Any tricks to remove drivers from a (sticky) cabinet

Some manufacturers use a type of Goop/non-hardening sealant material to make the speaker secure and also prevent air/sound from going around the speaker.  In my past experience, the best I could do was using a small-wide screw driver and a firm putty knife, and went very slowly around the edge, prying only slightly each time I went around until I had pulled it far enough away from the sticky-stuff and to pull it out. This is not professional advice, just my experience. Hopefully it helps.

I've had similar problems and found that, with some speakers, it's easiest to remove the binding post plate in the back and push the drivers out from the rear.  Usually, this will allow me to remove the woofer(s) and the I can reach my arm up through that cut-out and push out the other drivers as well

If the removal of the binding post doesn’t work, and you’re forced to trying to pry the driver out, go to an auto parts store and buy a set of auto interior trim removal tools. They’re usually about $15 and come with several sizes and shapes of plastic pry tools that are designed to not scratch car interior trim, door panels, leather, vinyl, etc. I would go that route to prevent marring the leather. 

you can use a small inside caliper, into screw hole, expand tips and pull from the screw holes, not the edge.

$12. be there tomorrow

or improvise to pull from the holes, not pry the edge

using alcohol, you need to position the speakers to control gravity, i.e. fluid flow. you can lay the cabinets on their back, so fluid won’t run down the face, get an artist’s little paint brush or ... and try a spritz of alcohol, start swishing a bit inside the screw holes, wait a while, then tilt to use gravity to control the flow of fluid, some from the outer edge in any small crevice, bit by bit...

When I upgraded the drivers in my Alon speakers years ago, Carl Marchisotto recommended I use a certain sized screw that was just bigger than the hole in the driver, which was screwed into the front mounting hole of the driver until it became engaged and then I was able to pull the driver out from the front, similar to what was recommended by @elliottbnewcombjr 

I suggest trying the recommended methods posted below before prying against the cabinet, which seems to be asking for trouble.

This video shows a good way to remove woofers from the front:

One way to make this slightly easier is to heat the speaker just a bit with a heat gun, but, I think the approach shown in the video is really the safest.  You have to find the right screw to fit the driver hole, but, that is the only tricky part to this method.

I sympathise with you,

All I can add is to be extremely careful as accidents can happen so easily and a damaged cone is something to be avoided.

As suggested an oversize screw could be worth considering but again take extreme care.

The newer screw heads that take hex drivers are far safer than a Phillips-head screw or the dreaded slot type. The hex fit snugly and are held in place so accidents are unlikely.

A bolt that just fits in the hole could work as adding little angle might be enough to break the seal.

 

If your speaker cabinet is a sealed box, unscrew your driver and play low frequency signal through it at high volume. It may pop the driver off. If it’s a ported speaker, try blocking off the port until it’s air tight before applying signal. Works like a charm if driver isn’t too tightly seated.

Use an Allan wrench the size of the screw hole in the driver. Insert the short end into the driver screw hole and use the long end of the wrench to GENTLY pry upwards. Position the wrench parallel to the driver not towards the outside or inside of the driver where the driver is weakest.  Work your way around the driver holes one at a time prying gently a little at a time. I’ve done this many times and it works like a charm. Just remember to take your time and don’t force anything, just gently coax the driver out.

Buy a set of mechanic's picks like THESE. Remove the drivers by working them loose with the picks, gently pulling from behind the screw holes in their baskets.

Install a pneumatic valve on the rear of the cabinet.  Pressurize the cabinets to 35 psi.  Grab some popcorn and enjoy the show.

non-sealed cabinets will require a little extra creativity.  Duluth Trading Company briefs stuffed in openings seem to provide the “correct” balance of mass and density.

or, just turn them upside down and shake them.

The show will see would be the driver cones popping off the speaker frame.  It is fairly easy to use the screw method with vise grips an a piece of wood as a fulcrum, and there is very little chance of damage if you have someone to hold the wood in place.  

@larryi 

This was my attempt at humor.  Guess some people are better at telling jokes than others.

I'm an experienced builder/servicer involved in performance upgrades.  Yes, working with the holes in the frame does lower the drama and incident of involuntary speaker cone and/or cabinet modifications vs prying on the outside of the frame.  Engaging a couple of threads on a bolt/screw seems to do the trick -- every time.  

Thanks for the instructional video. 

I know you were kidding.  I did like the idea, but, I just thought it was an opportunity to again push the safest way to do this.  I saw the result of an "accident" at a dealership where the driver was being pulled from a $30,000 pair of speakers and the front panel was gouged (a speaker without a grill cloth).  The result meant ordering a new pair for the customer.  

+1 for Mitch2. Being a long time Alon,Nola owner, I've pulled many of their drivers and the only safe way to do it is with a jacking screw as described. Prying a driver out is only asking for trouble/damage to the cabinet and/or driver.

Ok, I’ll try the technique as Mitch2 mentioned;  using a (right fit) metal screw to woofer’s metal lip and carefully pull out driver. Wish me luck

Lip=  metal frame*

What I did was not unsimilar to what is shown in the posted video.  Definitely protect the face of the cabinet with something soft enough not to scratch and firm enough to not allow a dent in case something goes a little wrong.  Carl at Alon/Nola used an everyday product called Mortite rope caulk to seal the drivers in his acoustic suspension boxes, and it was a bear to peal a driver away from so proceed with caution - it is not a race!