In a message dated 3/6/04 1:00:28 PM Eastern Standard Time, Michael K writes:
> I just recieved my new Yamaha YHR668NDII, and was wondering if I have
> to take it into the shop to get the so called "factory dust" cleaned out.
>
I did clean out a new 668 recently and there was some factory gunk in it,
although not as much as some brands. In the US, the manufacturers used to
use vapor degreasers to clean the horns, but they had to give them up for
envioronmental and health reasons. Conn and Holton are using ultrasonic cleaners
but apparently they're not working so well. I've done several new ones
recently that were chock full of stuff. The kind of stuff left behind is abrasive so
it will wear the valves out prematurely unless it's gotten rid of. Any kind
of normal washing, flooding with oil etc. won't do much good. You have to
take the valves out and clean the casings, bearings and around the corners where
the stuff is lurking. It's not easy to get it all. It will be in such places
as the valve cap threads, stop arms, at the edges where tubes are soldered
together, in the valve knuckles. Any of it that's left will be loosened up by
whatever valve oil you use and will run right back into the valves.
As I mentioned, the Yamaha I did recently wasn't as bad, but there was
some buffing compound still lurking that had gotten into the valves and was
making them act badly.
Finding a shop that really understands what's needed won't be easy
though!
- Steve Mumford
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