Unfortunately, I had a major setback tonight.
I replaced the filter capacitors - C50, C51, and C15. The wiring was really confusing though, and I had kind of a hard time matching it up with the diagram. The most confusing thing is another capacitor, which seems to be C16 according to the diagram, but the actual capacitor has a different value. I'll explain that in a minute. Eventually I was pretty sure I had everything connected right, and I tried to test the tv again. At first, I noticed what seemed to be an immediate improvement from before. Instead of just flickering horizontal lines, I actually got more of a uniform glow on the screen, and it even responded to the horizontal and vertical controls. There was still some flickering, but much less than before.
But then things started to get weird...the "image" on the screen started to shift progressively towards the right and I thought I started smelling something kind of strange. Then I heard a bubbling and hissing sound! I quickly turned off the tv and unplugged it. I checked under the chassis and it looks like that other capacitor (C16?) had ruptured. I couldn't see any obvious breaks on its casing, but there was a dark brown pasty stuff nearby where it seemed to have leaked. The new capacitors on the other hand seemed to be fine, so apparently I DID connect them right.
Here is where things really get confusing. I don't know why that capacitor has a different value than what's indicated on the schematic for C16. Maybe someone had replaced it before? Maybe the company decided to use a different capacitor than the original design? But I'm positive it
has to be C16, because the positive side of if connects to one of the lines on the audio transformer, just like what's shown on the schematic. The other big problem is I really don't understand why it apparently burned and ruptured like that. I connected it the way it's shown in the diagram, as best as I could figure out.
The most confusing thing is that I don't see how it would even be possible to connect C16 the way it's shown in the diagram. If anyone has a chance to look at the schematic at the link I posted before, please look at page 110. You'll see a schematic on the left side of the page, showing how C15 and C16 are connected. I replaced C15 (and it seems to be ok), but I think C16 is the cap that blew. The negative side of it connects to the POSITIVE side of C15 and pin 8 of the 6v6 tube. How is that even possible?? How is the negative side of it supposed to connect to the positive side of C15?
It almost looks like they're connected in series, but I don't see how you can do that with an electrolytic capacitor.
I'm really stuck right now. I feel like I could be making some progress, if only I could figure out how that capacitor is supposed to be connected. I have the tv outside on a table in the back yard. (I don't have any room in the house to work on it!) It's too late for me to do anything else with it tonight. But if it would help, tomorrow I can check the actual value of the capacitor that I think is supposed to be C16.
If anyone can figure out what I'm doing wrong, please let me know!