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How can i ......

get a woofer out of the cabinet ?

I have a good sized subwoofer with a 15" driver that i'd like to do some internal mods / repairs to. In order to do this, i have to take the woofer out as it is the only reasonable sized access point to the internals. The problem is, i can't get the rassafrassin' driver out of the box. I have tried everything that i know to do this without going "bonsai" on it. I almost think that the driver was not only screwed in but also glued in place.

The woofer is a JBL 2235, so it is a sturdily built driver. All of the screws have been removed that hold the driver in place and the rear hatch for the binding posts have been removed. Having done that, i can push directly on the rear of the driver and NO luck what so ever. I have even tried pushing on the driver from the rear while my brother tried to pry the driver out from the front using a large screwdriver as a wedge. The only result of that effort was a small amount of damage to the baffle from the screwdriver digging into the wood. Luckily, that is all hidden under grille cloth.

Short of resting a 2 x 4 on the back of the driver and whacking it with a hammer a few times, has anybody got any suggestions ? This one has been a real ....... to say the least and i want to get it out of the house. It is a gift for my Dad, so it can take up space over there once i can figure this out and get it done. ANY help or suggestions appreciated ( short of a stick of dynamite ) : ) Sean
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sean
lugnut
1,190 posts
 
Sean,

It may be either some type of caulk or gasket that is stuck. Maybe the speaker was inserted when the finish was fresh. I would try a flexible knife such as a filet knife. With the blade laying flat to the cabinet use a sawing/rocking motion all around until you've freed the mounting flange. You may even be able to put masking tape on the cabinet to prevent visible damage.

Good luck.
lugnut
1,190 posts
 
Oh yeah, if this works, I predict blisters on your fingers. I figured it appropriate to quote John Lennon.
mwilson
430 posts
 
Heat gun with appropriate nozzle (and appropriate care) ??
lugnut
1,190 posts
 
The heat's a good idea too. If you don't have a heat gun then a hair dryer just might do the trick, although slowly.
sean OP
6,231 posts
 
Thanks for the ideas guys but i forgot to mention one very important detail. That is, the woofer is flush mounted i.e. countersunk so that the outer edge of the woofer is flush with the baffle. As such, you can't really get behind the edge of the basket with anything, hence the small "chunking" of the cabinet when we were trying to pry the driver out. As such, the filet knife ( very sharp and thin blade, which was great thinking ) would probably just snap off due to the severe angle that would be required.

As far as the heat gun goes, i don't think that i can get one in from behind the driver as there just isn't any room to get into the box any other way. That's why i have to remove the driver to begin with i.e. to get access to the internals. There is no way to heat things up from the front without doing massive damage to the surround of the driver. That was a good suggestion though.

How about "round 2" now ? : ) Sean
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