Electrolytic capacitor replacement

If the caps are snap in, then…..


Simple. Solder leads to the cap that are long enough for you to mount it at whatever angle etc… you need. Be sure to keep these lead outs as short as possible and place heat shrink over the lead outs between the cap and the board to prevent any possibility of a short.

The lead outs should be the proper gauge, solid core copper, to fit inside the solder pads. Usually 18 gauge is fine, but be sure. You can thin the lead outs before applying the heat shrink to prevent oxidation. Or use tinned copper, solid core conductors as used on most film caps.

If the cap fits over the solder pads with no need to angle, the lead outs will not allow you to seat the cap perfectly flush on the board. That’s ok, just use a product like Soundcoat vibration damping sheets, with adhesive on one side, cut a small piece or two to fit between the cap and board. It’s not conductive and adds that next level of OCD attention to the details 😊

Just saw this comment by you….

”I’m considering using a spacer between the pc board and the cap giving enough room for the leads to bend enough to fit the board. I have space on the board to fit a larger cap, but not enough to mount the caps on their side. The caps new will need to sit “upright”

This is fine. Use the suggested Soundcoat between the cap and board if you like.

Are you using the Audio Note KAISEI caps? Great caps! 

@oldhvymec

Yep, taller & wider (diameter). I’m sticking to the same value. I’m looking at 47uF/400v. 

Yep, radial, if that means both leads exiting on the same end.  😂🤣

Are you using the Audio Note KAISEI caps? Great caps!

I’m looking into kaisei caps - the value I’ll need to get has snap on connectors -> 50uF/500v. They have a 50uF/350v with leads but I’m uncomfortable going down to 350v given the board specifies 47uF/400. The actual caps are 47uF/450v so …

I was also looking into Mundorf MTubes, but if anything they’ll be more challenging to mount than the kaisei. 
I was also thinking of drilling holes in the PC board that match the cap spacing and the routing the leads to the existing holes underneath the board. I’d need to glue the caps in place with some non conductive epoxy. 
I’ll look into Soundcoat . Never heard of it before.

Careful drilling holes if the board is double sided etc…! Also, sometimes a ground plane is located close to the solder pads. You could cause a short.  Soundcoat is sold at Parts Connextion and Sonic Craft I think. Sonic Craft used to sell it. I use the stuff all the time in my mods/upgrades.