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Cary 306/200 service?

I posted this in vintage as well...really hoping to get an answer.
I have a Cary 306/200 with a sticky drawer that won't close all the way and opens back up. Works a little better if eveything's warmer (our house can be chilly in the winter). It's hard to tell in if the open/close button is a little challenged as well.
Cary no longer services these and I'd love to get it fixed. Otherwise, it works fine and sounds great. I live about 100 miles north of NYC....nestled in the scenic Hudson Valley...
Thanks for your help!
budburma
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
The ’pure silicone’ spray I got is petroleum based with hexanes and ketones - should evaporate
It’s these things that make plastic dry out and become powdery and brittle and gears and things break when that happens, especially on old units like this gem, just go to your local auto shop and get the Caster bean oil rubber grease, especially on a nice R2R ladder unit like the Cary 306/200

Cheers George
budburma OP
345 posts
 
Thanks, guys. I opened it up and removed the copper shield to clean the rails and gears I could get to. Pretty tight quarters and wasn't comfortable taking it any more apart. Lowe's had some silica grease without petroleum products that was applied to the rails and the top of the spindles I could see. Nothing looked broken.....It seems mildly improved and actually works fine now if properly warmed up. If the top's off or it's cold, the drawer still reverses course on trying to close, though it closes with a little help in that case. It still opens and closes more slowly that it did in the past, but more smoothly with the grease I applied. . When warmed up, it closes pretty much every time. So, good for now I guess - If I were more comfortable taking it apart further, more and better applied grease would likely help. Still sounds awesome as both a player and a dac.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

budburma OP
Nothing looked broken...

..

Get yourself some insurance with those gears/belt they are getting old and it won’t be long. Belt and gear set.
https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=%22VAM1202+gea...

Cheers George

budburma OP
345 posts
 
Thanks, George - looks like I'm not the only one looking for that! Gone last night only a couple hours after your post! Anyway, I'm not so keen on doing that detailed of work, but maybe I could find someone around here that would - it's a great transport and player. The transport has seen very little use over the last few years since it's been primarily functioning as a dac in my system - maybe the cleaning and grease will work some magic. It now seems to reverse course from closing only when it's cold and functions ok when warmed up for an hour or two - sort of tired acting still, but not needing the little nudge of help to finish closing. 

I just got an AMR DP777SE and it's a pretty great sounding DAC! A friend is interested in the Cary - I only have one system....hard to part with the old friend, though
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