[jerryhawthorne]

Philcobenze, I doubt your leaking plant had much to do with your radio reception problem, assuming the plant was setting on the top of the radio and not inside! I have not removed that chassis from the console but have a 38-116 chassis on my bench now. You may just need some good cleaning and lubricating on the dial mechanism. If it is acting as you indicated, it's not surprising that you can't get any reception. You seem to not be able to turn the tuning dial without moving the band switch.
Not certain what your radio experience is but you will need to remove the chassis at a minimum to address the mechanical aspect and free the band switch from the tuning aspect. It's heavy. I know on the one I'm working on, shifting the band switch from one to another may rock the dial tuning slightly. Probably not a problem. But, you really need to free up that tuning knob. I suspect your problem is more in the area of mechanical rather than electrical.
Others have much more experience. I'm going to have to make a post on the one I'm working on, problems with the mute and magnetic tuning but that is for later.

Good luck, Jerry

Went down and looked at my 38-116 and I can see no way that the band switch can be turned by trying to move the tuning dial or really connected in any way to one another. They really are not connected together. Either my year later version is really different or perhaps your not describing your problem in a way I understand it? Fill us in.