Repair Torn Speaker?

[james___51]

Hello,
I picked up some sweet speakers at a garage sale for $5. They are quadraflex model 66's. they weigh about 5000 lbs (just kidding, about 20), and have 3 speakers. They look like they are from the 70's. I also have a pioneer sx-203 that i bought for $5 off www.craigslist.org (awesome website if it's in your area). So i have a $10 stereo. sweet deal, right? wrong. one of my speakers has a couple tears in the outside part of the speaker. I think it's a 12 inch speaker, but i'm not sure how to tell. it's called a woofer, right? i have pictures. anyway, i think i've seen speakers with black glue(?) covering the tears.

SO, my question is:
is this fixable? if so, how?

ps. i have move pictures, and i have a better quality verision of the attached photo as well.

 

[SY]

From your description, it sounds like the surround is shot. You can replace it pretty easily. Search for "loudspeaker surround kit" and you'll find lots of sources for supplies.

 

[PeteMcK]

If its ribbed paper

at the edge, I've had success using thin polyester cloth & contact adhesive
Pete McK

 

[planet10]

The foam surround is toast... you'd have to replace the surrounds. You can by refoan kits -- but they are worth quite a bit more than your entire hifi. It is also unusual that the surrounds are an inverted half-roll -- something i've not seen in a foam surround before.

To figure out the driver size, just put a ruller across it.

dave

 

[james___51]

i did some research, and i heard you can use shoe goo, rubber cement, or elemer's glue and a paper bag as a patch.

also - what is the black (gluey?) stuff in the picture?

 

[Dingle]

You can use Elmer’s to repair the tears if you don’t want to replace the surrounds. It is light and will be flexible when it dries .The only problem is that they are dried up so you will be constantly repairing cracks until the entire surround is made up of glue .What ever you do try not to start adding lots of heavy non flexible adhesives or bonding material. after all the surround is there to keep the coil in the gap and if you make one side heavier or les flexible you risk the chance of having problems with coil rub, and you don’t want that.
You may want to think about just replacing the woofers with something else. I am sure that the people in the forums would have lots of recommendations.

 

[widman]

I recently repaired a set of woofers using a kit from Speakerworks . It worked out very well although, as Planet10 mentioned, the kit costs more than you paid for your speakers.

I think the "black goo" seals the woofer to the baffle, preventing air leaks.

 

[VvvvvV]

I am a newbie as well, and it seems that the convex springy ring around the diaphragm has dried up and cracked.

It has probably desiccated to its maximum though, and so shouldn't crack anymore, and it might be recommended to use a suitable rubber treatment compound to to re-oil it /rehydrate it.

What is the best to repair this? There is too many suggestions here, there has to be the best recommended solution. ? the glue should actually be the most flexible stuff you can get hold of that bonds to rubber, because if it is less flexible than you might risk stressing whatever is around the less flexible part.
If you can get hold of a rubber condom from the 1970s or some kind of condom/thin rubber gloves that would work with the rubber vulcanising compound from a bike set, you could place grafts on it. I guess I'm assuming falsely that both surfaces would be made of rubber.

You should definitely unscrew the drivers when you place the glue on it to have more control though.

What would you guys recommend for rehydrating the rubber surrounds?

 

[james___51]

i have foam surrounds - what's the best for rehydrating those?

ps. what does inverted half-roll mean? i figured it cause my surround is round and inverted, but what does that do the sound?

 

[planet10]

it seems that the convex springy ring around the diaphragm has dried up and cracked.

Foam surrounds don't dry up... they age, UV & just simple exposure to atmosphere cause them to change from a tough flexible plastic, into a sticky fragile goo or to dust. They are goners... any fix other than replaceing them involves using them as a form to build a substitute surround on -- if they don't disintegrate while you are trying to fix them.

dave

 

[planet10]

i have foam surrounds - what's the best for rehydrating those?

There is a groat sealing liquid that seems to help peserve them -- the newer they are when treated the better

ps. what does inverted half-roll mean? i figured it cause my surround is round and inverted, but what does that do the sound?

A half-roll surround that goes in, instead of out.

dave

 

[usekgb]

I noticed that you are in California. Well, there is a company there called Orange County Speakers who do excellent surround replacement work. I would suggest contacting them if you want your surrounds replaced. It is possible to do yourself, but it is also very easy to not do it right. If the speaker gets out of alignment, even in the slightest, your voice coil will rub against the gap in the magnet structure and eventually short out. If you only plan on doing this one time, it is not a bad idea to have a professional do it.

As for repairing your surrounds, you will only be delaying the inevitable. The foam will eventually rot away regardless of what you try to do to save it. You are better off simply replacing the entire surround.

Cheers,
Zach