The PHILCO Phorum

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/pagesbymodel...013581.pdf
The alignment instructions for the model 44 state that there are two trimmers on the tuning capacitor gang that are sealed and are not to be adjusted in the field. My tuning capacitor needs to be cleaned badly. I normally remove the mica insulators from the trimmers (if possible) and clean using my ultrasonic cleaner. But if this is done, then the trimmers would need to be reset. Is there information on how these two "don't touch" trimmers can be adjusted? Is some sort of special equipment needed? I had always assumed that something other than the normal fixed frequency generator used by Philco service was the limiting factor (vs a normal signal generator).

If field adjustment is REALLY not possible, then I suppose I will clean the capacitor with micas in place and not touch the two trimmers.

Any suggestions?

You could possibly take a can of "Blue shower" and spray the heck out of the cap, having unmeshed the vanes first. And spraying the trimmers at the same time. Then drying them with a heatgun on the "warm" or even "cool" setting, or with your woman's hair dryer (same thing).

On the other hand, when aligning, you almost inevitably will have to adjust them trimmers anyway.

Well, one approach, after soaking it, count precisely the turns from opened from it's shut position. Yeah, probably less than two. At least that will get you started. But then again, if all the crud is on the outside, and you can get it off with, say deoxit, or gas (outdoors!) and an old toothbrush, maybe it's OK. Isolate and measure with ohmmeter if possible to eliminate short-by-crud. You can always go back to it.