I have an audio amplifier called the Pioneer Spec 2 from 1975 and I am trying to replace some capacitors in the unit. I need 4 Nippon Chemi-con 15000uF 100v capacitors or equivalent. Does anyone know if they are still available and what I would replace them with?
Hi jht,
Welcome to the Tech Forum.
The exact same capacitor would not still be available. However, there is a very good chance that we would have a good alternative for you. We would need dimensions of your capacitor, including height, diameter, and lead spacing. Images would be useful, as well.
If you want to find one on your own, here is a link to get you started. With high capacitance values like yours (15,000uF), having the exact value is typically not a critical spec, so I included a few values near that to increase options. You can also use any capacitor rated for the same or higher voltage, so I included higher voltage rated parts as well.
The first step would be to find those which will physically fit in your application, and then select the most suitable of those remaining. If you can give us the specifics of your cap, we can help as well.
@ jht
Hello,
I didn’t look for the original part numbers of those capacitors, but I found a good Vintage Audio Repair example that you can use as a reference to guide you through the products I listed, below. According to that article, the originals used wire-wrap termination, so be sure to look at the adaptation that was made with ring terminals. Note that the author used 22000uF replacements with good results, but you’ll have to decide if that will work for you as well. You will need to look at the overall fit of your replacements, though. The article photos shows how the author was able to use the terminals on the replacements vs. the cutouts on the board.
Here are some 15000uF Options with 100V to 200V ratings.
Here are some 22000uF Options with 100V to 200V ratings.
I noticed that the author used capacitors from the U36D series. Those appear to be obsolete, but we do have significant stock remaining for part number 565-4202-ND at the 22000uF level (they also made 15000uF). As mentioned before, be sure to look at the dimensions of these replacement capacitors. Everything is usually shown in a drawing or datasheet. Here is the document for the U36D Series, for example.
I really appreciate the info. I will look at the size when I get home and then let you know. Thx again.