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A Zenith 8G005YT restore - Printable Version

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A Zenith 8G005YT restore - klondike98 - 05-29-2016

This thread will cover the work on a Zenith Transoceanic 8G005YT that belongs to one of my colleagues from my previous employer.  His grandfather gave it to him and he’s looking to have it restored and eventually go to his son.  The unit is one of the earlier versions (s/n B203190)  which uses the 117Z6 rectifier rather than the later miniature 117Z3.  The cabinet, covered in black stag, was in very good shape, dirty but there was no missing stag and only a few places where you could see abrasion or thin spots.  

[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7p5oaxu7i8eets2/zenith8G005_01.jpg?raw=1]

Opening up the cabinet showed a nice bezel and dial cover (slightly yellowed with some crud on it), a good integrated operating instruction set and good black plastic with nice white lettering on all the buttons and frame on the front.  

[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/sckay73iz0ewjb1/zenith8G005_02.jpg?raw=1]

The back side looked good as well.  The only rust I found was on the metal clips that hold the back shut.  A couple hours in the bath of Metal Rescue Rust Remover and some black Rustoleum spray paint and they were good to go back in.  

[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9sx44hi090lfcv9/zenith8G005_03.jpg?raw=1]
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/yalthp36yax3xxu/zenith8G005_04.jpg?raw=1]

Notice the set still had the 1.5v battery in it and fortunately it had not leaked!

[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9sx44hi090lfcv9/zenith8G005_03.jpg?raw=1]

There are a number of web resources for working on TOs.  For this set I’m looking mostly at Phil Nelson’s restoration at  http://antiqueradio.org/zen16.htm
Some of the others:
http://www.ohio.edu/people/postr/bapix/zto_8g005.htm
https://www.staff.science.uu.nl/~tel00101/FotoAlbum/RadioCorner/Sets/ZenTO800.htm
https://www.radioera.com/8g005.htm
https://www.radioera.com/t-o_museum.htm
http://www.drzeesradiorepair.biz/zenith-transoceanic-8g005/
http://www.n9dd.com/zenithto.html
http://www.zenithtrans-oceanic.portabletubes.co.uk/restore.htm

Getting the chassis out is covered clearly in Phil’s restoration notes.  All went smoothly until I tried to get the antenna connection to the variable tuner off.  It is supposed to be a slide-in pin and should come out easily.  It did not and on closer inspection I could see a big glob of solder at the base of the pin holder.  Clearly someone had broken it off at some point and soldered it all back on. Unfortunately they also soldered the pin into the pin holder.  I realized that after one last tug and it came apart.  It will be interesting to figure out how to put that back together.

[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/t8ei338dlmxgh6l/zenith8G005_06.jpg?raw=1]  
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jazlntu23uqziwq/zenith8G005_07.jpg?raw=1]  

After getting that last antenna connection “disconnected”, the chassis screws were removed and it slid out.  I haven’t even looked underneath yet… just moved on to cleaning up the cabinet with a wet wash cloth and a drop of dawn in warm water.  You can’t scrub too hard or the old stag will flake off.  Q-tips, cotton balls and elbow grease got the dirt off.  I used some black shoe dye to touch up the few spots that were worn thin or frayed and then put some Armor All on the stag.  That looks nice for an hour or so but fades.  Many folks use black shoe polish although others are strongly against it.  I did a very light coating of shoe polish and buffed it off.  The cabinet now looks better but certainly not brand new.  With this look I’ve decided not to polish up the brass hasp that locks down the front of the cabinet.  It would look out of place with the way the stag looks.  The plastic dial cover got a dose of Novus 2 and the Novus protective spray.  That took off the crud so the dial is clear.  

[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ullttzibgjgtjn4/zenith8G005_08.jpg?raw=1]  
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/3tdfe9n9cpcoy8o/zenith8G005_09.jpg?raw=1]  

More later….

RE: A Zenith 8G005YT restore - morzh - 05-29-2016

Bob

That pin that came apary...if you need to replace it, any one of those computer piwer supply style Molex connectors will do. Harvest a male and a female pins and there you are.

RE: A Zenith 8G005YT restore - Eliot Ness - 05-30-2016

(05-29-2016, 10:23 PM)morzh Wrote:  .....if you need to replace it, any one of those computer piwer supply style Molex connectors will do. Harvest a male and a female pins and there you are.

Good idea Mike!  Bob, I have some Molex pins that haven't been used (crimped) yet and might be easier to work with than used ones.  Send me your address and I'll pop a couple of male and female pins the mail.

RE: A Zenith 8G005YT restore - klondike98 - 05-30-2016

Great idea mike! Thanks!
John, PM sent. Thanks!

RE: A Zenith 8G005YT restore - Jayce - 05-31-2016

I have TO just like that one. Need to dig it out and see if it's still alive or not. I liked the 8 tube design with push-pull output, though that always seemed a bit much for the speaker on mine.

RE: A Zenith 8G005YT restore - OldRestorer - 06-01-2016

I want you to take that case.. Lightly clean it with #0000 steel wool and GoJo and then shoe polish it in a thin layer and buff it...
The dirty case is killing me Icon_lol

Me

RE: A Zenith 8G005YT restore - Joe Rossi - 06-01-2016

Bob,  Is it later yet?  As in "more later"...    Icon_wink

RE: A Zenith 8G005YT restore - klondike98 - 06-01-2016

Not quite Joe...lots of spring home projects going at the moment...

RE: A Zenith 8G005YT restore - klondike98 - 06-02-2016

OK Kirk, I  took your advice and got a little more aggressive on the stag, although I did not use 0000 steel wool.  A little more cleaning and then some black Kiwi Shine and Nourish Cream is working out well.  I’m doing a little gluing of some of the stag that is lifting on the edges so will have pictures after the gluing is finished.  

In the meantime I rethought the front locking hasp. With the cabinet looking better the “antique” look on the hasp just wasn’t going to cut it so I got out the Simichrome and polished up the hasp.  The pic shows the bottom section of the hasp polished and the top portion ready to be polished.  The dremel tool with a polishing disk made this job a lot easier!  I think it will look good.  I’ll spray it with some clear lacquer before reinstalling on the cabinet.

[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/agxhfyx7ig92u1a/zenith8G005_12.jpg?raw=1]

I did also take a peek under the chassis while I wait for the cap order to arrive.  Looks pretty clean although I was surprised at the variety of brands of caps in there.  I see Sprague, Zenith, Aerovox and Solar paper caps.

[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fcj1k4a82hj2plx/zenith8G005_10.jpg?raw=1]

The line filter seems to be a little  toasty.

[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jea1snvw0eijo48/zenith8G005_11.jpg?raw=1]

RE: A Zenith 8G005YT restore - klondike98 - 06-02-2016

Here's the polished up cabinet and brass.  

[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/cjra1j54gxllf4n/zenith8G005_13.jpg?raw=1]

I also took the top of the cabinet apart to get the handle cleaned and to fix some of the screws that had worked loose and would not hold that top section down.  A little plastic wood filler in the screw holes helped along with a slightly longer screw in one spot.

[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zeroekhuz505eyr/zenith8G005_14.jpg?raw=1]

The handle is hollow and I had read in one of the write-ups I referenced in the first post that it had a tendency to break.  The suggested fix was to put epoxy into the hollow section.  Done.

[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wmhr2zlwauudsd1/zenith8G005_15.jpg?raw=1]

That little section of asbestos on the inside of the cabinet below the dial cover got a couple coats of shellac to keep the edges from fraying.

RE: A Zenith 8G005YT restore - sam - 06-02-2016

Wow bob
That turned out nice will have to get my 500 
Out and redoe it
Maybe mike will do his few too.  Icon_thumbup

RE: A Zenith 8G005YT restore - OldRestorer - 06-03-2016

Beautiful!

Me

RE: A Zenith 8G005YT restore - Paul Philco322 - 06-04-2016

Looks very busy under the hood in there, I am glad you finally placated Kirk. I have a TO someone left a socket from a wrench in the thing (not I) and it perforated the cone. Oh well, my 1l6 tests strong though Icon_smile.

Paul

RE: A Zenith 8G005YT restore - klondike98 - 06-04-2016

RE: "busy under the hood"....
Yes, when I first looked at the schematic listing of caps, I thought there were not too many in there. Then I realized that unlike Philco, Zenith labels all the caps with the same capacitance and voltage rating with the same number. arrrrrg .....

RE: A Zenith 8G005YT restore - Radioroslyn - 06-04-2016

Chassis doesn't look too bad to service. The Philco has coils and filament chokes to obscure tube sockets and such. Looked at the schematic it gave me a headache, where have I said that before??? Hopefully your output transformer is good it would be a bit hard to find a replacement as it has a fairly high impedance.

GL
Terry