[Steve Davis]

Jeff, you are not looking at a lot of money to restore your radio. The total cost for all the capacitors and a few out of tolerance resistors will probably be less than $25.00. You can bring the radio up fairly safely with a dim bulb tester rather than a variac. You don't need an isolation transformer at all, they are only necessary for a transformerless set. The voltages you are seeing may be a little high because of the higher line voltage we have today plus the fact modern volt meters load the circuit less than the ones from the day the radio was made. Also, leaky capactors and out of tolerance resistors will cause readings to be off. I would not tear down the whole chassis instead, I would replace the filter caps and the line filter caps, then bring it up with the dim bulb tester (a 100 watt bulb in series with the line). Get the radio working, then change one or two caps at a time, checking to make sure the radio is still working. That way if you make a mistake, you will know where it is. There is plenty of help available right here on the Phorum.

Steve