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Help me resurrect my AR-90s

So, I pulled my AR90s out after many years of storage and it looks like the woofers as well as the surround need to be replaced.

My dad bought these back in England in the late 70s for $350 for the pair..."the only time I ever bounced a check he says!" Anyway, he gave them to me in 1997 when I joined the Air Force and I've drug them all over the world from Maine to Pennsylvania to Colorado to Italy to Alaska and now back to Colorado. I haven't used them for over 10 years. I've recently gotten back into vinyl records and I'm wanting to set up as system with the old AR-90s.

Where can I find replacement woofers that won't change the factory sound? Anything else I should check on them before I crank them (once the woofers are fixed?
dtotheatothevtothee
dtotheatothevtothee OP
18 posts
 
I'm not really sure where the shims go...directions are not very clear to me.

"Place three shims equally spaced around and between the coil and the pole piece. Push then gently all the way down into the air space betwees the coil and pole piece. This will center the voice coil and help hold it centered as you perform your work."

I 'm not quite sure where I'm supposed to be putting these 3 shims.

I see a picture like this: Shimming?

but my AR-90 woofers look different and I dont see how I can stick shims in there as the "black goop" is all around that thing in the center.

Here's a pic of one of my woofers:
Mine
timlub
1,649 posts
 
You will have to remove the dust cap. Take acetone or nail polish remover and drop it with an eye dropper on the glue of the dust cap, this will detereorate the glue, then take a razor blade and gently cut away the glue and lift the dust cap. You will then see the voice coil and gaps that are shown in the picture that you provided. Easily put your shims in and your coil is centered. You are now ready to replace your surrounds.
Good Luck, Tim
dtotheatothevtothee OP
18 posts
 
Ah that is a second dust cap? I thought the domed one I cut off was the dust cap.
dtotheatothevtothee OP
18 posts
 
One more question...

Do I need to save that dust cap to reinstall it or is the dome replacement one I got sufficient?
timlub
1,649 posts
 
The dust cap is the center of the woofer. If you have cut your old one off, the voice coil should be uncovered ready to shim. As far as a replacement dust cap? If the caps are made of a harder material, you will most likely have a bit more extention in the mids. If it is a softer material, you will most likely have a earlier roll off in the mids... I say most likely, it depends on crossover points and slopes.
You said that you had a friend that has done this. Have you gotten him involved?
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