5302 breakdown and progress.

[Greg G.]

Wow.  Unlike many of my phones, there seems to be no part untouched by corrosion on this one.  BUT IT STILL WORKS!  (At least, until I put it back together, haha!)

Ok, how the heck do you get the ding-dong ringer coil off?

[Phonesrfun]

remove the single horizontal screw that holds the ringer frame to the metal holder.  The metal holder is riveted (naturally) to the base of the phone.

[Kenny C]

well cleaning is half the fun(or sometimes half the aggravation) I absolutely love cleaning them.

[Greg G.]

remove the single horizontal screw that holds the ringer frame to the metal holder.  The metal holder is riveted (naturally) to the base of the phone.

I was wondering what that screw was for, just looked like a screw to nowhere.

[Greg G.]

Any entomologists out there?  This fell out after I removed the ringer.  Creepy!  

[Greg G.]

Looks like the base and the metal parts will take more than water to clean them.  I'm thinking a wire brush and Brasso, being careful of the date stamp. 

I'm also a-thinkin' that the best/easiest way to clean the screws is to give them a soak in - Brasso?  (I have the OLD Brasso).  Or maybe an Oxiclean soak would do it?  Wouldn't take much to cover them, as long as I'm careful of keeping track of which screws are for what.

[JorgeAmely]

It is a Western Electric, It will survive a nuclear blast at close range. 

[LarryInMichigan]

Briny,

I am sorry for causing you all of this trouble

Larry

[Dan/Panther]

Briny;
All the corrosion I see is superficial. it should clean up nicely.

D/P

[Greg G.]

Briny,

I am sorry for causing you all of this trouble

Larry

Hey, not a problem, I needed some experience at complete teardown (always been reluctant to do that) and cleaning electrical and metal parts.  Up until now, the phones I've acquired only needed exterior plastic parts polished and at most a shot of lube for the dial.  $5 for a 5302, and it works?  I'm not complaining!

[Dan]

Comeon, Briny, they  ALL work 

[AE_Collector]

It is a Western Electric, It will survive a nuclear blast at close range.  

The bug or the ringer bracket?

Terry

[Phonesrfun]

Most bugs, it seems, will survive a neuclear blast at close range.  Then they mutate to bigger bugs..... At least according to the sci-fi films of the '50's

oops, now we are off topic

[JorgeAmely]

oops, now we are off topic

Bill:
The bracket of course. (I am trying to steer the topic back to Briny's 5302,   )

[Greg G.]

Ok, so far, so good.  I divided this project in two.  First the base components, then the rest.

I tried two different cleaners.  I soaked the bells and screws in Brasso, and the base in Liquid Wrench Penetrating Oil.  My vote is for the LWPO.  I wasn't aiming to get everything "shiny new", just wanted to get the majority of the rust and corrosion off.  I used a small wire brush with the tips of the wires dipped in LWPO on the feet.  I used a wire brush attachment for my drill on the places I could get at on the base, then used the hand wire brush on the hard-to-reach areas.  Used alcohol and Q-tips on the terminal block.

The date stamp didn't fair very well, even though I covered it in cellophane tape.  I did the same with the markings on the bottom, but they survived.  Is there any way to replicate those date stamps?  If not, I'm just going to mark it in pencil near it.

After reassembling it, I hooked it up again to see if it still works.  It does!  How cool is that?!