My Zenith 6s152 started shorting when I turn it on, but If I remove the rectifier the short and burning and smell stop.Is it possible the power transformer is not shorted/bad? I had heard a way to test the transformer is to remove the rectifier, is that true?

Without the rectifier tube in place, the secondary side of the transformer has no load on it. the transformer itself is most likely okay. There's a short in the B+ supply that is the cause of the problem. Or could even be the rectifier tube is shorted.

:Without the rectifier tube in place, the secondary side of the transformer has no load on it. the transformer itself is most likely okay. There's a short in the B+ supply that is the cause of the problem. Or could even be the rectifier tube is shorted.
:
The short started when I attempted to connect a oscillating phono to an imput jack and then to the antenna leads, at different times to test the phono, which was just rebuilt.. I don't know how that could have caused a short, but it did, and even though nothing is connected any longer, it has a definite short.

You most likely have a bad (shorted) filter capacitor.
If this set has not been recapped, now's the time. The burned resistor(s) will have to be replaced too.

::Without the rectifier tube in place, the secondary side of the transformer has no load on it. the transformer itself is most likely okay. There's a short in the B+ supply that is the cause of the problem. Or could even be the rectifier tube is shorted.
::
:The short started when I attempted to connect a oscillating phono to an imput jack and then to the antenna leads, at different times to test the phono, which was just rebuilt.. I don't know how that could have caused a short, but it did, and even though nothing is connected any longer, it has a definite short.
:

:You most likely have a bad (shorted) filter capacitor.
:If this set has not been recapped, now's the time. The burned resistor(s) will have to be replaced too.
:
:::Without the rectifier tube in place, the secondary side of the transformer has no load on it. the transformer itself is most likely okay. There's a short in the B+ supply that is the cause of the problem. Or could even be the rectifier tube is shorted.
:::
::The short started when I attempted to connect a oscillating phono to an imput jack and then to the antenna leads, at different times to test the phono, which was just rebuilt.. I don't know how that could have caused a short, but it did, and even though nothing is connected any longer, it has a definite short.
::
:
:
I had replaced them all about 5 years ago, perhaps what I did on the input side, shorted one of the 3 of them, will replace and give it a try, thanks for the advice.