How do you clean a McIntosh amp?

Hififile: THANK YOU for bringing up something that i did not think of. While Jcambron did not mention cleaning out the interior of the amp, i suppose that others could have read my response and assumed that it was "safe" for use on all areas of the unit. Such is NOT the case and one should heed Hififile's warnings. My suggestion was strictly meant to apply to "cosmetic cleaning" of the outside of the unit, not anywhere near any part of the circuit, wiring, input / output jacks, etc...

Having said that, i would not personally put brake cleaner anywhere near a piece of electronic equipment. Between a good vacuuming / blowing out and scrubbing with a toothbrush using a relatively strong but reasonably safe contact cleaner, you might not be able to do much better when working on the insides of a unit without spending quite a bit more money. As with using any chemical though, follow the directions and use a small "test area" prior to dousing the entire component in it.

Nobody wants to find out the hard way that "general suggestions" did not directly apply to what they were specifically working on, so be careful and cover your own "assets" : ) Sean
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I've got the same amp with probably greater dirt/pitting going on. I'm tried Simply Green and gotten it to look better w/o taking the lettering off. I did dilute it as per directions.

Anybody know how to deal with pitting?
If I rechrome it, how much value is lost due to original lettering being gone. My 240 is not in very good shape, so I probably can't damage resale too much.

Do not use any oil based cleaners. Any oil left on the chasis, and in the socket areas 'could' react as the metal changes temperature and gets hot. This could cause spots to occur or mottling to appear. I learned the hard way!

I would call McIntosh service and see what they recommend.

For my vintage gear I take an air hose and turn the output down so I dont bust any connections, and blow all the loose dirt and dust off, away from switches and pots.

Then I take clean, lintless clothes, and wipe everything down with warm water with a drop or two of 'dawn' detergent, and then I clean and wipe dry.

The other method I use, if the unit is a mess, is a spritz of 'brake cleaner'. It evaporates fast, has no oils or harmful chemicals that would attack socket or insulation materials. You need to be careful when using this though.

Sean is absolutely right about toothbrushes! They work great. Just be sure to rinse all the crud out of them and use the soft ones.

Remember it is the physical cleaning that does the job, scrubbing, wiping, etc. There is no magic voodoo juice!

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the suggestions. I begin cleaning this weekend.

Washing tubes will typically take the lettering off of them.

Using a very mild cleaner, such as something like Murphy's oil soap highly diluted in warm water, may help to remove the "grunge" without removing the lettering on the amp itself. Obviously, the milder the cleaner, the more elbow grease involved.

This allows you to concentrate on what really needs cleaning and simply go over the rest with a "quick rinse". You can use an old toothbrush as a scrubbing agent, as this works well and can get into the cracks and crevices without going crazy. The oil in the cleaner will give old and faded faceplates a fresh, rich colour while applying a thin protective coat to any bare or chromed metal. In turn, this helps keep them from any further pitting. Sean
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heh. throw it into the sea?

seriously, I'd say try some chrome polish. it will take off the lettering, yes - so be careful. I'd not use WD-40, not meant for that. will just make a mess.

just yank all the tubes, wash them in the sink if need be. They are just tubes, not Faberge eggs! Same goes for the amp. Swab it down - it's just a Mc, not a shrine.

good luck

-Ed