thx richard. esp on how to test the coils. i will do that before
checking the IF again. i am suspecting the IF because a couple of the
adjustments were near the travel limit, which may mean i am in wrong
place. where it works, it's hot.

i was pretty sure on the tuning gang -- could adjust the vanes and get
the crackle to change and nearly disappear. i flushed it good, blew it
out and cleaned and cleaned. after spending hours on it, i bought the
part. i think something might have been in the bearings. in the
'crackle spot' the signal died and set could not be aligned. it
blotted out some of the align freqs. no such prob w/replacement part.

ab