[ARC5] Cleaning Capacitor Oil Leakage

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Stinson" <arc5 at ix.netcom.com>
To: <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>; "ARC-5 List" 
<arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2012 5:46 AM
Subject: [ARC5] Cleaning Capacitor Oil Leakage


> What's the best stuff to get sticky, nasty capacitor
> oil off the inside of my set without damaging stuff or
> creating some toxic sludge that's going to
> make my rear fall off or something.
> Come to think of it... that might not be so bad...
>
> Mineral spirits?  White gas?
> Half a bottle of Vodka (The other half has....
> other priorities.  Well...maybe two-thirds...)?

     I've just been dealing with this in an RCA AR-88.  The 
bottom plate was covered with sludge. I wound up using paint 
stripper on it which took most of the stuff off. Some I had 
to scrape off. The oil itself is a form of mineral oil and 
will clean up with kerosene or naphtha, probably even 91% 
isopropyl alcohol. However, many if not all of these old 
oil-filled caps had oil with PCB's in them. The oil is not 
acutely toxic but is a carcinogen if given much exposure so 
it should be cleaned carefully and contact with the skin 
avoided.  A lot of bathtub type caps are potted with some 
form of wax. I don't know what exactly the wax was made 
from. It appears to be a mixture of paraffin wax and resin 
of some sort. I have not found a sure fire solvent for it.
     I will have to deal with this in the near future if I 
decide to restuff the original capacitor tubs. BTW a couple 
are still leaking oil.
     As far as I can tell these caps were sealed around the 
terminals with some sort of rubber compound. Its turned to 
mush with age allowing the oil to escape.
     If you find something better I would like to know and 
I'll bet a lot of others would too.


--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles
WB6KBL
dickburk at ix.netcom.com