CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

[Thor]

Can I change the glycol and clean for fungus on my 9500LC, without have to take the C-elements off?

Maybe by doing like this:

http://www.curtpalme.com/CLR_Defungus_Sony_Tubes.shtm

Thanks, Morten.

[Ile]

Test if c elements are glued to bellows. Sometimes those aren't and then it's easy to remove for cleaning.

If glued, then I'd test clr with tube that have clear c element, because chemical could affect to c element (plastic) and clear c elements are cheaper.

[Thor]

There isn't a less aggressive cleaning fluid, that doesn't risk damaging the c-element?

[Ile]

Bottle is plastic so it probably works fine.

I'm not sure if anybody have tested this method to lc tubes.

[Thor]

[papalek]

Fungus will cause a blur in the image. The stuff floating around is just trash.

[Thor]

[papalek]

Sure I would change it if I had that much trash in it. Normally it is only mixed up in it after it has been moved around like flipping it over for ceiling mounting. Most of the time it is heavy enough to settle to the bottom and not be a concern.

[PaulB]

Thor,
I had the exact same problem you have, it was only when I took out the C-Elements that I realised just how bad things were in the LC chamber! Not only fungus stuff but the tube face itself was covered in some sort of gunk that I could'nt really see from the outside as were the inside of the C-Elements. A messy, time consuming job but well worth it. Glycol, C-Element and tube-face now crystal clear.

As a test, I put some old glycol from the LC chambers in a glass with some new stuff and put in some screws (the same ones used to seal the glycol hole) and within a couple of weeks, guess what, the bottom of the glass is now covered in fungus stuff - check the photo below, all that white stuff in the bottom of the glass just appeared all by itself. Not sure what caused it but I'm glad I cleaned out the LC chambers.

Do a search on bellows and you should find a good few posts on the subject matter.

[PaulB]

Also this photo. In the glass is a stock screw, a stainless steel one and a stainless steel screw covered in Locktite. I did this to try to establish if the screws are causing the fungus in the LC chambers or if it was something else.

From my rather simplistic test, I'd say its the old glycol rather than the screws as such. Which would certainly indicate total cleaning of the LC chambers would be best. Note, the stock iron screws will cause other issues in the chamber and are best replaced with stainless steel ones - basically, the iron ones will essentially rust and stain the tube faces.

[Thor]

Did you have to change your bellows too, Paul?

The stainless screws are that something I can buy in any hardware store?

[PaulB]

Yes, i changed the bellows as well but that was down to having to cut open two of the bellows to get the C-Element out. On the third tube the C-element popped out very easily so I just didn't have to cut it open. In hindsight, I could probably have got the C-Elements out of at least one other without cutting (just didn't try hard enough).

As to the screws, see this for more info https://www.curtpalme.com/forum_archived/viewtopic.php@t=9295.html
I couldn't track down any in the UK at all, the problem being that we Europeans are all metric now and the screws we need are the old imperial size. I have since seen the screws on EBay.com occasionally, just search on "6/32 stainless" and you should get a few hits - most are normal stainless rather than the 316 type but they will still do a far better job than the iron ones.

Edit - Try item no. 250252147300 - looks to be the right thing and they ship to Denmark. No, they are Zinc plated and not the right thing to use but these are good 220190061984

[Thor]

Paul, where did you get your new glycol from? I've tried to e-mail these: http://www.mcmelectronics.com/, but they don't seem to respond?

Thanks, Morten.

[PaulB]

[Thor]

I'll try that, thanks Paul.