SME 20/2 Faulty Silicon Oil Plunger


The Silicon Oil plunger that came with my SME 20/2 was faulty and exploded all over the tonearm and surrounding area (the plunger wasn't airtight and it de-pressurized all over the place suddenly when being applied). The cartidge and platter are fine, and I soaked up as much as possible, but there are places I can't reach in the nooks (as well as some seeping under the platter bearing).

Any suggestions on what to do? Any suggestions on what the best course of action is in this situation?

Is silicon oil corrosive or harmful to any of the surface area?

Thanks a lot.
jkalman

Showing 1 response by larryi

My guess is that you are referring to a syringe that is used to put the dampening fluid into the trough near the base of the arm. I don't know if that sticky goo is silicone or something else, but, if it is silicone, it won't corrode anything. But, silicone has the property of spreading itself very thin and thereby migrating over the surface it is placed on. As you did, as much as possible should be cleaned off. If left on the arm it could attract and hold dust and that would not be good, particularly if it migrates toward the high precision tonearm bearings (unlikely to happen if you cleaned most of it up, but it never hurts to be extra careful). Otherwise, the only other concern is that this stuff gets on another surface, like wood, and causes a stain.

I would not use any kind of solvent before first consulting with Sumiko (the U.S. distributor) or SME.