First I would like to thank Cv and Easyrider8 for their invaluable help.
The ak 165 is now going but volume is way down.I have removed the volume control and it measures 5meg, according to the schematic it should be 500k, are they normally this far out especially by an exact factor of 10. it appears to be original but if it has been installed
later then it was many years ago as the wiring to it is as bad as the rest.
Can I instal a 500 k pot safely as the specs mention that value twice.
I hope my Australian interprets ok
regards Joe
Joe

500K is the correct value for the pot. You can't damage the set by installing a pot of that value.

Having said that, the value of the volume control pot isn't very critical. All it does is establish a "continuum" of low-level demodulated signal voltages from maximum to minimum to feed to the grid of the first audio amp tube. So, nearly any value will work as long as the resistance element is not broken or the wiper doesn't skip.

As a test, you can disconnect the pot lead wire which goes to signal ground and then jumper together the remaining two pot terminals. This applies the full detector output to the audio amp tube, giving max volume. If the sound is unbearably loud, the pot is indeed the problem. If the sound is still muted, you have other problems- possibly a weak detector tube, weak audio amp tube(s), mistuned front-end trimmers, or mistuned IF trimmer.

Thanks once again CV,
The tubes test very weak I will look for replacements.
Regards
Joe