I'm working on a model 19. I have done these "sealed" caps before but don't remember what it took. This radio has like 9 of them. Getting a little old and the brain doesn't work as well. Anyone out there has a link (I couldn't find one) to how to just lift and break out the inside? On easy ones with few connections, OK cut the wires off and lift out but this is really a cramped radio. Thinking about just taking the right sized drill and going down through the holes where the wires come up through. They are not soldered through the holes, just to the connectors on the outside. Then perhaps adding the caps externally to the connectors. Seems like I recall, getting the tar out of these things was nasty. Any ideas out there?
Thanks, Jerry
Hi,
The Philco Repair bench has instructions on rebuilding those bakelite caps. It's pretty easy. there are tables also on the site that give the different values of the different units. Just get the number moulded on the case and reference it to the table. As for me, I remove the cap from the radio and mount it to a long machine screw which I mount in a vise. I cut the wires to the mounting lugs and then heat the bakelite housing with a heat gun set on medium. I gently and evenly heat the housing and then using a thin stiff wire, I insert the wire through one of the holes and push while applying heat. When the tar melts enough the whole inside will slide out. I then clean the inside of the casing and desolder what's left of the wires. You then ready to install the new caps.
Hope this helps, good luck!
Kevin
Kevin, thanks for that info. Looks like I need to take them out and pull off all the wires. Dang I hate that. PS how to I get to the Philco repair bench?
Jerry
Here is a direct link to the page on Chuck's site showing instructions for rebuilding the Philco bakelite blocks:
http://www.philcorepairbench.com/capbuild.htm
Some guys heat and empty the blocks with the wires still attached. I remove them to rebuild, only because I prefer not to take a chance on damaging the fragile old cloth-covered wires.
I use the same heat gun method. Just snip the wires and heat the cap evenly with a heat gun then I take a pick with a hook on it to pull the guts out of it. Clean it up a but with a wire brush and solder the new caps in.