[gary rabbitt]

When replacing the rubber wire, is it necessary to completely unsolder the connection un-wrap the wire and wrap the new, or just clip the rubber wire as close as possible and solder the new end in place :

Hi,
It is not necessary to unwrap the original wire from a terminal.The radio will not know the difference, and if you do it neatly, it would be hard to detect.
If the terminal has only one wire going to it, then you may be able to remove the old completley. But if the terminal has several wires going to it, then you are best clipping off the old, right next to the terminal, then wrap the new piece around. Make sure that the new wire doesn't touch an adjacent terminal causing a short.

Sometimes thrying to unsolder one wire might loosen the other wires causing an open circuit, or movement to an adjacent terminal.

In a worst case scenario, you may not be able to get to one end of the rubber coated wire. In that rare case, I have taken a piece of shrink tubing, and unsoldered one end, slipped the tubing over the original wire snugging it up to the hard to get to end. Then reattach the loose end. You might even be able to use a standard piece of spaghetti tubing slipped over the old wire.

Good luck with the project. Rewiring takes time and might go a little slow, but it is worth it in the longrun for safety and reliability.
Happy Holidays.
Gary.
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