Editing Forums/Z31P/z31-repairs-forums electronics/Z31 Amp refresh

{{ForumImport
|op_user=jeewiz13
|op_date=2017-03-26 02:23:16
|post_count=4
|archive_url=/Z31performance_archive/forum/z31-repairs-forums/electronics/535068-z31-amp-refresh.html
}}

'''jeewiz13:''' <small>(2017-03-26 02:23:16)</small>

Hi everyone, I'm new here but I wanted to share what I did to the stock amp on my 87. I like to keep my radios stock but I wanted to make the audio better. The stock amp's 30 year capacitors were probably pretty dried up. I desoldered all of electrolytic ones and replaced them. Cost me less than $14 dollars from digikey. It definitely sounds a lot better.

Make sure you are confident in your solder skills before attempting.

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'''Z_Karma:''' <small>(2017-03-26 17:41:22)</small>

Nice work! I like to keep the stock stuff as well.

Greg84AE repaired stock AE clarion head units in much the same way. I have the factory service manuals for the earlier non EQ Hitachi radios and had plans to do this but that's as far as it got.

It's also possible to patch a Bluetooth receiver into the cassette pre-amp circuit and disable some cassette mechanism sensing switches. I've got one disassembled at my bench at work but workload shifted into high gear and haven't touched it in months.

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'''jeewiz13:''' <small>(2017-03-26 18:22:26)</small>

I also took my radio apart before doing this. Wish I would have done this first. It sat for a while before I put it back together also.

Any idea on what makes the cassette player squeal though? I'm using a tape adapter now and it's so noisy.

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'''Z_Karma:''' <small>(2017-03-26 20:16:16)</small>

If it squeals and not related to the particular cassette, it is probably a dried out brass bushing in the tape drive mechanism.