[Doug Houston]

Very well, Ron. I sort of expected to see little space under the rectifier socket, as you've said. As soon as I can, I'll get the cap off of the socket. I have enough sense to LEAVE THE WIRING ALONE. I have an idea that there might be enough clearance under the socket to add the three jumper wires that will be necessary to have a "combination" socket for a 5Y3.

It won't be easy, because the tube socket terminals (per Murphy's laws), will be as unaccessible as possible. But, pighead that I am, it'll get done.

Oh, back to Arran. I once re-capped a cute Zenith table set, that had a 6X5 rectifier. Wouldn't ya know it: the power transformer was ashes. I have a habit of not checking that BEFORE I re-cap the set. Sooooo, I poked around my transformer stash, and found one that would fit. The spacing was tight, and the trans that I found just barely fit the opening, and the chassis. That set now has a 5Y3 rectifier, and is probably one of the better Zeniths in captivity, simply because of the 5Y3.

Hi Doug

Sorry, by the time you posted last night I had already hit the hay.

Yes, if you pinch those protrusions as you described, the cap will come off. Mind you, there is precious little extra wire under that socket, and just moving the socket may cause one or more of the wires' insulation to crack and possibly fall off. You may have to remove the bell of the transformer and resleeve those wires with heat shrink tubing.

But to answer your question, yes, that is how the cap comes off; by pinching the protrusions with pliers. They can be tapped back into place once finished with a flat blade screwdriver and a small hammer.