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How to clean a tuner (analog)

ssouci said:
has anyone used Canadian Tire's "MotoMaster Electrical Contact Cleaner"?

Ideal for removing dust and debris from electrical contacts, connectors and switches
Dries fast, leaving no residue behind
Safe to use on most plastics

product link
(has a tab leading to product data sheet)

CONTAINS:
Heptane 40-70%
Propane 15-40%
Isopropyl Alcohol 3-7%

???
Click to expand...
It is top notch! I never had any issues with it. First I used white blue bottle CC (Contact Chemicals) contact cleaner. Even some plastics started to smoke and it 'stinks in every aspect'. Like with there silicon sprays etc. I switched thus litle less then 5 years ago to Canadian Tire's 'Motomaster Electrical Contact Cleaner' and never looked back. I do depending on type of 'switch I clean with it, afterwards flush the switch, pot etc. out with 999,99% isopropol alcohol. Especially to flush out rust, dust and other debris etc etc.
 
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8-Tracked said:
It is top notch! I never had any issues with it. First I used white blue bottle CC (Contact Chemicals) contact cleaner. Even some plastics started to smoke and it 'stinks in every aspect'. Like with there silicon sprays etc. I switched thus litle less then 5 years ago to Canadian Tire's 'Motomaster Electrical Contact Cleaner' and never looked back. I do depending on type of 'switch I clean with it, afterwards flush the switch, pot etc. out with 999,99% isopropol alcohol. Especially to flush out rust, dust and other debris etc etc.
Click to expand...
Should be fine. Use with adequate ventilation and away from flames.
upload_2022-6-5_23-1-23.png
 
Just wanted say thanks @dr*audio for this great thread. The tuner on my long dormant Onkyo TX-21 was barely working. The dial was off over 2 MHz on the tuning scale with 91.3 tuning in at 88.1. Tuning at full servo-locked stereo was impossible and after an hour or two I would lose reception entirely.
I followed the tuner cap cleaning instructions and now despite being in a lousy reception area am able to tune the full FM range in stereo top to bottom. I just need to buy some Faderlube to complete the job. I do have a syringe bottle of 100% synthetic oil, but I assume it would make for a bad substitute.
20230705_175751.jpg
 
My trusty Sansui 8010 (Black trim version of the 771) had distortion and low volume in the left FM channel and was having increasing trouble picking up weak stations. These symptoms were very consistent and didn't change much tuning across the dial. This is my kitchen system and it gets used a lot. I feared age related failure on the tuner board. But, simple things first, clean the tuner. A spritz of contact cleaner on each of the tuner cap's ground contacts followed by a drop of Corrosion X on each contact. Presto, distortion gone and the signal strength on weak stations improved dramatically, probably better than it's ever been.

The before and after difference was striking. It makes me want to clean all my tuners, not just problem ones.

Thanks again Doc for this great thread.

- Pete
 
Just wondering if you can use CRC air mass sensor cleaner to clean the fins? Designed to leave no residue?

1701268680018.png
Paul
 
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At the same place that sells the Mass Air Flow Sensor cleaner you can get the CRC Electrical Contact cleaner. It comes in a red can, is labeled zero residue and safe on plastics. It is inexpensive. I buy mine at a local big box hardware store. I'm sure all auto parts stores carry it to. Probably the most common stuff people buy for this.
 
Paul Malloy said:
Just wondering if you can use CRC air mass sensor cleaner to clean the fins? Designed to leave no residue?

View attachment 3048146
Paul
Click to expand...
This is the chemical composition. I advise against using anything that doesn't specifically say it's for use with electronics. Might damage components.
2-methylpentane40 - 5064742-49-0naphtha (petroleum), hydrotreatedlight20 - 30540-84-12,2,4-trimethylpentane5 - 10124-38-9carbon dioxide5 - 10110-54-3n-hexane5 - 10109-66-0n-pentane1 - 375-83-22,2-dimethylbutane< 179-29-82,3-dimethylbutane< 196-14-03-methylpentane< 167-56-1methanol< 1
 
I am working on a Technics SA-505. The FM tuner wasn't finding anything below 102 MHz. Sprayed some CRC QD on the brass contacts and it is now finding stations all over the dial. I need to add a little lubricant but this worked wonders.
 
Byron Boldt said:
I am working on a Technics SA-505. The FM tuner wasn't finding anything below 102 MHz. Sprayed some CRC QD on the brass contacts and it is now finding stations all over the dial. I need to add a little lubricant but this worked wonders.
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I may have spoke a little too soon here. I added a drop of my CRC 2-26 lubricant to each of the contacts and let it sit a couple hours. The tuner seems to have reverted back to its old ways since then. I used the QD again and it seemed to help some. I sprayed it one more time and I can get as low as 99.9 to tune in but that is it. Should I keep spraying? Should I pray the fins with QD? Thanks.
 
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Byron Boldt said:
I may have spoke a little too soon here. I added a drop of my CRC 2-26 lubricant to each of the contacts and let it sit a couple hours. The tuner seems to have reverted back to its old ways since then. I used the QD again and it seemed to help some. I sprayed it one more time and I can get as low as 99.9 to tune in but that is it. Should I keep spraying? Should I pray the fins with QD? Thanks.
Click to expand...
You need to scrub the contacts with a toothbrush or an acid brush cut short, not just spray. Use the non residue cleaner.
 
dr*audio said:
You need to scrub the contacts with a toothbrush or an acid brush cut short, not just spray. Use the non residue cleaner.
Click to expand...

If you can find one. I have an old burnishing tool that I snagged back in my Navy days. Was used for cleaning relay contact. I slide it down between the clip and ground and work it.
 
Punker X said:
If you can find one. I have an old burnishing tool that I snagged back in my Navy days. Was used for cleaning relay contact. I slide it down between the clip and ground and work it.
Click to expand...
I don't know if this will work or is recommended here, but on arcade games they often use a strip of a business card in place of a burnishing tool.
 
dr*audio said:
You need to scrub the contacts with a toothbrush or an acid brush cut short, not just spray. Use the non residue cleaner.
Click to expand...
I have not scrubbed it yet but last I checked it was tuning as far down as 96MHz. It seems to fluctuate. I can tell you that if I touch one of the FM terminal strips (the one without a wire connected to it) on the top of the tuning cap all the stations come in great. I assume my body is acting like an antenna and maybe the tuning cap is clean enough but is out of alignment. Maybe not. Who knows.
 
I just had MAJOR problems with my Marantz 2275 receiver's FM tuner that were attributed to contamination of the variable capacitor and the surrounding FM front end board... do not underestimate how sensitive this part of the FM circuitry is, and how it will throw everything off downstream and send you on wild goose chases.... also, if you have a "dirty" variable capacitor, how that might SPREAD if you try to clean it, even if using zero-residue cleaner... in my case, I suspect that a previous tech might have used some sort of lubricant spray while trying to align the tuner, maybe on the cap, maybe on the adjustable cores (???), but I will never know... in the end, my front end board and variable cap had to be completely disassembled and stripped to ensure all traces were gone... a real pain, but it worked

see: https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/marantz-2275-no-stereo-fm.1050394/
 
In cleaning the tuning capacitor of my FM-3, after cleaning the bearings with non-residue cleaner I injected some silver-bearing conductive grease to facilitate the grounding, inhibit corrosion, and improve smoothness when tuning. The whole procedure - including resoldering the grounding lugs of the tuning capacitor's metal shield - greatly reduced noise when tuning from station to station...
But that dern conductive grease is expensive!
 
LBPete said:
My trusty Sansui 8010 (Black trim version of the 771) had distortion and low volume in the left FM channel and was having increasing trouble picking up weak stations. These symptoms were very consistent and didn't change much tuning across the dial. This is my kitchen system and it gets used a lot. I feared age related failure on the tuner board. But, simple things first, clean the tuner. A spritz of contact cleaner on each of the tuner cap's ground contacts followed by a drop of Corrosion X on each contact. Presto, distortion gone and the signal strength on weak stations improved dramatically, probably better than it's ever been.

The before and after difference was striking. It makes me want to clean all my tuners, not just problem ones.

Thanks again Doc for this great thread.

- Pete
Click to expand...
@LBPete , I have been using CorrosionX on many things for past year and have been happy with the product. Have you heard of any negative aspects? I do not use on power switches but it cleans rotary switch contacts extremely well and I use on push switches, carbon tracts and RCA jacks as well as tiny amount on Tuner cap contact points. On carbon tracts I no back with a bit of Fader Grease for long term lube.
 
@LBPete and @jd3rdcoast

I think there are several versions of CorrosionX ("regular," HD, XD, aviation). Which one are you using?

I only see them in aerosol. If you want to apply with getting spray all over, are you spraying it into a cup and then using a brush?
 
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