Removing Tubes

[nixon76]

Total tube noob question . I want to remove all of mine to give my chassis a good polish. Do I just pull them out? or do I need a special tool?

 

Cheers

[Omegaspeedy]

Hi Nixon, no tool needed, just carefully pull them out giving them a slight wiggle forward and back or left and right to loosen the pins out of the socket.

[JohnA1553552713]

As said above, don't try pull straight out, rather wiggle side to side as you are pulling.

Don't over do the wiggling though

 

Also try not to get your fingers all over the glass, use a tissue.

[nixon76]

Great - thanks guys. Will give it a go shortly.

[Owen Y]

Nixon,

 

With the 300Bs & the plastic/bakelite based tubes like the 6SN7, be sure to grab them by the tube bases, not the glass tops.

 

The 300Bs are 4-pin & easy to remove, as are the 6SN7 octals (8 pin). Nine pin minis like ECC88 etc require more care... brutal handling can crack the glass around the pins.

 

Take note of which tube goes into which base, in case the tubes 'fixed biased', in which case the tubes have been individually current-set in ea socket.

 

Finally, ....

 

Note the orientation of the 300Bs, as there are 2 fat pins & 2 thinner pins... & there are 2 big sockets holes/2 smaller socket holes. Sometimes modern style sockets allow the fatter pins (filaments) to be erroneously inserted into the other holes... which could be disastrous! (This does not happen on vintage or properly designed sockets.)

 

The Octal tubes have a base 'key' which only allows the tube to be inserted correctly, into the correct holes.

 

How's that for starters?

 

Edit: Hmmm, tricky to grab the 300B sockets, huh, when they are sunken to to chassis? No matter, Bees are quite rugged bottles & sockets are not tight.

[conan1553552684]

I tend to waggle those tubes out:D (sorry!)

 

Wiggling or waggling a tube may spread the tube grips. Sometimes I've found it pays to GENTLY pinch together the socket-valve-grips (using long-nose pliers) before re-inserting the tube. The tighter fit seems to improve the sound. (What's odd is that some tubes seem to have thicker pins - I have a pair of Telefunken ECC82s that are very difficult to insert).

[nixon76]

 

Owen Y;77199 wrote:

Nixon,

 

 

 

With the 300Bs & the plastic/bakelite based tubes like the 6SN7, be sure to grab them by the tube bases, not the glass tops.

 

 

 

The 300Bs are 4-pin & easy to remove, as are the 6SN7 octals (8 pin). Nine pin minis like ECC88 etc require more care... brutal handling can crack the glass around the pins.

 

 

 

Take note of which tube goes into which base, in case the tubes 'fixed biased', in which case the tubes have been individually current-set in ea socket.

 

 

 

Finally,

....

 

 

 

Note the orientation of the 300Bs, as there are 2 fat pins & 2 thinner pins... & there are 2 big sockets holes/2 smaller socket holes. Sometimes modern style sockets allow the fatter pins (filaments) to be erroneously inserted into the other holes... which could be disastrous! (This does not happen on vintage or properly designed sockets.)

 

 

 

The Octal tubes have a base 'key' which only allows the tube to be inserted correctly, into the correct holes.

 

 

 

How's that for starters?

 

 

 

Edit

: Hmmm, tricky to grab the 300B sockets, huh, when they are sunken to to chassis? No matter, Bees are quite rugged bottles & sockets are not tight.

 

Haha, too late. Used the glass to waggle them (gently) out - seemed pretty sturdy Will know for next time - but as you say could be tricky to get to the sockets!.

 

Made use all tubes went back in their original place/orientation. I noticed the different pins sizes on the Bs - the sockets had matching sized sockets so no chance of getting it wrong.

 

I've only done a quick test (the bub is asleep and the wife is reading) but sound still comes out my speakers!

[Beeman]

A good idea while you have them out give the pins and sockets a clean with deoxit and as Owen said take care to replace in the same sockets. If you have used your bear hands on the power tubes give them a clean with a soft cloth before turning on again (take car with vintage tube lettering). - cheers

[nixon76]

I thought about using deoxit, but couldn't remember where I put it!!

 

I used good ol' paper towels for all the handling.

[Beeman]

For pre-amp tubes spray/pour deoxit into a bottle top and dip the pins into it. With some deoxit left on the pins carefully insert the tubes back into the sockets a couple of times and this will do a great job of cleaning both pin & socket. If they haven't been cleaned for a while this is a worthwhile tweak :cool:

[Owen Y]

 

conan;77200 wrote:

Sometimes I've found it pays to GENTLY pinch together the socket-valve-grips (using long-nose pliers) before re-inserting the tube. The tighter fit seems to improve the sound. (What's odd is that some tubes seem to have thicker pins - I have a pair of Telefunken ECC82s that are very difficult to insert).

Ah yes, an old problem, often caused by pins that have been bent... carefully straighten with sharp-ended pliers (the concern is of course the glass fragility, not the pins!).

 

Re. the sockets (9-pin Noval sockets), I sometimes use a thick needle to tighten the tube grippers in these, jamming them down behind ea one from the top to tighten them up again (rather crude method, I know)... only usually a prob with old well used sockets.

 

User friendly, are tubes... try tightening up an IC socket!

 

Good tip, beeman, the Deoxit.