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Electrolytic capacitor replacement

I want to swap out a couple of electrolytic caps with higher quality caps, also electrolytic. The ones I am looking at are all physically bigger than the ones I am replacing, and consequently the leads don’t fit the board. The rubicon’s I want to bin are have a diameter of around 3/4’ and the caps I’m considering are between 1’ and 2’. The big issue I have is the lead spacing.

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”.

Id appreciate it if somebody has figured an eloquent solution for this.

Thanks
pauly
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,478 posts
 
Are you using the Audio Note KAISEI caps? Great caps! 
pauly OP
1,012 posts
 
@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.  😂🤣


pauly OP
1,012 posts
 
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.


grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,478 posts
 
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.
pauly OP
1,012 posts
 
@grannyring 

Have you used glue on PC boards before? I'm worried an epoxy may be too much and you end up with a hole in the board when you want to change later on. A friend of mine used a glue gun but that is way to much heat for my liking. 
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