Help me fix my WH-1 Whammy

udi9 · Post by **udi9** » 12 Feb 2021, 22:34

Hey everyone,
Hope I'm not breaking the rules, but I hope someone can help me.
My original WH-1 Whammy was getting a little warmer than usual next to the power jack, so I decided to open it up and see what's going on.
This is what I found

Looks like a leaked cap, although the pedal still works fine (I disconnected it immediately when I found the leak).

Is this an easy fix?
I don't know a lot about electronics, but I'm good with a soldering iron and I think I can replace the cap if I knew which new cap to get.
Also, what should I do with the chip that the cap leaked on? The leaked material has really hardened.
Please help me, what should I do?

Thanks!

theehman · Post by **theehman** » 12 Feb 2021, 22:47

Doesn't really look like leaked electrolyte. That may just be glue holding the cap in place.

udi9 · Post by **udi9** » 12 Feb 2021, 23:18

theehman wrote: ↑12 Feb 2021, 22:47 Doesn't really look like leaked electrolyte. That may just be glue holding the cap in place.

Ha! so I guess that's good news. thanks!
Maybe that's actually melted glue?

mediy · Post by **mediy** » 14 Feb 2021, 05:55

I have a few random thoughts

If it is still working, you may have the opportunity to feel around a bit and see which component is getting hot. Obviously don't go too long in case there is a problem that is getting worse, and be a bit careful not to burn yourself.

I agree that it doesn't look like electrolyte - it's usually dirty brown when it leaks.

A bit of heat near the power socket may just be normal operation - are you sure it has never been like that in the past?

That cap is likely to be a filter on the power rail. If so, then the pedal will work without it, it just might be a bit noisier if your power supply is noisy. You could try desoldering carefully one or both leads and then running the pedal without it. If that works and the heat goes away then replace the cap.

CheapPedalCollector · Post by **CheapPedalCollector** » 14 Feb 2021, 09:50

Yeah looks like glue to me. However the smaller cap looks like it's starting to bulge on top.

phatt · Post by **phatt** » 14 Feb 2021, 12:40

You have a regulator Chip right next to the power connector, it's bolted to case with thermal paste and so that side of the case will be warm or hot depending on what time of year and how much air flow is around the unit when working will effect how hot the case feels.

If the unit is working as normal then I'd leave it alone as you may end up stuffing it up.

Phil.

udi9 · Post by **udi9** » 14 Feb 2021, 18:51

Thanks for all the great advice, guys!

TL;DR: I'm an idiot.

After reading all of your suggestions, I realized that when the pedal is used on the floor, the circuit board is actually upside down - so this cannot be a leak that happened while the pedal was plugged in. it's against gravity

Also, If there was a leak during operation, there should've been some residue of the leaked material on the inside of the bottom cover (there's none).
So I'm guessing that just like @theehman said, this is just glue that holds the cap in place.
I'm not sure why they did such a messy job at the factory, but I also don't know the complete history of the pedal (I bought it second hand many years ago, in like-new condition) - maybe it had a repair at some point, who knows....

deltafred · Post by **deltafred** » 14 Feb 2021, 21:11

It is good practice to use some sort of adhesive to secure large components that could vibrate and break their connecting leads. It is usually done by hand and is rarely a tidy job.

udi9 · Post by **udi9** » 14 Feb 2021, 21:27

deltafred wrote: ↑14 Feb 2021, 21:11 It is good practice to use some sort of adhesive to secure large components that could vibrate and break their connecting leads. It is usually done by hand and is rarely a tidy job.

Do you think this was done in the factory?

udi9 · Post by **udi9** » 14 Feb 2021, 21:38

phatt wrote: ↑14 Feb 2021, 12:40 ...the case will be warm or hot depending on what time of year and how much air flow is around the unit when working will effect how hot the case feels.

I'm pretty sure now that this is it.

deltafred · Post by **deltafred** » 14 Feb 2021, 22:37

udi9 wrote: ↑14 Feb 2021, 21:27
deltafred wrote: ↑14 Feb 2021, 21:11 It is good practice to use some sort of adhesive to secure large components that could vibrate and break their connecting leads. It is usually done by hand and is rarely a tidy job.
Do you think this was done in the factory?

I would say yes because it is glued down.

Some circuits appear to work fine as a prototype but once they go into production (with a more compact layout and the spread of component tolerances) need modification to get them working properly.