The PHILCO Phorum

Full Version: 116b Micamold capacitors
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
I am working on a 116b, shouldered cabinet early version. The micamold caps are listed as micas. Four of them I pulled and tested are all leaking. The Cornell Dubilier caps check ok. I am wondering if they are really paper and if I broke one open could I identify which material was used?
Thanks Hank
I have taken a cap and cut in half to see what it looked like inside. Paper caps  lots of layers of foil and wax paper and more wax. Think about the age of the set, do you want to trust caps that old to work for another 10 or 20 years. Myself I want to fix them once, good quality caps should out last all of us on the Phorum. Good Luck with your project. David
Hi David.  Caps and carbon are the least expensive components to replace, and should not be relied upon just because they seems to be good.  REPLACE THEM.  That includes the Micamold picofarad caps as well. Take care, Gary
If they are below 1000pf (.001) odds are pretty good that they were mica. That doesn't make them 'good', though! They are rather fragile now and twisting them on their leads to see the other side and messing with them in general often finishes them off. If they were paper then consider them 'done for' anyway, regardless of brand.