lencoloony47 Posted September 15, 2019 Posted September 15, 2019 Howdy. Just bought a pair of Altec Lansing Santana 11s for a project. The cabinets are pretty good. I want to add Heil tweeters, get crossovers rebuilt etc. Problem is I can't remove the woofers. They seem to be glued in. I suspect they may have been installed with that black putty stuff AR used back in the day. Any ideas on how to get them out of the cabinets without damaging the wooden surrounds? Also, any suggestions on a good alternative to the current 12 inch Altec woofers? I have a pair of ESS AMT1s which I had refurbished and that got me into thinking about this project. The Santana 11 cabinets will allow a bigger woofer than the AMT1s, so with the right crossover configuration I should get better base with the project speakers. Any views??
BATMAQN Posted September 15, 2019 Posted September 15, 2019 Perhaps a heat gun and tap gently on the back of the woofer with patience they should pop off can't guarantee there won't be any damage to the box but if you're careful it should be ok.
lencoloony47 Posted September 15, 2019 Author Posted September 15, 2019 Unfortunately the design of the Santana 11 cabinets won't let me tap the woofers from the back. The heat gun is an idea though.
BATMAQN Posted September 15, 2019 Posted September 15, 2019 Heat gun and a thin wedge like a spatula?
Dean Gale Posted September 15, 2019 Posted September 15, 2019 Use paint scrapers at different points get a mate to help you put pressure on it . If it won't pop with reasonable pressure put isocol alcohol in between the joint let it soak try again .
lencoloony47 Posted September 15, 2019 Author Posted September 15, 2019 Hadn't thought of using paint scrapers or isocol alcohol. Great idea!
MarcAL Posted September 22, 2019 Posted September 22, 2019 (edited) I have had this problem plenty of times with vintage drivers in cabinets especially with DIY'ers past projects. In one instance the previous owner had fitted the drivers in before the paint has had sufficient time to dry and hence they were glued in. However my solution for stubborn drivers is to use a non serrated butter knife and apply pressure to the rim and try to pry it loose. Work your way under a bit of a time all round and do not force the driver in one place as you may distort the basket permanently and possibly damage the cabinet. If you have a piece of very thin flat metal place that under the knife as well as to not scratch or mark the cabinet. It can take a long time and you may end up using every curse word ever known to man but if you are patient it should work. Be extra careful with drivers that have been rear mounted as the gasket is very fragile and can get destroyed. Avoid using any chemicals or over heat as it will ruin the cabinet the driver or both! Good luck. Edited September 22, 2019 by MarcAL
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