, work slowly and be careful!
Report back..
Brent
As suggested, snip off all of the pins from the old chip and pull them out one at a time with heat.
Since the holes in the board are plated, you will have a very tough time getting all of the solder from the hole on all of the pads. Using a braid doesn't always work- sometimes a 'solder sucker' works better when the pads are heated.
Again, work slowly and be careful!
Report back..
Brent
Good news is Max232 is out and I have brays terminal sending and reseaving C and S when looping pins 13 and 14.
Bad news is pad on pin ten of the board delaminated one side off the board
but not to bad and doesnt look like it goes anywear.
Good news is I have soldered a ic socket into the board and is all looking good and no chance of cooking little Max a second time and got another max232cpe coming tomorrow
Bad news is I burnt my self
Good news is thats it good insentive not to make mistakes in the future.
Thanks Guys and ill post on how it goes with the new ic.
and I have brays terminal sending and reseaving C and S when looping pins 13 and 14.Bad news is pad on pin ten of the board delaminated one side off the board
but not to bad and doesnt look like it goes anywear.Good news is I have soldered a ic socket into the board and is all looking good and no chance of cooking little Max a second time
and got another max232cpe coming tomorrowBad news is I burnt my self
Good news is thats it good insentive not to make mistakes in the future.
Thanks Guys and ill post on how it goes with the new ic.
Hi, Well good news 
New max232 is in and im getting lots of random looking letters and numbers back in brays terminal when sending C and S, so ill have a good play with the fancy looking softwear and see how it all goes.
Thanks soooo much to all of you that have helped me out i really do appesheate it.
P.S. what does pin 10 on max232 do? as this is the pad i slightly damaged with the heat, just so if I have problames in the future i might know to blame it on that.
Thanks again.
Timon
New max232 is in and im getting lots of random looking letters and numbers back in brays terminal when sending C and S, so ill have a good play with the fancy looking softwear and see how it all goes.
Thanks soooo much to all of you that have helped me out i really do appesheate it.
P.S. what does pin 10 on max232 do? as this is the pad i slightly damaged with the heat, just so if I have problames in the future i might know to blame it on that.
Thanks again.
Timon