You just need an electronics contact cleaner. Spray it into the pot and turn the pot fully back and forth several times to work it in. Do this with the power disconnected.
WD-40 for electronics
I forgot who said it, but Im sure it was said. So I will ask the question... for "OLD" screechy volume pots and connections is there a miracle grease, solvent, or lubricant? Or did I read or hear this in my dreams??? If not Lets create a snake oil of "Snake Oil's" and get filthy like Mike at My Pillow. To his credit its a great product. Much better than the 60 dollar "Audiophile 12 inch Inner-tube" I bought to go under my 5 disk carousel Carver CD Player.With My Denon 270 receiver and if Im not mistaken DCM Time Window Speakers along with the first pair of rosenut HSU 30 somthing inch tall by around 14 inches wide cardboard tube subwoofers with a black knit around them. God did I think I was all that... Haha I can laugh at myself I hope you guys can too!
But seriously if there is a spray or grease to help... Please chime in... I need it.
But seriously if there is a spray or grease to help... Please chime in... I need it.
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The ’WD’ in WD-40 stands for water displacement. That’s what it’s designed for, primarily to prevent rust. It’s not a very effective lubricant and only a moderately effective solvent. Spent half an hour or so last weekend treating every pot and switch inside a McIntosh C26 preamp with Caig Deoxit D5 because of a lower volume in one channel and a slight crackle when the balance knob was turned back and forth. Everything sounded great afterward. |
wd-40 = no. silicone added cleaners and lubricants = no. zero residue contact cleaners = yes. Aftermarket lubricants and cleaners combo fluids or sprays... with no silicone... used after the zero residue cleaner has been used to clean up the pot or switch = sometimes yes. that pairing is the best long term solution, IMO and IME. (based on my experience in handling and working on the range of a thousand older audio items) The trick, IMO and IME... is to clean and rinse out with a fairly aggressive zero residue cleaner, and then use a cleaner that is advertised as a lubricant/cleaner, in the now dry but clean contact point. If it is done with just the lubricant cleaner, a single shot cleaning, not a two stage one.....in my experience, too much of the detritus/crap remains, on a set of contacts that did not get a proper cleaning in the first place. What I mean, is the problem that was attempted to be fixed, comes back again, far sooner, if it is just a one stage lubricant/cleaner that is used. And never anything with silicone in it. It makes for an impossible mess down the road. |
Deoxit for cleaning potentiometer tracks: https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-F5S-H6-DeoxIT-FaderLube-Spray/dp/B00006LVF1/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=deoxit+fader+lube&qid=1578695010&sr=8-4 |
- 42 posts total