[Milsurplus] BC-342 Oil-Filled Caps

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

I've rebuilt quite a few of the rectangular triple .05's from BC-312 family 
receivers.  I hold the can in a small bench vise so that it can't move 
around.  With a 150 or 200 watt iron with a tip large enough to touch a good 
percentage of the top, I heat the entire top.  With a piece of oak about 1-1/2" 
wide by 1/2" thick with a slot cut that just slips over the can but not the 
top, I lift the top off with the iron still in contact and quickly set it 
down on the bench.  Only takes a few seconds, with minimal oil boiling.  I 
don't have a fume hood but do have a ceiling fan overhead.  Take a deep breath 
about the time that the oil starts fizzing and hold it while lifting off 
the top.  After the unit cools enough to handle, dump the oil into the 
temporary storage can and let it stand inverted for 30 minutes or so.  I also found 
it wise to match mark top and body and reassemble later with matched parts. 
 Check the marks after cool-down and renew if necessary (usually only the 
top needs to be done as the ink gets hot enough to evaporate).  When 
reassembling, test fit the top to the body cold.  If it wants to hangup, run the tip 
of the iron over the high spots.  I never used any desoldering equipment 
except on the external terminals.

In a message dated 05/26/2012 15:44:23 PM Central Daylight Time, 
bluegrassdakine at hotmail.com writes: 
> Usually the bottom of the can is folded over to lay flat on the sides. My 
> experience is that most are 1/8 up to 1/4 inch overlap. I start at one 
> end, Heat the hell out of a small section, suck it or wick it and then while 
> hot insert a small jewelers screwdriver or similar small flat item under the 
> fold and pry it away from the base metal.  The hotter it is, the more of 
> the lip will pry away without having to remove lots and lots of solder.  It 
> is a learning process,and as usual, wear all necessary protective gear and 
> be careful of the oil.  Older caps have PCBs but if you don't drink it, it 
> usually will not hurt you.  I then dump the oil into a stand by can and the 
> heating and solder removal is much easier.
> 
> >Date: Fri, 25 May 2012 17:17:09 -0700
> >From: jfor at quikus.com
> >To: joeconnor53 at yahoo.com
> >CC: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
> >Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] BC-342 Oil-Filled Caps
> >
> >If they are soldered shut like many WW II caps, a big soldering iron and
> >lots of Solder-Wick or a solder sucker like a Pace.
> >
> >You don't want to heat the whole can at once. Heat a local area and 
> remove
> >the solder and work your way around.
> >
> >If you heat the whole thing too hot, the oil can vaporize and the thing
> >can then pop and burn.
> >
> >Wear goggles and other non-flamable protective clothing too.
> >
> >FWIW,
> >
> >-John
> >
> >================
> >
> >
> >
> >>Is there any way to open the oil-filled caps on a BC-342/BC-344 so that
> >>they can be restuffed? If so, how do you do it?

Robert & Susan Downs - Houston
wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
MVPA 9480