Edison Fireside B Governor Interchangeability

Share your phonograph repair & restoration techniques here
Post Reply
User avatar
MikeB
Victor II
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 9:28 am

Edison Fireside B Governor Interchangeability

Post by MikeB »

I have an Edison Fireside B with a bad/repaired governor spring. I also have an Edison Standard B parts machine with a good governor. Will a Standard B governor work on a Fireside B?

Alternatively, I can see if I can find a set of governor springs for my Fireside B.

Thanks,
Mike

Jerry B.
Victor Monarch Special
Posts: 8511
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:25 am
Personal Text: Stop for a visit when in Oregon.
Location: Albany, Oregon

Re: Edison Fireside B Governor Interchangeability

Post by Jerry B. »

It's generally best to replace all three springs and sometimes weights so the governor is balanced. You want equal tension springs and equal weights. If the Standard spring length is the same, and I suspect it is, you couldn't hurt anything by giving it a try.

You've probably hear this before but I'll say it again. Let the motor run down before working on the governor!

Jerry B,

User avatar
MikeB
Victor II
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 9:28 am

Re: Edison Fireside B Governor Interchangeability

Post by MikeB »

With the exception of a slightly different design on the lower belt pulley, the motors appear to be identical. I think that I'm going to try and switch out the entire governor. We'll see what happens.
Here is the bad spring. Somebody got creative. :(
Attachments
IMG_2859.jpg

Dave D
Victor IV
Posts: 1222
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:43 pm
Location: Port Huron, MI

Re: Edison Fireside B Governor Interchangeability

Post by Dave D »

While at first glance the motors appear to be identical, they are not. The bull gear and it's mating pinion are different on the two motors. The whole motor will interchange, but not all the gears from motor to motor. I hope I made sense!

Dave D

Online
User avatar
Inigo
Victor VI
Posts: 3753
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2017 1:51 am
Personal Text: Keep'em well oiled
Location: Madrid, Spain
Contact:

Re: Edison Fireside B Governor Interchangeability

Post by Inigo »

Yes! Something similar happens with certain variants of Victor or hmv motors... Slight changes in the gearing make the parts impossible to share between them.
Inigo

User avatar
MikeB
Victor II
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 9:28 am

Re: Edison Fireside B Governor Interchangeability

Post by MikeB »

Thanks, everyone. I only needed to switch out the governor between the two machines, nothing else. The Fireside retains its original motor, with the governor from the Standard. That seems to have worked perfectly. The Fireside is running great and it sounds perfect. I see no difference between the two governors.

Post Reply