Frank Dresser wrote:

"starman" wrote in message
...
As you may know, there's an SX-88 on Ebay. The pictures show it still
has the original paper capacitors like the 'Tiny Chiefs' and 'Black
Beauties', which are known to become leaky. Should a valuable radio
like
the '88' be run with these caps' and possibly damage an irreplacable
componant, such as an I.F. transformer? Would it lessen the value if
it
was recapped?


In this case, I think a recapped radio would be less valueable. The
people buying these things must think these things are more than just
radios. So keeping the original capacitors in their original positions,
with the original solder, etc. preserves the what -- nostalgia value?

I noticed the pink Tiny Chiefs and the Black Beauties as well as the
electrolytics, too. I'm sure the Hallicrafters engineers were well
aware that the steel cased oil filled paper caps were more reliable.

Frank Dresser

I am restoring a TS-382 Audio signal generator that is built with all
bathtub cabs, and every one of them is bad. They were made with the same
high acid paper that wax and molded capacitors were made with, they are
just sealed in transformer oil. I am in the process of unsoldering the
cans and replacing the caps inside with metal film capacitors I have to
use a torch to heat the case and cover. There is a small vent hole that
is soldered shut. You have to find it and remove the solder first, or it
may blow hot solder on you when remove solder melts around the edge of
the cover. Then I use a curved dental pick to lift the cover off while
carefully heating the cover with a torch. I use a small drill press vice
with smooth jaws to hold the can, and set it on a sheet of steel. (An
old desktop PC case is good, because it has an open airspace under it.)

When I started this I dug through my collection of NOS bathtubs, and
most of them have high leakage as well. I did find one company who
still makes new bathtub, and other oil filled caps, but I couldn't spend
several hundred dollars for new caps for one project.
--
21 days!


Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida