LaScala "blubbering".... any thoughts?

[polizzio]

Just something to think about. White vinegar is acidic and undiluted has a ph of about 2.5  I use straight vinegar to acid wash (circulated) my tankless water heater piping. Once you apply vinegar to the driver cone and its surround some will be absorbed into the material and cannot be removed unless you flush it. It would have to be copiously flushed away with water, or neutrilized with a base.

 

My recommendation: brush away as much debris as you can with a brush. Then if you feel the need, brush it/wash with straight water. Once you are done, the water will dry off leaving no acid behind. Put it in the sun to dry. A light water wash and brushing will remove 98% of the debris, stains are not going to hurt anything, or impede its performance. No water anywhere other than the cone face or surround. No water on the back side or spider or motor mechanism obviously.

 

Absorbed acid in a porous material (paper based transducer cone) long term.....not a good idea imo. Just asking for trouble. (I did work as a lab tech many years ago)

 

ph of vinegar: https://www.healthline.com/health/ph-of-vinegar

[Coytee]

I dampened a shop towel and lightly brushed it over the areas.  I didn't apply (hardly any) pressure to get the stain off.....  I figure worse come to worse, I can recone or replace (although it is kinda cool to know that these things are working fine since 1979)

 

I was originally thinking I was done....  but now have decided that it's best I also pull the other speaker out and give it a once-over.

 

Schu:  a blubbering sound is the only way I can think to describe it.  After looking inside, everything is intact and tight so it's not chuffing.  What I initially THOUGHT I'd find would be a huge comfy mouse nest inside the driver chamber (between slot & woofer) and that nest would be the cause of essentially, nullifying the sound of the woofer, draining to a blubber....

 

Really though, there were some particles in there but absolutely nothing resembling a nest.  Kind of like pulling 2-3 hanging threads off a sweater and that's it.

 

Maybe this was the bachelor pad.....and the love nest is in the other speaker!!!  I'll know more later.  I also have to go into the cold to do a bit of tractor work so not sure how early I'll get to this.

[MookieStl]

As I mentioned earlier, mold/mildew need moisture to grow. I was assuming your moisture source was mouse urine, but since you brought up bachelor pad, it may be something worse! 😉

I would have tried the vinegar and not water, the water would reactivate the mold spores. But you should be fine and I doubt that was what caused your "blubbering".

I too like to tell people that the drivers are from the 70"s (or 80"s for one pair of my Belles) and when asked why they sound so good, I say "physics"! That always impresses people, unless they ask me to explain that.

[Coytee]

I dampened the shop towel......  with vinegar.

 

Not much to lose.  I didn't soak the driver, simply sprayed the shop towel (one of those blue automotive NICE paper rolls)

 

Anyway, dampened the towel, gently rubbed the towel over the various areas.  I had already knocked the loose stuff off and cleaned it up so this was sort of a surface wipe BUT, some of the marks are obviously still there.

 

Going to put the speaker back in service shortly & start on other.

[jason str]

Lysol kills mold on contact, do not dampen the cone.