Need "long screws" for Johnson Cabinet

[w7fe]

Before responding to your question on the tie bolts, A WORD OF CAUTION 
regarding the EFJ Pacemaker:
********************************************

Most of us are quite careful around the parts under and on top of the 
typical Boatanchor chassis, but we don't expect to find anything lethal on 
the sides of the chassis. This unit is the exception.

Put a some electrical tape or a piece of plastic tubing over the 6CL6 
neutralizing capacitor shaft and its nut. It's mounted on the right hand 
side of the chassis (looking from the rear) with the shaft extending out 
about 1/2".  The shaft (and the bushing and nut) is insulated from the 
chassis and has 320V on it, so at best it can really get your attention if 
your finger brushes across it and the chassis at the same time while you're 
doing an alignment or whatever.  At worst (like if you have your other hand 
touching the chassis), it can kill you.  Really.

******************************************
Now, to answer your question:

Finding some original long tie bolts for EFJ cabinets is roughly equivalent 
to finding a mint Ranger II in the original box at the Goodwill store.

Solution:  Contact Cal Eustaquio, N6KYR/8 in Lansing, Michigan,  email 
catman351 at yahoo.com. He makes replacement long tie bolts for the Ranger and 
Valiant/Pacemaker using 1/4" all-thread with a nice slotted screwhead and 
collar assembled to one end.  The ones for the Pacemaker (and all the other 
"big" EFJ boxes like the Valiant, J-500, T-Bolt, Invader) are about  2" 
longer than those for the Ranger.

However, being all-thread, Cal's bolts are a bit larger diameter than the 
EFJ originals which were unthreaded except at the last inch or so. 
Therefore, on the Pacemaker,  the right side bolt may interfere with a 
couple of the coil slug adjusting screws that stick out the side of the 
crystal oscillator deck.  I think that perhaps the originals, with their 
slightly smaller shaft diameter, would have just cleared the slug adjusting 
screws even if they were adjusted quite a ways out of the form.

There are (at least) three options than come to mind to deal with this 
problem:

1. Change the fixed capacitors such that the coil adjusting screws don't 
have to be extended so far to tune properly and therefore don't hit the long 
tie bolt (certainly the most elegant option, but only for the most anal of 
us restoration freaks).
2. Don't bother with installing the right hand long tie bolt --mount a 
similar headed short screw in the cabinet hole so it looks "finished", or 
leave it out altogether. Not elegant, but minimum effort.  The other three 
long tie bolts do a pretty good job of keeping the cabinet attached to the 
front panel.
3. Find some original tie bolts, or at least one for the right side position 
(a good solution, but see opening wisecrack above).


73 de Stu  W7FE
Phoenix

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark" <mroldradios at OPTONLINE.NET>
To: <BOATANCHORS at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV>
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 7:56 PM
Subject: Need "long screws" for Johnson Cabinet


>I jsut got a Pacemaker and would like to find some of the long screws that 
>hold the back tightly against the front panel - the screws are like a foot 
>long and may be the same ones as used on the Ranger.   Anyone have a 
>source?
>
> Thanks,
> Mark N1MG
>
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