Hello all-

This is my first time on the forum. I own a (supposedly) rare model 2238B receiver (see http://www.classic-audio.com/marantz/2238b.html for more details). I was hoping someone could tell me:

1) Where I could find a replacement tape selector button for a 2238B receiver. Mine is bad-if I want to stop the right channel from cutting out, I have to clean the button every 6-8 mos. I'd much rather replace it and be done with it all!

2)How hard the job would be. I'm not afraid of dis/reassembly jobs (even some soldering) and have done things like this before.

This is a nice unit that someone already took the time to clean up and then sold on eBay (where I bought it). All of the other switches work like new, the unit puts out spectacular power (what Marantz doesn't?) and the infamous tuner dial lamps have already been replaced. It even looks like new-this tape selector button is the only thing holding this unit back!

Thanks!

Hello, I'm also new to this site. If it's the switch needing the cleaning, here are some pic's that might help. Someone else might have a better way ,I have had good results cleaning the contacts with a good quality plastic safe cleaner. Just be careful with the small parts and getting to the switch itself.
You will be very sorry if you lose the latch, spring and or contacts.
I've never had a 2238B open so can't help on getting to the switch itself.
Barney

Sometimes it's just easier to drill a hole in the thing.
See the 9th post in this thread.
http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=129665

Tom

Where exactly ought I to be drilling this hole (please depict on supplied photo if possible)? If this requires removing the switch, I'd rather replace it (unless that's an impossibility).

Only as a last result replace the switch. they can be hard to get out.
Desolding all the pins and the wiggling it out is tricky sometimes.
I've never tried drilling a hole into the top of switch, but have taken a few switches apart. Getting inside and cleaning it out with a Q-tip should do it.

If this a particularly problematic switch, I'd do what Oerets suggests and pull the switch core. I have done this with good results. But the caveats bear repeating: you are dealing with tiny parts including SPRINGS! Move slowly and carefully or the decision on whether or not to buy a new switch will be made for you.

Having said all this, it's not that bad. Once apart, burnish up the contacts (I always switch identical parts side to side as well), spray your contact cleaner into the switch "tube" to get those contacts (some physical burnishing would be advised there, not sure how to get in properly without examination), and you should be good as new.

How much will I have to take off in order to get to and clean the switch? I'm confident I can do this but I don't want to start ripping into things that don't need to be taken apart.

Sorry I've never been inside a 2238B. Do you have a service manual?
Hopefully someone who knows your unit will help out.

Unfortunately, I have no service manual. Are those hard to find for a 30-year-old unit?

Stereomanuals (http://stereomanuals.com/manuals/reproductions/marantz/marantz-manuals-600-2440-catalog.htm) has that service manual.

I've never been inside this particular model either, but I'm thinking you'll have to remove the faceplate, which of course means pulling the knobs. If the knobs are stubborn, I've used a popsicle stick to carefully wedge in under the edge of the knob and slowly 'lever' the knob off. Might be trickier with the split channel knobs, but work patiently and you'll be fine. Also, use care when removing the faceplate bolts so you don't scuff the surrounding plate with your socket. As long as you're removing the faceplate, it's a good opportunity to clean the inside of the dial glass. It's surprising how hazy it can get over time.

Once the faceplate is off, the row of switches should (may?) be revealed, and you can follow instructions listed previously.

Maybe someone who actually HAS been in this model can chime in here, I can only offer generalities.

Hello,
oerets procedure works well with the old, strait line pushbuttons. But the 2238B has the new type 'lever action' switches, mechanical they are a p.i.t.a. can get sticky when spraying contact cleaner into that lever mechanism.
You can access the switch itself by removing either bottom plate or the hood of the receiver, but try only to spray the contacts, not the lever part!!

Helmut

Being new to this medium what's P.I.T.A.?

Being new to this medium what's P.I.T.A.?

Pain In Then A**.

Hey, finally an acronym that I KNEW! How sad is that?

Hello

Send me a PM if you want a .pdf of the service manual

I've got one of these. I've never replaced that switch though. Those buttons can be quirky though. My 2238b used to have this horrible buzz that would go away when I pressed the mono button. Then it would eventually let me go back to stereo untill I switched the selector. Then it would buzz again. But than sometimes I could press the FM 25uS button and that would clear up the buzzing. Weird. So I cleaned and cleaned the buttons. Eventually I discovered that the point where the light wire from the pointer connects to the power board had a bad connection. I re-soldered it and the problem completely went away and was nothing to do with the buttons and switches at all. At least I have some very clean switches now. :scratch2: Sorry I don't have any insight to removing and taking apart the switch. If you remove both the top cover and the bottom plate as well as the face plate those switches are pretty easy to get to.

Good luck, I know how annoying these quirks can be. I had that buzzing problem for about a year and a half

Thomas

:nono:
:nono:
:nono:

I strongly advise you not to take the switch apart. There is an aperture in the switch plainly visible from your thumbnails. Get some Caig DeoxIT D5 from AK Sponsor dealer Parts Express or elsewhere, and give a couple of good squirts into the aperture. Operate the switch about 100 times. This will very likely solve your problem.

And . . . if you treat ALL the panel switches and controls with DeoxIT, you will very likely feel like this:

:yippy::yippy:

Fred

Fixed it! markallen's advice to go from the front was a good start-I had gone from the rear before. I removed the front and cleaned the glass while I was in there-not too bad but not clean, either! Then I accessed the problem switch through a blank next to it (see photo-blank is 3rd from left, switch, 4th). I shot it with a bunch of this (http://www.puretronics.com/products/5000.htm) and (like last time) the problem went away! Given the ease of removing the front panel, I think I can mange this every 6-8 mos! I also shot the volume control while I was in there-lubed that up nicely.

Thanks to all!

If you have to do that every 6-8 months :sigh: you need a better contact cleaner!

Take Fred's advice and get yourself some Caig DeoxIT. Its truely your friend when it comes to getting rid of oxidation on switch contacts and it provides a layer of lube and protection so that the problem doesn't return. Just spritz some through the nice hole provided on the switch body itself (!), work the switch a bunch or times (bout 100) , and you're good to go --why you'd want to go through all that trouble dismantling the receiver and switch is beyond me....:screwy:

Taking the switch apart should be a last resort only and only after treating it with the deoxit and after you have discovered that you cannot find a replacement switch nor adapt something that will work. :nono:

Burnishing the contacts is also not the best idea (unless for some reason you like causing yourself agonizing pain and suffering by taking the switch apart.) There are tolerances between the contacts that must be maintained in order for the switch to function --not to mention that most contacts are plated to prevent corrosion. If you burnish the contacts the tolerance becomes greater and you may actually cause a bigger problem when a part of the contacts quit touching. You may also accelerate corrosion by rubbing off the contact plating. Not good :no:

1st thing is first: If the switch is noisy, give it the deoxit treatment, work the switch about 100 times, and repeat with the others as necessary. :banana:

Taking the switch's apart is easy. You just have to be careful with the parts.
I just use a wet Q-Tip inside of the switch.(Blueshower or DeoxIT ect....)
Been doing it for years with VG results. Sometimes the getting spray inside and to the back the switches with alot of connections(Dolby) is nearly impossible.

Once again I never had to do a 2238B,been told there a different style.

Glad you fixed it fsb1284

Barney

[comment deleted by Ohmland Security]

I ordered the svc. manual from stereomanuals.com-pricey at $22, but I think I'm paying for a lot of quality. They have just about the best customer service I've ever experienced online-and I'm a veteran online shopper.

Maybe with this in the future I can figure out other ways of getting at the switch better. At any rate, I consider it a worthwhile investment. This is not going to be a "disposable" receiver. I'm going to hang onto this until the parts are impossible to find-although given that it's already three decades old and operates like new, I probably won't be needing too many parts :music:

Stereomanuals (http://stereomanuals.com/manuals/reproductions/marantz/marantz-manuals-600-2440-catalog.htm) has that service manual.

WOW! I just got my manual from Stereomanuals today and what a nice piece it is! I now have all of the pull-out diagrams and instructions I'll ever need for this thing!

Indeed Stereomanuals is one great outfit, Rick is the man.