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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
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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corona
132 posts
 
Suggestion:
An electric hot knife or a soldering iron with a fine tip.
rockvirgo
587 posts
 
The lids on paint cans are flush mounted. How about trying a few of the hooked tools specially made to open those? At any rate they're cheap :^)

Btw, I've pried out large sealed woofers from Advent and Dynaco speakers. Some of the MDF may indeed rip loose while lifting the woofer frames. Another use for Blu-Tac?
marty9876
120 posts
 
Huh...

Make sure their are no internal mounts holding the driver in place. Feel around the perimeter on the inside the driver and make sure their are no "clamps". Being a 15" I would think you could get some leverage from the rear to break loose and glue/varnish.

Rocking/twisting motion on the magnet assembly to loosen things up. Hopefully not the magnet assembly itself.

Leave it alone for a day and come back with a clear head. Try not to think about it during the day.

Swift kick.

Good luck,
Marty
dopogue
1,773 posts
 
If you only need to gain access to the innards of the cabinet, why not saw a large access hole in the back of the cabinet and then reseal it after you're done modifying the unit? I know this is kind of a "last resort" approach, but if nothing erlse works ...
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