# Gasoline vs Tube Amp



## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

was cleaning some gunk off the faceplate of an old amp today

pulled the chassis out, removed knobs and loosened all the jack so the faceplate was easy to get to 100%

worked my way through windex, alcohol, lighter fluid, then goof-off, with no results

damn....ok well there is a jug of gasoline over there by the lawn mower

VERY CAREFULLY I poured a little bit out, so it would run down the length of the faceplate

well you know what happened next....

Curse St Murphy and his infernal law: about a pint splurged out the nozzle, and all over the amp chassis

the wiring, OT and PT got a nice splash

I wiped away as much as I could, and let it air out with the nice sunny weather + wind ( hopefully ) evaporating the gas

I am worried it may have dissolved some of the binder material/glue in the transformers?

obviously I have not fired it up...no pun intended. I'll give it a full 24 hours

anything else I should watch for?

thanks!


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

I also sprayed contact cleaner/lube into the back of all the pots as well, afterwards


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Ouch. There's lots of stuff in gasoline that isn't a cleaning compound, I think.

For future consideration, when I was doing component level repairs and 99% isopropyl wouldn't remove something, we stepped up to trichloroethylene. I think if that didn't work, we just replaced the part. 

Trichloroethylene - Wikipedia


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2017)

buy an electric lawn mower? lol.
sorry. couldn't resist.
I hope it works out for you.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

bolero said:


> .....obviously I have not fired it up...no pun intended.


I fully understand how serious, frustrating and anxiety-provoking your situation must be....and that it is not funny at all. 

However, I laughed at the pun that was not intended just the same....Sorry!

I hope one of the amp techs will see this and advise you.

I would suggest putting "*Please Help*" in your thread title somewhere....you might get more responses.

Good Luck with solving this.


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)




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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

In our company, we use Goof-Off fairly often. I spilled a bunch of red paint on a light coloured door mat one time and Goof-Off removed it all. I'm surprised it didn't do the job for you. Perhaps you didn't use enough of it?

Regardless, I hope you got it clean and there are no negative repercussions from the spill.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Perhaps we should all take this as a "learning moment".


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

thanks...I will find out this afternoon, when I try using it

pretty sure gas fumes will have all evaporated, just worried about any residue. and whether the transformers got funked up. 

the OT was exposed with no cover, PT had a cover but there was a hole into all the innards & wiring

" wow, that amp sounds explosive! "


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

ronmac said:


> Perhaps we should all take this as a "learning moment".


 yes, in 20/20: I should have poured the gas into acup, and used a toothbrush or something to scrub!!


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Hey, if it sounds better, quickly delete this thread and start offering a service to improve any amp's tonez? Many things, from post-it notes to magnetic tape recording, having been discovered by a strange, unexpected accident.


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## Guest (Apr 9, 2017)

High/Deaf said:


> Hey, if it sounds better, quickly delete this thread and start offering a service to improve any amp's tonez?


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Perhaps you should start her up outside. Just so we don't have too many learning moments this weekend.


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

I think you will be fine. It should all evaporate, even cloth insulated wire, otherwise I'm sure I would have set my pants on fire many times. 
I think you will have tipped out any excess before it had a chance to dissolve any transformer varnish. The rest should evaporate as long as it wasn't soaking in it.


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

bolero said:


>


Love it when Blackmore turns the guitar around & is strumming the bare wood (4:55)


Sent from my "other" other brain.


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## Guest (Apr 9, 2017)

bzrkrage said:


> Love it when Blackmore turns the guitar around & is strumming the bare wood (4:55)
> 
> 
> Sent from my "other" other brain.


Don't ask Iron Maiden to lip sync their appearances.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

The nuclear option.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

The nuclear option.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

bolero said:


> yes, in 20/20: I should have poured the gas into a cup, and used a toothbrush or something to scrub!!


Not anywhere close as having a negative impact but if it makes you feel better, I do the same thing almost every time I fill the snowblower and lawnmower.


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2017)

You are supposed to get a big plastic container with a sealed lid. Fill the container with with rice, and bury the amp in the rice so it is completely covered. Seal the container. Wait 2 days.










* + *

*







*





Haha just kidding.


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

heh...you are supposed to do that with rice, if you are flavouring it with rosemary etc, correct?

obviously using rosemary instead of gasoline...

well good news...I fired it up, and no fire!!

it's a snotty sounding little 5w combo. I put a celestion 12" in there

still a bit lacking in bite even with the tone control maxxed out though. will have to have a look at it, maybe disconnect the neg feedback

for such a badass little amp, I figured this would be an appropriate tune to run thru on it:

*edit* well the forum isn't letting me link mp3's...weird

probably not playing it correctly. but here is a direct link

http://el34.coolpage.biz/clips/gasoline_amp_01.mp3


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## StevieMac (Mar 4, 2006)

If you find the amp "lacking in bite", I'd suggest a liberal application of fixodent to the entire chassis...


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

I hope you're ready for the 'have you tried putting some gas on it?' replies to any questions you may ever have for about as long as until we all get alzheimer's.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

laristotle said:


> Don't ask Iron Maiden to lip sync their appearances.


Holy shit....I'm a huge Maiden fan, having seen em 5x live. That was brilliant!!

@bolero glad the little mishap worked out for you positively. Sounding pretty greasy on that clip. I like it.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Yes, I'm glad your GAS has dissipated. And like most of us, it didn't cost you an arm and half a leg, just a bit of elbow grease!


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

yep it's working allright

I guess I got lucky vs the stupidity gene


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