Philips Reel to Reel help!! - Page 2 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Tractorfan · 2nd May 2019, 1:37 pm

Hi,
I found, after a mention on the forum, that brake fluid works pretty well to get the worst of it off, followed by meths to remove the brake fluid residue.
Cheers, Pete.

ben · 6th May 2019, 11:51 pm

Don't forget a supply of wooden toothpicks. These are essential to remove the last of the goo from the deepest crevice of the pulleys, unless this is done thoroughly the goo remaining will contaminate the new belts.
Somewhere I have the dimensions of the main belt, an o-ring as used in hydraulic systems works well. VCR rubber tyres work well on the pulleys. Do not forget the brakes, the pause stub and the clutch inserts on the spool tables.

placemat · 7th May 2019, 9:22 am

Thanks Ben.

hillmanie · 30th Aug 2019, 10:12 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by unitelex

I was de-gooing a Philips N4407 last week.
I tried IPA Isopropyl Alcohol and Methylated spirits, the latter was better

As others have said the Goo gets everywhere, hands, tools, anything you touch after working on it, light switches, doors...

Best not to start by trying to wipe the stuff off, it just spreads.
I would recommend scraping the stuff off with a screwdriver or spatula first, then wiping whats left with solvent doused tissue. Then dispose of the tissue and start again with a new one...

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Old thread but very immediate for anyone acquiring an old Philips reel to reel. All that has been said about the Goo is true and more. The stuff is incredibly deadly and as stated if it gets on your hands - well - trouble. The stuff has the tenacity of ink.
I've got it in the N4306 of recent days. It's probably not as bad as might be as the belt melted down on the deck in its own trace. I don't yet about the clutches as I haven't taken off the reel hubs. Difficult? I'll do as advised, careful scrape first and then the solvent. Fortunately there's a guy in Italy selling the kit within my budget
TT

wd40addict · 31st Aug 2019, 7:37 am

In my Cossor CR1601 (Philips EL3542) the goo was also slightly conductive! This led to two weeks of obscure amplifier fault tracing because some had found its way into the record switch, bridging unrelated contacts in a very high impedance point in the amplifier. The cure was removing the sliding contact PCB and cleaning the residue off with meths.

This machine is normally considered from before Philip's gooey phase, but I wonder if a replacement belt was fitted back in the day made from the newer material.

hillmanie · 31st Aug 2019, 9:22 am

Something else to be on guard for. Horrible horrible stuff. Re scraping I'll also try a sharp edge like a Stanley knife blade. As It'll be scraping mostly the metal deck - should be no danger. Yes, I'd noticed it melted into pulley grooves and figured these would need special treatment.
TT

2nd May 2019, 1:37 pm	#21
Tractorfan Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: St. Frajou, l'Isle en Dodon, Haute Garonne, France.(Previously: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK.) Posts: 3,182	Re: Philips Reel to Reel help!! Hi, I found, after a mention on the forum, that brake fluid works pretty well to get the worst of it off, followed by meths to remove the brake fluid residue. Cheers, Pete. __________________ "Hello?, Yes, I'm on the train, I might lose the signal soon as we're just going into a tunn..."

6th May 2019, 11:51 pm	#22
ben Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK Posts: 7,498	Re: Philips Reel to Reel help!! Don't forget a supply of wooden toothpicks. These are essential to remove the last of the goo from the deepest crevice of the pulleys, unless this is done thoroughly the goo remaining will contaminate the new belts. Somewhere I have the dimensions of the main belt, an o-ring as used in hydraulic systems works well. VCR rubber tyres work well on the pulleys. Do not forget the brakes, the pause stub and the clutch inserts on the spool tables. __________________ Regards, Ben.

7th May 2019, 9:22 am	#23
placemat Triode Join Date: May 2016 Location: Birmingham, West Midlands, UK. Posts: 47	Re: Philips Reel to Reel help!! Thanks Ben.

31st Aug 2019, 7:37 am	#25
wd40addict Octode Join Date: May 2009 Location: Stevenage, Herts. UK. Posts: 1,518	Re: Philips Reel to Reel help!! In my Cossor CR1601 (Philips EL3542) the goo was also slightly conductive! This led to two weeks of obscure amplifier fault tracing because some had found its way into the record switch, bridging unrelated contacts in a very high impedance point in the amplifier. The cure was removing the sliding contact PCB and cleaning the residue off with meths. This machine is normally considered from before Philip's gooey phase, but I wonder if a replacement belt was fitted back in the day made from the newer material.

31st Aug 2019, 9:22 am	#26
hillmanie Pentode Join Date: May 2019 Location: Galway, Republic of Ireland. Posts: 208	Re: Philips Reel to Reel help!! Something else to be on guard for. Horrible horrible stuff. Re scraping I'll also try a sharp edge like a Stanley knife blade. As It'll be scraping mostly the metal deck - should be no danger. Yes, I'd noticed it melted into pulley grooves and figured these would need special treatment. TT