Yah, the innards of 1940s electrolytics are usually nasty. The photo shows a can from my 1948 Capehart-Farnsworth 661-P.
That one came out mostly in one piece. Some come out with a bunch of dust and crumbly chunks.
I don't care if anyone else replaces electrolytics -- it's your TV, do what you like -- but I'm not comfortable running with that kind of component onboard.
Phil Nelson
