Z31 Amp refresh

  • #1

    Z31 Amp refresh

    Hi everyone, I'm new here but I wanted to share what I did to the stock amp on my 87. I like to keep my radios stock but I wanted to make the audio better. The stock amp's 30 year capacitors were probably pretty dried up. I desoldered all of electrolytic ones and replaced them. Cost me less than $14 dollars from digikey. It definitely sounds a lot better.
    Make sure you are confident in your solder skills before attempting.
    z31 amp cap map
    1 Photo
    • 1 like
  • #2
    Nice work! I like to keep the stock stuff as well.


    Greg84AE repaired stock AE clarion head units in much the same way. I have the factory service manuals for the earlier non EQ Hitachi radios and had plans to do this but that's as far as it got.

    It's also possible to patch a Bluetooth receiver into the cassette pre-amp circuit and disable some cassette mechanism sensing switches. I've got one disassembled at my bench at work but workload shifted into high gear and haven't touched it in months.


    84 AE/Shiro #683/Shiro #820/84 Turbo
  • #3
    I also took my radio apart before doing this. Wish I would have done this first. It sat for a while before I put it back together also.
    Any idea on what makes the cassette player squeal though? I'm using a tape adapter now and it's so noisy.
  • #4
    If it squeals and not related to the particular cassette, it is probably a dried out brass bushing in the tape drive mechanism.


    84 AE/Shiro #683/Shiro #820/84 Turbo