LE14 dust caps (domes)

[tomee]

Hi,
I'm refoaming a pair of LE14A woofers (1975 vintage, from L55s) which have good cones and the spiders seem good (no sagging) but the dust caps (or 'domes') have been pushed in on both woofers. So, I'm cutting the domes off to be able to shim these, and replace the dented domes as well.

According to the JBL parts lists, the LE14A center dome that comes with the recone kit is this:
50201 D/DOME, 4.025/DIA 3.975/ID.775/HT PAPR/B $1.74 USD

But this one:
70330 D/DOME, 4.125DIA 4.11ID.825HT PPR/BLK 1 $2.22 US

is 0.1" larger. Should I use this to replace a damaged dome, or the original sized dome? Or would a generic 4" paper dome, that I can get locally, work fine?

As an aside...I have carefully cut the original dome off one speaker, and wetted it and reshaped it back into a dome using a ball as a form. I could reuse this if I had to. The reshaped dome is actually very presentable. Would anyone here even bother with this, or am I trying to be 'too original'?

BTW, I did see the recent LE14A refoam thread. Both Lansaloy surrounds on these were hard, and one was partially cracked. The fs on both measured over 80Hz (I have a WT2 from Smith Larson). Both surrounds were carefully removed, but some white coating came off the front of the cone. The only way I could refoam these onto the back of the cone would be to repair the areas where the Lansaloy came off, and perhaps repaint the entire cone to match the color. I'm not doing this to re-sell for maximum profit, but to use myself. Should the spider lay flat with the speaker upright, or horizontal? What's worse in the eyes of JBL fanatics - front glued surrounds or repaired and repainted cones?

[rdgrimes]

Hi,
I'm refoaming a pair of LE14A woofers (1975 vintage, from L55s) which have good cones and the spiders seem good (no sagging) but the dust caps (or 'domes') have been pushed in on both woofers. So, I'm cutting the domes off to be able to shim these, and replace the dented domes as well.

According to the JBL parts lists, the LE14A center dome that comes with the recone kit is this:
50201 D/DOME, 4.025/DIA 3.975/ID.775/HT PAPR/B $1.74 USD

But this one:
70330 D/DOME, 4.125DIA 4.11ID.825HT PPR/BLK 1 $2.22 US

is 0.1" larger. Should I use this to replace a damaged dome, or the original sized dome? Or would a generic 4" paper dome, that I can get locally, work fine?

As an aside...I have carefully cut the original dome off one speaker, and wetted it and reshaped it back into a dome using a ball as a form. I could reuse this if I had to. The reshaped dome is actually very presentable. Would anyone here even bother with this, or am I trying to be 'too original'?

Most folks prefer a slightly larger-than-stock dust cap so as to allow it setting neatly around the original.

[tomee]

Most folks prefer a slightly larger-than-stock dust cap so as to allow it setting neatly around the original.

Thanks. I'll stop by a JBL service center and see if they'll order a pair of the 70330 domes. I looked at a generic 4" dome yesterday and it was made with very thin paper so it won't do.

[brutal]

I think a set of re-foamed LE14A looks proper with the surround glued to the front. That's the way I did mine.

[tomee]

That's a nice looking refoam job. I'll follow your lead and do it that way too. I sometimes see pics of LE14As with black foams attached to the back of the cone and I can only guess those are factory recones from the 1980's.

I ordered 2 of the 70330 dust caps today from a pro sound shop, so we'll see what they look like when they get here. I'm hoping for thick paper like the originals.

[johnaec]

The LE14A's with black surrounds from the factory came with them glued to the back of the cones while the earlier yellow surrounds came glued to the front. If you're doing a refoam of an original yellow one you don't have much choice but to use the combination method...

John