Q&A for How to Clean Vintage Stereo Equipment

First remove the knobs, then the faceplate. Lay faceplate flat on old towel and spray with diluted glass cleaner (two parts cleaner to one part water), let it sit for two minutes until the grime is dissolved and wipe it off with a clean, damp rag. Rinse the rag thoroughly with clean water and wipe down the faceplate again to remove any glass cleaner residue. Wipe it dry using clean, soft rag or towel, and then reassemble.

Take the cover off (10-12 screws). Get a can of compressed air, blow dust and cobwebs off each board (from one side to the other so as to not blow dust one way, then back the other way). Now inspect each capacitor (hard wired batteries) for acid leakage. If there is any, remove the capacitor, clean up the acid with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol, and replace the capacitor. Next, look at solder points on everything (I know, tedious, but you don't want a short!), you want to make sure each transistor, resistor, and capacitor wire is secure. Also, look to see that solder is only touching one trace per wire, or you could have a short. If everything looks okay, assemble, plug in, and turn it on (assuming it's not wet from alcohol). Repeat if necessary.

Use two old soup spoons, one on each side of the knob, and place the bottom of the spoon against the face plate. Use the spoons to gently pry off the knobs. The bottom of the spoon will act as a pivot and lever. Push the handles toward the face plate to remove the knob. This will not scratch the knobs or the face plate, and makes the removal safe and easy.

It could be that the balance pot is dirty. Simply turn off and unplug the amp/receiver. Then apply a quick shot of Deoxlt tuner spray. Slowly work the knob back and forth for about 30 seconds or so. Wait for about 8-10 minutes to ensure the spray has dried enough. Plug in and turn on the unit. If problem isn’t solved, you may have other internal components that are failing. But, the majority of the time the balance knob is the culprit.

Make sure to unplug the equipment in advance, and leave the power button on so it drains the capacitors.

For faders, yes, use Deoxit D6 Fader, other than that, no. In short, unless the thing you are cleaning slides, you don't need to lubricate.

I have used high-temperature "stove" paint. This gives a high-temp protection and a matte finish. If you want gloss, use Rustoleum brand outdoor gloss spray. There will be no problem with heat dissipation with either.

Use mild soap and water, or a micro cloth. Cut the cloth in half. Use one to wash, and the other to dry and polish.

It sounds like your system has an internal breaker. It is overloading, then resets itself. Something in the system is shorting or drawing too much power.

Cleaning the input jacks may help, but this is likely a more serious problem. Phono signals are lower than most other signals, and require a pre-amp; while it may be in the same box, it is a different circuit than the main amp. An external phono preamp may help.

It's possible your DSP chip is on its way out the door. Digital Sound Processing is a required chip to make your surround modes sound and function properly but it is not required when using direct because the chip is bypassed.

It may be the volume pot, in which case you can try using deoxit fader (not regular deoxit as this may remove some factory grease). Try removing the cover after you have some. Use WD40 specialist contact cleaner for other switches, etc. It's only about £10 a can and safe for all circuit boards etc - generally don't use on mains voltage parts though. Operate them at least 50 times each, let dry then see if it works.