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Used capacitors?

I'm not sure if it's necessary (probably not) but it won't hurt to do it. I didn't mean to imply that you have to use a variac to power up old gear.

If a cap blows because you didn't use a variac, it really needed replacing anyway.

However, if someone handed me an unopened box with a 30 year-old NOS SX-1250 in it, I'd consider the light bulb trick (after I took the bottom off and checked for PS caps leaking).

So yeah, I'm kind of a fence straddler on this deal, but mostly I think that with the voltages on SS gear a variac (or light bulb in the power cord) is probably a waste of time.
 
The worst thing for an electrolytic cap is to sit unused year after year. So yeah, it will hasten the day when it no longer will do the intended job, and may even leak.
 
Thanks EW, I knew Crooner was correct about heat and abuse causing failure, but I also knew, as in my experience, that sitting unused caused mine to fail
 
VintageNut said:
Yeah, I hate the multi caps, got em in my 2285B. There's a dude up north that rebuilds caps, multi caps too. One good thing is many new caps are a lot smaller in physical size, so you might be able to cram 3 or more into old multi cap carcass
Click to expand...

Hey VintageNut! You mentioned a guy who rebuilds caps. I would consider that option. Any more info on how to track this guy down would be appreciated!
 
If you're talking about the guy in North Dakota, the place is Frontier Capacitors. The dude has got to be 90 years old, and my own experience with him was less than satisfactory. Methinks he should have retired. Mainly he rebuilds multisection caps for tube gear.

Edit: Here is is...

Everett Hoard, Frontier Capacitor, P.O. Box 218, 402 S. McIntosh St., Lehr, ND 58460.

You have been warned.
 
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Thanks for the advice! Won't go down that road!
Trying to avoid replacing the power supply caps on my 2385. Not having any cap experience todate I find the idea of having to rewire 4 new caps in place of the two duals a little intimidating. If I had the knowledge and confidence I might have done it by now. The more I read the more intimidated I get. Don't want to screw this one up!
Hoping to find someone who's done a 2385 or similiar unit to share their experience. Would also want to try and use the old cans and put the new caps inside. So I may wait till I find someone to hold my hand or until my confidence/knowledge level goes up!
 
Actually, the wiring of 2 caps to replace 1 dual cap is pretty easy. You have a + terminal, a - terminal, and the neutral is just a + and a - together. The good thing is today some caps are smaller, so you might be able to fit 2 in place of 1 dual in the same area. Here is a pic of a dual cap in a Marantz 2285B
 
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Those caps are neither in series or parallel (that would depend on what you connected them to)...you simply have two caps with a common terminal.

Yeah, I know...I'll go away now... :)
 
Well I'm surprised, I got that diagram from a tech a year ago when I asked him how to wire up 2 caps, was on the Marantz chat board. I remember taking a picture of the schematic, since I did not have a scanner then, and sending it to him.So I guess he said it was in series in the 2285B
 
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If you don't connect the common terminal to anything, they'd be in series. If you do (which you must in this application) then it's like I said...just two caps with a common connection.
 
yeah, of course you have to. Hmmm, well, he was the head tech at the Marantz service facility in California back in the 70s, nice guy so I won't mention his name. He used to talk just like you EW on the Marantz chat. Could he have been referring to being in series somehow in the circuit? But that does not make sense to me.
 
OK, here's the scoop. It was over 2 years ago, wow, time flies. I kept our email exchange. I asked him about replacing the dual caps, he told me what to do, then I prepared the diagram you see, and sent it to him to verify. He said in a email that the diagram of the caps was in series, I had asked about the difference of caps in series and parallel, then I'm the one who labeled it as being in series for my reference ( training) . I guess I took it that he meant they were in series in the circuit. Anyway, I feel better, I did not want to trash his good name, trashing mine is no big deal, it's done all the time by others :D
 
Well I appreciate the discussion. Vintagenut, your cap looks the same as mine except its 63v, mine 85v.
I note in my application the cap (B) clip is soldered to a special bracket that has a number of wires soldered to it. I'm trying to envision gutting the original cap(s) and putting in two smaller caps and wondering what/which wire goes where.
I 'm also trying to find find the best solution in cap replacement.
A few options I'm looking for feedback on are replacing the 6800uf x 2 with :a single 15,000uf 80v .UCC
Or 2-8200mfd's, 100v aside UCC
Or 2-6800mfd , 80V, Elna's
Those are the choices I've found to date!
 
I don't think you can make a single cap work in that application. Here'a pic of the 2285B cap, it is labeled for plus, minus, etc. I would not go under in uF or under in voltage, going too much over in uF could be hard on the receiver due to in rush current, unless it has a soft start circuit, which I don't think it does. Going over in voltage rating is a good idea
 
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that's right, 3 terminals: A is plus, minus is minus, and B is where the 2 leads of the 2 caps meet each other, as in the diagram
 
Ok! The light is starting to come on!
Well I'm still mulling cap replacement options. Still hoping to fit in the old can.
One possible cap replacement I've tracked down 2- 8200mfd, 100v won't fit in the can. So the hunt continues.
Thanks for all your advice.
 
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