Greetings All.

I'm new here and have a few questions.  I just acquired a pair of RL140s and noticed a crackling.  I took them apart and the foam appears to be rotted on most of the speakers.  I have a few questions...

Picture:  http://s459.photobucket.com/albums/qq319/kortexgt/RL140s/

1. Is it worth refoaming them?
2. Is the tweeter succeptable to foam rot as well?
3. I could not get out the largest of the speakers (the one in the middle).  Is it glued in?
4. I read that the tolerances are not friendly--would this be a pro job?  How much would it cost?
5. Has anyone else in the US done this?

1)Yes

2)No

3)They are a *** to get out if they are the earlier versions, but they will, you need to use huge long screwdrivers to lever them out, and yet you have to be incredibly gentle and careful.

4) The speaker coils are close, recommend you contact Martin and do a swap out - return yours for some replacements and a reasonable fee

5)

1)Yes

2)No

3)They are a *** to get out if they are the earlier versions, but they will, you need to use huge long screwdrivers to lever them out, and yet you have to be incredibly gentle and careful.

4) The speaker coils are close, recommend you contact Martin and do a swap out - return yours for some replacements and a reasonable fee

5)

Double post, damned cat!

6) Not asked, but you really need to replace the crossiver capacitors, it will make a huge differance to the sound.

7) As I type this, I have my RL140's working, paired to a Beomaster 1700, not a powerful amp by any means but still sounds good.

Thank you for the post casdave! 

1. Is Martin a user or a company?  These speakers were free and I would love to have them repaired professionally but I really don't have much money.  How reasonable is the fee :)? 
   
2. The large speaker...is it probably rotted as well? 
   
3. I don't have them amped at all..just hooked up to my receiver..that isn't enough is it?

Wonderfull pics, I just opened a RL 140 and with the same problems as you got, refoaming is not easy,  but with pacience and working carefully its doable for a person with some mecanical skill, browse the forum for refoaming or foam surrounds, the middle tone driver is sitting very but very hard, I'm also waiting for a respons on that question, I'm kind of scared to use force there, but looking at it and testing with a finger on the cone it seams OK.

Martin is a user and an unicum in vintage B&O, browse the forum and you will find him, hes advices and remarks are to be taken seriusly if you want to repair or restore, he also provide quality spares, but surrounds you will have to find elswhere, browse the forum.

Saludos from Mexico and welcome

kortex:

Is Martin a user or a company?  

Martin is a user who goes under the user name of Dillen.

Re;- your question on whether or not this is a pro job. The answer is not neccessarily but you really have to know what you're doing. Martin calls himself an enthusaist but take it from me his work is easily as good as any professional & in many cases I would say better!

Welcome to Beoworld

Chris.

casdave:

3)They are a *** to get out if they are the earlier versions, but they will, you need to use huge long screwdrivers to lever them out, and yet you have to be incredibly gentle and careful.

 

I took out my mid range driver, its not glued, but has a rubber gasket in a channel where the driver fits in very tightly.

I took a piece of steel 1.5 x 20 x 200 Mm., 15 Mm. from one end I bend it 90 degrees, with this I could, slowly working my way all around the driver frame, lever it out.

This driver has a rubber surround, and mine looks like new, no problem.

For the woofers, somewhere on the forum there is a good thread about refoaming.