Frozen RF and IF transformers

[Richard Moore]

I have a radio receiver set that I built way back when I was in the Navy. In trying to do an alignment on it I find the adjustable cores in one of the if transformers and the rf transformer are frozen and I can't turn them. The adjustment slots in the core ends are already somewhat rounded out so a regular alignment tool doesn't fit anymore.

Does anyone have info on how I might free them up without damaging them further?

By the way, they are Philco made and the part numbers are 32-4399-2 (rf) and 32-4240-3 (if) if that is useful info to anyone.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Dick

[7estatdef]

Think you've got 2 choices 1 Take them apart and fix what is binding or #2 Use a trimmer cap in series or parallel to adj.FQ
Terry

[codefox1]

I think you might want to heat things up a little, and see if they move. A couple of hours in the nice summer sunshine should be OK. You can sand down an old chopstick to fit the groove that is left and with a little gentleness you will move it .

[etech]

Out of desperation, I have hit them with a shot of WD-40 on occasion. It has worked better than 50% of the time. YMMV!

Ed

[TA Forbes]

Whe that I am faced with a radio that has "frozen" controls, I have found that placing the radio on a chair in front of my favorite Pam Anderson poster always loosens up the most difficult frozen control.

[Richard Moore]

Thanks for the input guys.

I did get them "thawed" out. I made a new tool that worked on one of them. The other I had to unsolder the connections and remove the cover and free-up with my fingers.

Thanks again. Dick

[copiertech]

Let me add a followup. I am finishing a 37-620 restoration. I got to the IF alignment today and the transformers were frozen. I tried heat( hair dryer). That didnt work. I read this post and applied the WD-40, waited about an hour and a half and voila! they're turning. Thanks for the great idea. It shows there's more than one way to skin a cat, ( although I've never done that ).

[BDM]

That's great, but I would still take the cans apart and carefully clean the contact area and make sure the screw threads are nice and clean.