[Radio Wrangler]

I have in the past turned some nylon bushes to act as spacers to allow original clamps to grip smaller modern capacitor cans (the bushes are slotted)

General advice is not to run aluminium electrolytics below 10-20% of their rating.

When made, the capacitors have two strips of aluminium foil separated by two strips of paper or fibrous lastic soaked in conductive jelly. Both sides of both foils are slightly oxidised (fresh aluminium is very reactive and oxidises immediately in air.)

Once the thing has been rolled up like a swiss roll, the thing is driven electrically. The oxide on both sides of one strip is broken down, so the strip connects across its full area with the conductive goo, while the oxide on the other strip is built up. When this has been completed with thick enough oxide, the capacitor is finished. The foil with the oxide is one electrode, the conductive goo is the other electrode, and the naked aluminium strip is just wide area contact to connect to the goo.

The prupose of using goo is that it can intimately coat the texture of the oxide, so there can be a lot more area than you'd expect... simply because the oxidised strip was textured beforehand.

So electrolytic capacitors are made by electrolytic activity. And what has been made that way can be unmade that way too.

Modern capacitors have got better conductive goo. Their losses and self-heating are better, sealing to prevent loss of water vapour from the goo is better too.

Check ripple current ratings and check ESR specs. Also look at the life expectancy figures for different temperatures.

David