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Removing Morch DP-6 tonearm wires from cartridge

I will be replacing the cartridge on my Morch/Moerch tonearm once I get my new cartridge. This will be only the second time I have installed a cartridge on a tonearm; please forgive me for all of the the newbie questions.

I noticed that the rubber boots (?? I don't know the proper terminology) that cover the clips on the end of the tonearm wires seem to be a bit dried out, with some small cracks in them as well, and so I am concerned that they might disintegrate when I try to remove the clips from the cartridge contact pins. (I haven't actually touched the boots to see whether or not they are still pliable, this is an observation from visual inspection only.)

Is there a trick to removing the clips easily? (I'm already worried because I know how fragile the wires themselves are.) Is there perhaps some sort of moisturizer or lubricant I can use that won't interfere with the electrical connection but will make it easier to remove the clips, and that might also "replenish" the rubber of the 'boots' ? (Or does the condition of the boots not really matter as long as the wires themselves are OK?)

Holly
oakiris
oakiris OP
206 posts
 
As one of the two or three women in this world that do not wear nail polish, that won't work for me; I was thinking a dot of acrylic paint might work, but using Sharpies is even easier - I actually have them in all of the necessary colors, too.

I have several pairs of hemostats - thank you for that tip, Doug.; I had read about the toothpick trick before, but thank you for the reminder!

You are right about vaseline and rubber, of course, BRF - forgot about that negative! lol Silicone grease might work, but, again, there is the dust attracting factor; knowing that the boots are just for color coding reasons, I am not going to worry about them.

In fact, it would probably actually be best if there were no boots all together. That way you can see exactly where the clip is and know the best spot to place your pliers/hemostats in order to pull the clip off of the cartridge pin without damaging the wires. If the boots do fall apart, that might be a good thing!

Holly
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,468 posts
 
...just unscrew the cartridge from the arm and yank the wires the hell off. Putting them on is tricky, but not removal. Don't use any lubricant on anything..the boots are simply a color code...don't worry.
oakiris OP
206 posts
 
lol - not sure that I will do the yanking part, but I will do my best to be calm about the whole thing. At least I can remove the arm tube from the tonearm pivot so I can work on the cartridge without it being installed on the turntable - makes it a lot easier and safer, especially for someone clumsy like me.

Just got an email that my new cartridge has shipped. YAY!

Holly
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,468 posts
 
Oakiris....when installing your new cartridge, affix the wires on the cartridge before installing the cartridge on the arm.....much easier. Hold the cartridge, and push on the pins...a breeze...then screw the cartridge on the tonearm. If you have the cartridge on the arm and try to push the pins on, you very well might rip the connects off of the tonearm wire. Try it...you'll see.
oakiris OP
206 posts
 
Your suggestion sounds like an excellent one, Stringreen. Thank you for the tip!

Holly
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