SDA 1c's that need some help.

bored184

I was hoping my first post here would be a positive one after my purchase of my Polk Audio SDA 1c's. The problem is I have three stuck drivers due to magnet shift. I have read quite a bit about fixing these but I was wondering if anybody has any tips.

Toolfan66

Call Polk and order 3 new drivers..

Toolfan66

Oh and welcome to the forum..

soundfreak1

Tell polk u r a member and u get a discount!!!

Schurkey

There's a helpful thread regarding building a fixture to re-center the magnet.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?135716-Let-s-Try-to-Fix-a-MW6511-Damaged-in-Shipping...

This became very relavent for me as I dropped a driver just before Christmas; I'll be repairing the magnet--pole piece on a 6509 in the next week or so.

Everyone else uses epoxy, which to me is the wrong adhesive for this purpose. I'm using a substance that I'm familiar with from automotive work; high-strength thread-locking compound. (Red Loctite 271 or equivalent) Think of it as similar to super-glue. A thin-bodied adhesive that cures in the absence of air (anaerobic) and is readily available in any automotive parts store.

http://www.amazon.com/Henkel-01-27100-Loctite-6-ml-Threadlocker/dp/B000FP8EUS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357408096&sr=8-1&keywords=Loctite+271


The magnet is nicely bonded to the basket; but I don't have the pole piece centered and secured yet.

F1nut

Toolfan66 wrote: »

Call Polk and order 3 new drivers..

^This^

tophatjohnny

F1nut wrote: »

^This^

^That^

Toolfan66

Schurkey wrote: »

There's a helpful thread regarding building a fixture to re-center the magnet.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?135716-Let-s-Try-to-Fix-a-MW6511-Damaged-in-Shipping...

This became very relavent for me as I dropped a driver just before Christmas; I'll be repairing the magnet--pole piece on a 6509 in the next week or so.

Everyone else uses epoxy, which to me is the wrong adhesive for this purpose. I'm using a substance that I'm familiar with from automotive work; high-strength thread-locking compound. (Red Loctite 271 or equivalent) Think of it as similar to super-glue. A thin-bodied adhesive that cures in the absence of air (anaerobic) and is readily available in any automotive parts store.

http://www.amazon.com/Henkel-01-27100-Loctite-6-ml-Threadlocker/dp/B000FP8EUS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357408096&sr=8-1&keywords=Loctite+271


The magnet is nicely bonded to the basket; but I don't have the pole piece centered and secured yet.

And when your done, if your lucky to get it centered, then you just hope it works and you haven't done any voice coil damage in the process..

Malbec

Schurkey, not sure if the red Loctite is best for your application.

http://www.loctite.sg/sea/content_data/LT3273_Speaker_Assembly_Adhesives_Guide.pdf

I've used the 271 as a thread locking adhesive only, so I don't know what the open time might be and if it would bond as needed.

Loctite Depend 330 has given me good results with metal to metal bonding. You can use it for almost any surface.

Also the U-05FL urathane adhesive works well. Loctite Black Max would be another option. Loctite is very specific on what adhesives to use for a particular application.

Schurkey

Malbec wrote: »

I've used the 271 as a thread locking adhesive only, so I don't know what the open time might be and if it would bond as needed.

The magnet (so far) has stuck to the basket very well. Two or three drops is all it took.

Cure time is about five minutes (wasn't watching the clock, but it got sticky and hard to move long before I got the pole piece centered; had to remove it and clean off the pole piece and magnet.)

The primary advantage here is...I already own it.

PolkieMan

That's some good information.

Malbec wrote: »

Schurkey, not sure if the red Loctite is best for your application.

http://www.loctite.sg/sea/content_data/LT3273_Speaker_Assembly_Adhesives_Guide.pdf

I've used the 271 as a thread locking adhesive only, so I don't know what the open time might be and if it would bond as needed.

Loctite Depend 330 has given me good results with metal to metal bonding. You can use it for almost any surface.

Also the U-05FL urathane adhesive works well. Loctite Black Max would be another option. Loctite is very specific on what adhesives to use for a particular application.

bored184

I will try and get a photo up of the drivers but on the back they read, Polk Audio MW6510, Aug 1 1988, and stamped sda in red ink. Using my mm they read 6.6 ohms.

bored184

Called Polk today and got three new drivers on order! I still plan on trying to fix the original but after talking to my father who is a machinist by trade we are going to design a jig out of aluminum. We have a prototype out of PVC that I will try out sometime soon. My plan is to document all this so hopefully others can learn from my mistakes.

PolkieMan

How much $$$ each ?

bored184 wrote: »

Called Polk today and got three new drivers on order! I still plan on trying to fix the original but after talking to my father who is a machinist by trade we are going to design a jig out of aluminum. We have a prototype out of PVC that I will try out sometime soon. My plan is to document all this so hopefully others can learn from my mistakes.

Saftgeek

If you change your mind DO NOT throw the frozen drivers away. I'm a buyer. I have the jig and would love another go at unfreezing some drivers.

Don't forget to take pictures and let us know how it goes. My only concern would be the amount of time it takes for the glue to set up... Five minutes is not much time.

Good luck!

Saftgeek-

bored184

The new drivers were $48.00 a piece with free shipping, the forum memember discount is amazing! The gentlemen I talked to was really nice and was able to answer all of my questions. I was told these are direct replacements for the MW6510's and they have quite a few stock. I was told though to not run then hard and give them a chance to get broken in first. I also asked about doing a driver swap so that I had roughly (3 isnt a even number) the same number of new drivers on either side. I was told this to wasnt needed and was reminded to break them in gently. I will take photo when the new drivers come in and I will be doing my best to do a write up on the jig being designed and my progress at realigning the magnet.

Mystery

Great!
If/when you fix the frozen ones, you'll have backups for life.

F1nut

I was told these are direct replacements for the MW6510's and they have quite a few stock.

Make sure to trim the rubber around the screw holes before installing them otherwise the screw head will twist the rubber surround.

Schurkey

bored184 wrote: »

I also asked about doing a driver swap so that I had roughly (3 isnt a even number) the same number of new drivers on either side.

If this was me--and it "sort of" is, since I found a used original 6509 but don't know it's history--I'd put the new drivers in the SDA positions, and use the originals in the Stereo positions.

bored184 wrote: »

I will take photo when the new drivers come in and I will be doing my best to do a write up on the jig being designed and my progress at realigning the magnet.

Man, there's a lot of that going around this time of year.

bored184

Schurkey wrote: »

If this was me--and it "sort of" is, since I found a used original 6509 but don't know it's history--I'd put the new drivers in the SDA positions, and use the originals in the Stereo positions.

Which ones are the SDA drivers? I havent slowed down enought to read that far

Mystery

bored184 wrote: »

Which ones are the SDA drivers? I havent slowed down enought to read that far

Outside ones usually...

Malbec

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?55888-POLK-AUDIO-Speaker-Wiring-Schematics-amp-More-Stereo-Dimensional-Array(SDA)

bored184, go to the second post of this link and pull up left and right channel wiring schematics for the 1c.
It will show you what you need to know. You can't swap dimensional drivers for stereo drivers.

Schurkey

Schurkey wrote: »

If this was me--and it "sort of" is, since I found a used original 6509 but don't know it's history--I'd put the new drivers in the SDA positions, and use the originals in the Stereo positions.

But then the 1B uses identical MW drivers in all four locations per speaker--the 1C doesn't.

bored184 wrote: »

Which ones are the SDA drivers? I havent slowed down enought to read that far

Mystery wrote: »

Outside ones usually...

SDA drivers are always "Outside ones", although in some cases not all outside drivers are SDA drivers.

Malbec wrote: »

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?55888-POLK-AUDIO-Speaker-Wiring-Schematics-amp-More-Stereo-Dimensional-Array(SDA)

bored184, go to the second post of this link and pull up left and right channel wiring schematics for the 1c.
It will show you what you need to know. You can't swap dimensional drivers for stereo drivers.

Thanks for fixing my screwup. In this case, the MW6510s are the outside, SDA drivers; while the inner, Stereo drivers are MW6511s. I still had my mind calibrated to the 1B instead of the 1C, and you've taken care of that for me.

PolkieMan

Why doesn't anybody download that SDA Handbook?
Everything is there.
Is something wrong with the site?
It's a PDF file.
http://vr3mods.com/uploads/SDA_Handbook_2011_Rev2.pdf

It's going to look funny with only 3 new drivers instead of four, you'll see:cheesygrin:
Original vintage MW6511's are hard to find, MW6510's not so much.

bored184

PolkieMan wrote: »

Why doesn't anybody download that SDA Handbook?

Just finished it. You are right everything is there. I will be printing it and going through it with a highlighter this weekened.

bored184

Did a dry run using the pvc jig and it worked great. I was able to center the magnet with no problems. Tomorrow I will break out the jb weld. If all goes well, I will have the originals fixed by the time the replacements arrive.

bored184

Here are a couple photos of the driver in and out of the jig.



I have the second MW6510 curing in the jig now and tonight I will do the MW6511. So far things are going well. I would like to thank all you for your help. When its finished and cleaned up I will get some photos up.

PolkieMan

You are doing a fine job saving the Made In USA originals which I just like the vintage I know the new ones are supposed to be just as good, maybe it's just me.
Print out the SDA Handbook put it in sheet protectors and a binder.:cheesygrin:

bored184 wrote: »

Here are a couple photos of the driver in and out of the jig.



I have the second MW6510 curing in the jig now and tonight I will do the MW6511. So far things are going well. I would like to thank all you for your help. When its finished and cleaned up I will get some photos up.

Schurkey

PolkieMan wrote: »

You are doing a fine job saving the Made In USA originals

WERE the originals "Made in USA"?

The paper label on the back of my spare SL2000 says "Designed and Engineered in the USA by Polk Audio Inc"; this leaves open the likelihood (I'd call it "guaranteed") that they were MADE somewhere else. Mexico seems likely...but I don't have evidence of that. It almost certainly was NOT China, the most reprehensible nation on the face of the Earth.

The paper label on the back of my spare MW6509s don't even admit to that much. "Designed for the SRS 2" or something very similar.

First Guess: The original drivers were imported, but from a higher-class of country (Non-Communist) than the current replacements. This may (or may not) affect the quality of the actual product, but I really resent improving the Communist Chinese economy while stabbing a knife into our own.

Anything that can be done to reduce Chinese imports is fine by me--except trading "Made in China" for "Made in Viet Nam", or "Made in Cuba", etc.

PolkieMan

You have a point, I stand corrected later ones where made in Mexico
I guess that's what suprised me also about the RDO 194/198 being better than the SL2000/3000
especially the SL3000 cause so much time and effort was spent perfecting the 3000 to be so superior.
The older drivers all had stickers on the back with dates and QC OK it kinda makes me wonder if the
older MW were better maybe the SL3000 were too?