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Master List of "replace on sight" components?

D

Dave_DC

New Member
Hi All:

Has anyone ever compiled a master list of "replace on sight" components? To qualify, the part should not just be prone to failure, but rather deserving of replacement outright. These would be parts you'd replace on a unit even before its first dim-bulb power-up. One part I've seen mentioned are the "black flag" caps found some Sansui gear which can fail and cause oscillation and permanent damage to unobtainable output transistors. Another are those horrible exploding Rifa EMC caps found across the power line on Revox A77 AND B77 tape recorders (and some Tek scopes). I ask because I have a AU-919 and a MAC 1700 in need of restoration and I thought I'd ask the experts first to avoid the rookie mistake of not replacing any "high liability" components. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
 
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I'm a fairly new hobbyist, but find joy in refurbing equipment..

I replace all electrolytics most of the time for vintage gear more than 30 yrs old as a preventive measure.
Transistors with black legs or any of the known to fail transistors.
Selenium rectifiers
Same for any serviceable moving parts.. lubricants, belts, rollers, etc.
Any items with visible physical damage.. frayed wires, cracked components, burned/overheated parts
Maybe not replacing, but I've been reflowing solder joints more recently as well.
 
Dave_DC said:
Hi All:

Has anyone ever compiled a master list of "replace on sight" components? To qualify, the part should not just be prone to failure, but rather deserving of replacement outright. These would be parts you'd replace on a unit even before its first dim-bulb power-up. One part I've seen mentioned are the "black flag" caps found some Sansui gear which can fail and cause oscillation and permanent damage to unobtainable output transistors. Another are those horrible exploding Rifa EMC caps found across the power line on Revox A77 AND B77 tape recorders (and some Tek scopes). I ask because I have a AU-919 and a MAC 1700 in need of restoration and I thought I'd ask the experts first to avoid the rookie mistake of not replacing any "high liability" components. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Click to expand...
Here are xstrs:

https://audiokarma.org/forums/threa...ilure-prone-whatever-and-replacements.731653/
 
Dave_DC said:
Hi All:

Has anyone ever compiled a master list of "replace on sight" components? To qualify, the part should not just be prone to failure, but rather deserving of replacement outright. These would be parts you'd replace on a unit even before its first dim-bulb power-up. One part I've seen mentioned are the "black flag" caps found some Sansui gear which can fail and cause oscillation and permanent damage to unobtainable output transistors. Another are those horrible exploding Rifa EMC caps found across the power line on Revox A77 AND B77 tape recorders (and some Tek scopes). I ask because I have a AU-919 and a MAC 1700 in need of restoration and I thought I'd ask the experts first to avoid the rookie mistake of not replacing any "high liability" components. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Click to expand...
I would have a different idea. Well, depending on viability: If you are going to rebuild something, especially antiques that are often gushed about on this forum, it might be best to bite the bullet and replace everything. This way, regardless, you are covered. :idea: A friend of my husband and myself recently purchased a new modular home, spending all the money for a new foundation, then having a giant mobile crane lift the house onto it. Yet, to save money, he insisted on reusing a 50 year old septic system that had been "refurbished" three years prior. Three years later, he had to replace it after all.
 
Thank you all for your inputs! Remember, I'm not looking for suggestions about what to replace or not to replace, but rather a list of items that absolutely must be replaced even before powering up a unit for the first time. Only after these replacements are made would one power up the unit and assess what else should be replaced. Components that that have obviously failed already (bulging or leaking caps, burnt resistors, etc.) qualify. But I am particularly interested in parts that have well-known but not so obvious failure modes, particularly parts whose failure would jeopardize other components.
 
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