Still working on my Sylvania

[jeyurkon]

Originally Posted by Mick AV-8

You know the electrolytics that look like paper tubes on the top of the metal chassis. ...I see posts of guys cutting them open and stuffing them with new caps.
Not sure if I can be successful in that endevor.
John I think that your answer was that most people replace them..and if they do not you need to do a soft start to reform them.
And hope for the best..did this on a 37 Zenith console radio..work like a charm right now. But I just recaped it and plugged the sucker in the wall..

Re stuffing them is for the ultimate in keeping it looking authentic. There is often room under the chassis for modern electrolytics and then you can just disconnect the cans.

By the way, the cardboard on the outside is usually there to protect you because the can is at a high potential.

If you don't replace them I'd at least do a soft start with a variac or go through a sequence of light bulbs in series with the line. Leave the HOT (Horizontal Output Tube) out until you finished and are ready to start it normally.

I powered up a B&K 1077B analyst. I thought it would be safe to do in standby mode. It turned out that standby mode didn't turn off all the HV. One supply was still active. I heard a "zzzz Bang!" and a resistor started to sizzle. It'll be an easy repair, but if I had started it up softly it would probably be working now. It was especially hard on the electrolytic because it was a solidstate bridge. If there was at least a vacuum tube to warm up, it might also have survived.

John