Questions about cleaning pre-amplifiers

[Jhonny]

I have almost no experience cleaning audio equipment, I've been doing my reading and have a general understanding of what needs to go into it and what to be careful about but my situation has taken a turn for the worse.

I have an Adcom GFA-545 which had it's left terminal go out at some point in the past year so it's been sitting for quite a bit waiting for me to get to it. This past week, having just gone through a move, someone managed to spill motor oil on top of it, along with a couple other things (they were in my basement).

I haven't opened it up yet, it was turned on it's side to let most of the oil drain that made it inside the chassis but I was wondering if anyone had any advice how to go about this, or if I should even bother. Anything would help, thanks guys!

 

[coonmanx]

Seems like motor oil might actually be pretty easy to clean up. But I will leave actual suggestions of what to use to others with more experience in this realm.

 

[coonmanx]

Bump. Can someone help Jhonny out?

 

[PPstereo]

I suspect a reason not much is being said is the thread title. Its completely wrong. This is a power amp your asking about. And theres been boatloads of threads about cleaning preamps. Aka deoxit controls so on.

This is a very odd scenario. I suggest you change the thread title to, motor oil spilled into adcom 545 power amp how should I clean it. I suspect youd get allot of responses.

Also I'd suggest popping the cover off and showing pics of the inside as it stands now to give a better idea of what the situation is.

Personally I think it will involve some disassembly and different approaches to various areas. Surprisingly to some, certain parts of electronics, that are unpowered and discharged, you can spray down with water to clean and then dry right away. The major exceptions being moving parts , coils, unsealed transformers, potientiometers so on. Basically parts that are not sealed. And theres more to all this.

Also, not to make you freak out or anything but I ld not wait too long on cleaning whatever chemicals you have in there. I cant imagine its making things better the longer whatever is in there doing what it may to the components.

That's a bummer man, that's a bummer.

And good luck.

 

[Jhonny]

Thanks PPstereo, it was early when I made this thread and I guess a couple details slipped my mind. Thanks for the advice, I'll probably repost this with a different title tomorrow once I can get some pictures as well.

Knowing oil, and how it can get just about everywhere I figured it would take a full dismantle, I just don't have the experience which might point me in the direction of just taking it somewhere else. I guess I just feel bad dropping off this oily mess that I'm sure most people haven't had to deal with.

 

[Blue Shadow]

1) sign up, log on and download the info: https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/adcom/gfa-545.shtml
sometimes there are blow up diagrams to see how some parts may be separated.

2) now that it is drained, get some cans of brake clean at the autoparts store an spray the unit placed in a position so that the stuff can run off the unit. Don't get that stuff into the transformer if it has bells on it with wires coming through holes in the unit.

Other cleaners can work, too. Look for ones that will clean up oil

When you get pictures, post them in this thread. Then ask a mod by using the report link in your fist post and ask them to change the title to something most appropriate for this situation. Use the name of the unit, use the contamination and that there are pics. Or subscribe for $25 per year and get access to the ability to edit a title and to the buy and sell forums among other benefits. Don't start a new thread, we don't like multiple threads on the same specific subject except what cartridge for this or that turntable which appears every day.

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