Anyone that is a Pioneer purist please chime in why I shouldn't do this

[benjmatt]

I have an SX-1080 that is completely gutted. It had bad output transistors and we took enough parts off this to repair 4 other 1080 units. I believe this is a score, I would like to fix this unit but the face is awful and I don't think it can be done easily. Plus the parts are impossible to find.

Here is what I want to do. I want to take the black VU meters and face around the dial from an SX-1080 and move it to the SX-1050. I have talked with my tech and he thinks he can take the meters and such and move it to the 1050 including the VU board.

This really would be my personal unit.

Why should we not attempt this?

 

[markthefixer]

LOOK at the two very carefully. Can of worms, mechanically.

Take no permanent action until you have run through everything mechanical, something might stop you dead in your tracks.
Imagine if everything LOOKS right, until you TRY to close the cabinet...

No less shoehorning in the GWS-124 VU meter drive electronics - NOT swapping out the SX-1050's AWS-095 speaker switch board for the GWS-124, because the AWS-095 switching is still needed.

The (+13v, -13v) GWS-124 has A,B versus the UNPOWERED AWS-095's A,B,C speaker switches. The spacing look similar but the switching isn't unless you neuter the C switching and terminals in back. The +13 has plenty of power in both units, and the -13 is tapped off the -13v zener reference in both, so no BIG problems there except for adding wires.

The SX-1050 AAG-105 dial face
versus the SX-1080 AAG-141 dial face
means transplanting the 141 INTO the 105's place.
Simple things like screw holes AND acrylic light bars probably won't match up well.

You will probably also have to cut and drill a new glass piece for the front.

1050 526.6mm wide, 173mm high, 453.5 mm deep
1080 526mm wide 176mm high, 440mm deep
at least the dimensions aren't working against you too hard.

Restring the tuner will be fun, with new custom length of dial cord.

My first impression deceptive, and the cost? Paying someone else? YIKES

As for the SX-1050 outputs, they are TO-3 power transistors, from my notes:
SX-1050 AWH-047 q23 2sb539c 863-MJ21193G
SX-1050 AWH-047 q24 2sb539c 863-MJ21193G
SX-1050 AWH-047 q25 2sd287c 863-MJ21194G
SX-1050 AWH-047 q26 2sd287c 863-MJ21194G
SX-1050 AWH-047 q27 2sb539c 863-MJ21193G
SX-1050 AWH-047 q28 2sb539c 863-MJ21193G
SX-1050 AWH-047 q29 2sd287c 863-MJ21194G
SX-1050 AWH-047 q30 2sd287c 863-MJ21194G

 

[IMF_Pioneer]

Personally part the remains of the 1080 out and this will give someone else the opportunity to repair what's probably a better cosmetic unit than what you actually have. Sometimes things have to die for another to regain a new life of it's own.

 

[wd409]

if the tech can do it in a way that looks good and works, i say go for it. its your unit and if it looks good to you thats all that matters on that end.

as far as parting out dead units, ive done that before, infact ive done that to a 1080 before. i think i have a thread on that on here. some guy at the goodwill got to it before i did and tore the transformer out, broke the power board in several places in the process, as well the brackets that hold the filter caps, and damaged one of those caps. it had good outputs tho. made a lot of people happy with the parts from it.

 

[savatage1973]

"She's dead Jim"--all the money in the world could put Humpty Dumpty back together again, but is it worth the time/money/effort? IMO, the answer is NO--just finish parting it out and move on.

 

[IMF_Pioneer]

I hate people getting superb looking units and just trashing them because of the cash factor, but if the unit is cosmetically challenged then I have no issue with it.

As you've already taken a reasonable amount out of it so just make many other peoples lives easier and happier and part it out completely.

Think of the the joy Organ Donors bring to the living, this is much the same I'd say.

On another point wildly modified items never hold any resale value and before you chime in and say "but I'm not doing this to sell", I've heard it all before and eventually it will come up for sale and thus really becomes the Elephant in the room.