how to clean a PDP8/A, dishwasher?

Hi again. O.K. I had it all in the dishwasher, except for the PSU stuff with big transformers and capacitors and the memory boards. I removed everything, including the backplane board. I need to take some photos, that backplane is sure amazing reassemble and power up. Yea! However, there are a few more issues to resolve first. The little 16-pole ribbon cable that has DIL chip-like plug on both ends that go into a chip-socket. That plug is bent and pins are broken off. Seems like that happnes all the time. Do I have to and if so how can I replace this? This cable runs between the backplane and, I guess, the limited function front panel. Do I need this, is the limited function front panel needed at all? What's the function of the 16 lines, I assume - GND - LED 1 - LED 2 - LED 3 - SWITCH 1 A - SIWTCH 1 B - SWITCH 2 A - SWITCH 2 B - SWITCH 3 A - SWITCH 3 B remain 6 lines unaccounted for? Will it not run if I don't get that fixed? How can I fix it. Thanks for your help. -Gunther PS: I opened up one of the core memory board-sandwiches and made a few photos. Amazing stuff. Will put those up on my web site soon. -- Gunther Schadow, M.D., Ph.D. gschadow(a)regenstrief.org Medical Information Scientist Regenstrief Institute for Health Care Adjunct Assistant Professor Indiana University School of Medicine tel:1(317)630-7960 http://aurora.regenstrief.org