AR4xa how to remove tweeters????????

thomo57

Super Member
IMG_8538.JPG IMG_8539.JPG
l scored a pair of AR4ax speakers in beautiful cosmetic condition but on testing them both tweeters appear to be not working.
After removing the grills I'm a little apprehensive to remove the tweeters in case l damage the fine wires.
I don't want to damage them and find out later that they are working
Any pointers from the community is welcome
 
Hey Thomo!
Those are very nice!
Before you remove the tweeters, try spinning the the tweeter level pot adjustments back and forth a lot to see if you can get a signal to the tweeters. You may find a sweet spot where it comes to life. A corroded pot is most likely the cause of your silent tweeters.
Remove the woofers and fiberglass to gain access to the pots. Pop the wire retainers, lift the tops off and inspect the pot wipers and contact disks. There’s a good chance you’ll see lots of green corrosion. If so, you’ll need to remove them for cleaning and inspection. I soak mine in a clear distilled vinegar and salt solution for an hour or so, then wash and rinse with soap and water. Inspect the disk surface condition for deep pitting and or actual material missing, very common. If there’s only minor pitting, sand smooth with a flexible sanding disk and a Dremel. Next is the pot wiper’s condition. Some are fine, others may have worn through with a small hole, others have the tip completely corroded away.
Let us know what you discover.
Glenn
 
Don't take those tweeters out unless you're sure that they're both dead, they're probably fine. Like Glenn said, it's most likely in the pots. You can always bypass the pots just to test that they work.
 
the pair i had acted like Glenn said...there was one sweet spot on the pot where they would work. the caps ( one cap with multiple leads and values, if i remember correctly ) were way out of spec, but the tweets still made sound.
Nice speakers for their size.
 
Hey thomo, those AR's look real nice - - the 4xa is a great small speaker model. The above advice about the pot control is good, but not all 4xa's have the rotary control - - - some have a two-position switch. In either case, there should be a single 10uF cap inline with the tweeter.

To test if the tweeters are functional, I would suggest applying a bare speaker wire directly to the exposed front-mounted terminals (or the fine wires if you carefully peel back the tape a little). If you do try this method, be certain to have the bass control on your amp turned to its minimal setting, and be very gentle with the amp's volume control. For future reference, the tweeters can be removed, but you must be very careful when removing the tape and unsoldering the wire leads.

4xa rear switch.jpg AR-7 tweeters.jpg
 
My AR4's had tons of issues, bad tweeters was one. I used a heat gun very gently on the metal flange. Then, with a tiny pick and tiny flat blade began to pry. Use 90 degree tiny pick in screw holes too, while gently warming. Inside of 1.5 minutes, the tweeters let go and pop right out. Kinda simple and quick, no damage.

Biggles
 
Hey Thomo!
Those are very nice!
Before you remove the tweeters, try spinning the the tweeter level pot adjustments back and forth a lot to see if you can get a signal to the tweeters. You may find a sweet spot where it comes to life. A corroded pot is most likely the cause of your silent tweeters.
Remove the woofers and fiberglass to gain access to the pots. Pop the wire retainers, lift the tops off and inspect the pot wipers and contact disks. There’s a good chance you’ll see lots of green corrosion. If so, you’ll need to remove them for cleaning and inspection. I soak mine in a clear distilled vinegar and salt solution for an hour or so, then wash and rinse with soap and water. Inspect the disk surface condition for deep pitting and or actual material missing, very common. If there’s only minor pitting, sand smooth with a flexible sanding disk and a Dremel. Next is the pot wiper’s condition. Some are fine, others may have worn through with a small hole, others have the tip completely corroded away.
Let us know what you discover.
Glenn

Thanks Glen, I'll try this first.
Thanks guys I'll get into them and see how l go
 
Pry the end of the wire clip (that is sticking into the metal part of the
rheostat) up, on each side, and it will come apart.
 
Pry the end of the wire clip (that is sticking into the metal part of the
rheostat) up, on each side, and it will come apart.
Thanks mate, all done and dusted thanks to your advice.
I'll try and get them back in when time permits
 
They had a bit of green and a little pitting but nothing severe.
Soaked in vinegar salt a little bit of abrasive and silicon and all right to go ( fingers crossed)
 
Hey Thomo!
Those are very nice!
Before you remove the tweeters, try spinning the the tweeter level pot adjustments back and forth a lot to see if you can get a signal to the tweeters. You may find a sweet spot where it comes to life. A corroded pot is most likely the cause of your silent tweeters.
Remove the woofers and fiberglass to gain access to the pots. Pop the wire retainers, lift the tops off and inspect the pot wipers and contact disks. There’s a good chance you’ll see lots of green corrosion. If so, you’ll need to remove them for cleaning and inspection. I soak mine in a clear distilled vinegar and salt solution for an hour or so, then wash and rinse with soap and water. Inspect the disk surface condition for deep pitting and or actual material missing, very common. If there’s only minor pitting, sand smooth with a flexible sanding disk and a Dremel. Next is the pot wiper’s condition. Some are fine, others may have worn through with a small hole, others have the tip completely corroded away.
Let us know what you discover.
Glenn

Thanks mate, all done and dusted thanks to your advice.
I'll try and get them back in when time permits

Eureka :banana:
Got them installed tonight
Working beautifully.
Thanks guys:thumbsup:
 
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