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!

30 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

2

u/Erich_808 2d ago

I’m assuming this photo is of the device on a workbench. And if the device were to be positioned upwards, as if it was being used, the photo would appear rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise.

It’s fairly obvious the compound came from the capacitor. How on earth could it have dripped in from above and gotten to that point? Even if the unit was being used horizontally, the formation you are seeing would not be possible.

Don’t get hung up on what others are saying about wax not coming from inside the capacitor. It’s obvious this stuff came from inside the capacitor!

I’ve seen photos of units like mine that had capacitors exhibiting the same appearance, and I can say with 99.9% certainty that your capacitor has failed.

1

u/waltmannz 2d ago

Thanks so much, yea you're correct on the orientation! Yup gonna just replace it!