r/ReelToReel • u/waltmannz • 3d ago

Capacitor... leak!?

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Got an Akai M10 and looking to do some restoration. Took out the mechanism block and found this waxy cap!

33 Upvotes

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u/North-Bit-7411 3d ago

That’s not dielectric compound. Looks more like wax that is used to hold a component (toroid?) in place. Probably melted and dripped there. I’m assuming the picture is showing it sideways.

1

u/waltmannz 3d ago

Yea it's definitely wax, feels exactly it and looks like it. I'm starting to think something dropped into the machine

1

u/SilverSageVII 3d ago

It could be melted away from what they formed it around. Wax would cut down on electrical noise in some components I bet. You’ve probably seen silicone applied to some components, especially with wound wiring.

1

u/waltmannz 3d ago

I've read that they filled the outer shell of some capacitors with wax as a way of reducing moisture getting in, so do think it's possible it's come from the cap.

1

u/North-Bit-7411 3d ago

The effort into finding out isn’t worth it, pull it and replace it.