Corroded tube pins - need help

There are not too may ways to check the tube without an expencive tube tester but some sympthoms may tell you that the tube may be bad.
First, at a glance, usually the bad one has black residue on the glass bulb. Second is to compare with good one and checking the bias behaviour: If the bias goes up fast over the limit shut-off the amp and here you spotted the bad one and contrary if the bias doesn't go up at all than you've probably got the bad one.
For contact enhancement you can use Pepsi that can also be a good solution to get rid of corrosion as well. After such experiment with Pepsi, you may probably not want to drink it thereafter:-).

I use metal polish (Flitz) followed up with electrician's alcohol (on non-gold plated pins).

Burnishing cloth (the purple/cloth sand paper) works as well.

I never use contact enhancer (Pro Gold, etc.) on tube pins, just 99.95%+ alcohol or a non-residue contact cleaner as a final step. I fear that enhancers will gum up @ higher tempuratures (cleaning gunk from tube sockets is zero fun).

Some people use small drills to polish/clean pins, but I'm too clumsy to attempt this. The less stress you place on the pins and their glass interface the better off you/they are, IMO.

I've had tubes with "pocked" pins sound fine after cleaning/polishing. Hopefully this will be the case with yours.

I am using scotch-brite instead of sand paper. But the metal plate is turning a bit yellow. I guess I am loosing the metal plate, actually - am I? Or should I use something else after the scotch-brite?

Dekay, the pins don't connect right to the glass, btw. (on an Octal tube)

otherwise, good thoughts re: how to clean. a dremel can be helpful too, though it takes a steady hand.

-Ed

Marakanetz`s point with the black residue inside the glass is not correct. The black "stuff" is normal in any working tube. One more the other less, so no sweat here. But you should keep away from EVERY stuff which cleans your pin by adding some chemicals may it be Pepsi or Coke or whatever!!
Try it with very fine sanding paper. Get somebody to carefully hold the tube because you need two hands to guide the paper around the pin and then carefully pull gently back and fro.
From what you describe I strongly recommend to get rid of that tube. A bad contact in one of my McIntosh MC2000's tubes took the amp down by dying because you NEVER will get back full contact once the pin is corroded. So you bettter avoid trouble with your amp with a new tube.
Good luck!

The best thing to remove corrosion I've found is actually vinegar. Wet a Q-tip with some and give it a try. Be sure to clean again after with alcohol...works GREAT!

After you remove the corrosion, you might consider tinning the pin with solder to protect the metal. Otherwise the corrosion will be back. I would not attempt this unless you are adept at soldering.

What is Scotch-Brite (the 100% Irish need not reply)?