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Step 3Prepping the CCFLs
There are photos for each step below, they will help immensely in following the guide.
Test the CCFLs
These tubes are designed to be run inside of a computer desktop. Plug the CCFLs into the inverter, and the switch/molex connector into your computer as seen in the picture below. Press the power button on your computer and flick the switch, they should both light up. Though in the pictures I have the tubes appear orange, to the human eye they appear a very rich red.
Shrink the Inverter
The inverter that should come with your kit is contained within a blue plastic shell. This box is too large to fix comfortably inside of a Xbox 360, so we will pop it apart and wrap the internals of the inverter with electrical tape. Get either a small flat-head screwdriver, a knife, or any small metal object and jam it into the four dents in the bottom of the inverter. The cover is loosely held on, just take the board out and wrap it with electrical tape.
Cut the Cable
With the kit is a switch on a metal plate, and wires from a molex connector into the inverter. We only need the connector that goes directly into the inverter and the full length of its wires. You can trash the switch and molex connector.
Removing Acrylic Cover *UPDATED* (Thanks to SwampFox89)
Some users have commented to me a new method for detaching the cubes from the cold cathodes. Place your CCFLs inside your freezer for around two hours, this will cause the adhesive that holds on the cubes (and very little adhesive is used anyways) to harden and lose it's strength. Take out the CCFLs, and with either a firm grip or some pliers, the cubes should turn and pop off. You should be able to slide both cubes and the tube off the inner glass CCFL. If the cube on the wire end remains stuck, or you can't break off the glue, see the OLD method below. Treat the glass very carefully, as it is thin and easy to break.
Removing Acrylic Cover *OLD*
These CCFLs are actually fragile glass tubes, to protect them from wear and tear they are each covered with an acrylic tube anchored on the ends by two glued cubes. We need the glass tube by itself to fit inside of the Xbox 360, so this acrylic cover must be removed.
You only need to remove the cube on the wired side of the tube. Use a hacksaw to saw along the cube until you can fit a flathead screwdriver into your cut, turn the screwdriver and the cube should crack off.
With a pair of clippers, cut the acrylic tube carefully. Do not force the clippers deep into the tube, when you squeeze you might crack the glass, instead clip the edge of the acrylic and it will shoot a crack down the length of the tube, cut a circle around the edge and remove the main chunk. Carefully remove the remaining pieces and glue with your fingers.
Repeat for both tubes, they are very fragile and must be handled with care.
Test the CCFLs
These tubes are designed to be run inside of a computer desktop. Plug the CCFLs into the inverter, and the switch/molex connector into your computer as seen in the picture below. Press the power button on your computer and flick the switch, they should both light up. Though in the pictures I have the tubes appear orange, to the human eye they appear a very rich red.
Shrink the Inverter
The inverter that should come with your kit is contained within a blue plastic shell. This box is too large to fix comfortably inside of a Xbox 360, so we will pop it apart and wrap the internals of the inverter with electrical tape. Get either a small flat-head screwdriver, a knife, or any small metal object and jam it into the four dents in the bottom of the inverter. The cover is loosely held on, just take the board out and wrap it with electrical tape.
Cut the Cable
With the kit is a switch on a metal plate, and wires from a molex connector into the inverter. We only need the connector that goes directly into the inverter and the full length of its wires. You can trash the switch and molex connector.
Removing Acrylic Cover *UPDATED* (Thanks to SwampFox89)
Some users have commented to me a new method for detaching the cubes from the cold cathodes. Place your CCFLs inside your freezer for around two hours, this will cause the adhesive that holds on the cubes (and very little adhesive is used anyways) to harden and lose it's strength. Take out the CCFLs, and with either a firm grip or some pliers, the cubes should turn and pop off. You should be able to slide both cubes and the tube off the inner glass CCFL. If the cube on the wire end remains stuck, or you can't break off the glue, see the OLD method below. Treat the glass very carefully, as it is thin and easy to break.
Removing Acrylic Cover *OLD*
These CCFLs are actually fragile glass tubes, to protect them from wear and tear they are each covered with an acrylic tube anchored on the ends by two glued cubes. We need the glass tube by itself to fit inside of the Xbox 360, so this acrylic cover must be removed.
You only need to remove the cube on the wired side of the tube. Use a hacksaw to saw along the cube until you can fit a flathead screwdriver into your cut, turn the screwdriver and the cube should crack off.
With a pair of clippers, cut the acrylic tube carefully. Do not force the clippers deep into the tube, when you squeeze you might crack the glass, instead clip the edge of the acrylic and it will shoot a crack down the length of the tube, cut a circle around the edge and remove the main chunk. Carefully remove the remaining pieces and glue with your fingers.
Repeat for both tubes, they are very fragile and must be handled with care.
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I would also recommend being patient and leaving them in the freezer for as long as possible, right up to this step. What I did was I got my package in the mail in the morning, put it in the freezer, and went to class and went to work. When I got home, the adhesive had the strength of dry mud. All I had to do was pull them right off.