Philco 66B restoration - Printable Version
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+--- Thread: Philco 66B restoration (/showthread.php?tid=19010)
Philco 66B restoration - klondike98 - 09-24-2018
I picked up this model 66B from Kirk at Kutztown and like a kid with a new toy I had to pull it open.
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ymrexcaqo4xwfai/philco%2066_as%20recieved.jpg?raw=1]
I love it when you take it apart for the first time to see what the restoration landscape looks like. Sort of like opening a present at Christmas. This one has a nice solid cabinet with only a few scratches. The black trim is well worn so I think its probably a candidate for a refinish but will wait to make that decision after its cleaned up a bit more.
The backside looks relatively clean. Its missing one tube and "the tube testing is yet" as the pennsylvania dutch say around here.
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/m882yojn7plezfe/philco66B_01.jpg?raw=1]
Surprisingly...there was no evidence of critters being in the cabinet or chassis, even the spider webs were few and far between. Mostly just lots of dust and dust balls.
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jcl6dqpd0pdttqj/Philco66B_02.jpg?raw=1]
The underside of the chassis looks to be untouched by anyone as well! This calls for restuffing all those paper caps and making reproduction dogbone resistors I think...
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fz2700adfihrm1e/Philco66B_03.jpg?raw=1]
The speaker cone is even completely intact...
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ic3s6saaewj9lj3/Philco66B_04.jpg?raw=1]
Not sure when I'll get started on this but will post as I go along...
RE: Philco 66B restoration - morzh - 09-24-2018
Good news, Bob, and I think you have restored either 60 or 66 in the same cabinet before, so you know, 66 is a simple radio - not too many caps.
I got lucky but if 66 is very similar to 60, expect open coils with green stuff.
Oh.....and the packet switch, if frozen, is easilytaken apart - it is two concentric cylinders.
RE: Philco 66B restoration - klondike98 - 09-24-2018
Good memory Mike...yes I did a 60MB which has this same cabinet. The 60 had a pretty rusty chassis but it came around.
RE: Philco 66B restoration - Arran - 09-25-2018
What I don't understand are the circuit differences between the model 60 chassis and the model 66 chassis. Given Philco's reputation for pinching pennies, why on Earth did they add an expensive part like an extra filter choke to the circuit, under the chassis?
Speaking of penny pinching, I could not help but notice that they cheapened the cabinet they used on the model 66MB as opposed to the model 60MB. The 60MB has mahogany veneer on the top and sides, the 66MB only has it on the front whilst they used plain old poplar on the top and sides (or some other white wood) then used toner on them. I think that I would have swapped the extra choke to keep the veneer, if I were a Philco bean counter.
Regards
Arran
RE: Philco 66B restoration - morzh - 09-25-2018
These two are in essence the same radio, with 66 adding a band.
As the choke filtering the IF Screen Greed bias and the oscillator's plate, maybe they found out in 60 it helps something.
RE: Philco 66B restoration - klondike98 - 09-25-2018
Started cleaning the chassis up today. So far no surprises except the way the dial is mounted. Instead of the rivets I've seen on other sets, this has the dial mounted with staples that go through holes in the mounting plate and then bend over.
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/rytr9bboo0lg31b/2018-09-25%2014.44.03-1.jpg?raw=1]
It took a little effort to get the dial off the shaft. After loosening the set screw it was still stuck pretty good. I put a drop of oil and some WD-40 on the shaft and let it sit for 10 minutes or so. It finally loosened up...I think it was just some grease and grime. The clean up is going well...
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/cxu6zysdjm1aqpa/Philco66B_06.jpg?raw=1]
RE: Philco 66B restoration - morzh - 09-25-2018
Try the band switch. My was stuck dead. I really had to put effort into getting it to loosen up.
RE: Philco 66B restoration - klondike98 - 09-26-2018
Yep, good call Mike. My band switch is frozen. What was your secret to getting it loosened up?
RE: Philco 66B restoration - morzh - 09-26-2018
Heating - wiggling. At the time I did not have BP blaster.
Same thing - some BP blaster, heating - wiggling with pliers, try to detect the minimal movement, then it will go easier.
The switch, unlike the others radios' ones, is two concentric cylinders with sliding contacts, once it is loose, it is easily taking apart: one cylinder just comes out of the other.
Seems to be a common problem with the 66s.
RE: Philco 66B restoration - klondike98 - 09-27-2018
ok...some blaster and wiggling and it has broken free. Still very stiff but more work will improve it.
RE: Philco 66B restoration - morzh - 09-27-2018
No, you should extract the middle part (again, it is simple - methinks there is a retainer ring, after which it will just come out), clean and lube it.
RE: Philco 66B restoration - klondike98 - 09-27-2018
I hear ya Mike...will do that. Did you unsolder everything from the switch or were you able to pull it apart still connected...?
On a different topic. How critical is the capacitance value for the line to ground caps on the power transformer primary (#53 in the figure below). I have one in this 66 and two (one on each line leg) in the 116B. The schematic value is 0.015uF. I have a bunch of 0.01 X1/Y2 caps I could use if they would be acceptable in the circuit but are 50% lower in value than the spec. Not a big deal to order some, mostly just curious.
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/rmmf7vi3ckiehay/Philco66B_07.jpg?raw=1]
RE: Philco 66B restoration - Ron Ramirez - 09-27-2018
The Ron says 0.01 uF X1/Y2 safety caps are just fine in this instance.
It's what I use to replace line bypass caps.
RE: Philco 66B restoration - klondike98 - 09-27-2018
thanks Ron!
RE: Philco 66B restoration - morzh - 09-27-2018
Not critical at all.
My go-to value is also 10nF.
No, no desoldering. Just pull the inner cylinder out, it is sliding contacts. Clean them, lube the shaft...tsit.