Pulling Motor-Board from HMV 101

[OrthoFan]

Yesterday, I attempted to pull my HMV 101's motor-board to inspect the condition of the motor, but it didn't want to budge. (Yes, I did remove the crank.)

I unscrewed the four corner screws, as shown in the attached, and pulled up on the spindle, since there are no pull-knobs. Is there another screw I have to remove? The motor-board's finish is in excellent condition, so I don't want to force anything and risk ruining it.

[epigramophone]

You could try replacing the turntable and circlip, then pulling it gently upwards.

[IainW]

With the 101 does the motor extend slightly beyond the inner edge of the motor board? In which case you may have to lift the front end of the board to tilt a bit for removal.

[Inigo]

Yes, tilting is needed as the motor enters some centimeters under the upper tonearm board.
Also check the crank estucheon area in case something there is preventing the motorboard from lifting...

[OrthoFan]

MANY THANKS for your help. You confirmed that the four corner screws held the motor board in place, and I didn't have to unscrew the others. Thanks, especially, for the tip about the edge of the motor being seated under the "back" part of the board.

I tried it again and jiggled the motor board while holding onto the spindle. It came loose around the area of the top area of the board, but was stuck fast on the bottom or front of the cabinet. I then closed the lid and latched it, and turned the case upside down. I heard and felt a slight "shifting" noise, so I turned the case right side up and opened the lid and tried tugging on the spindle. This time, it started to lift up at the bottom. A little more jiggling and tugging and it came loose, and I was able to lift it.

I still have no clue as to what that motor, itself, looks like, as you can see from the attached photo:

...But, I was able to clean out about half a dozen spent steel needles.

I'll open the motor's casing another day. In the meantime, I finally was able to re-adjust the speed lever by unscrewing the two retaining screws (shown in above photo) and--using a strobe disc--gradually sliding the plate and testing the speed until the turntable's 78 rpm speed matched the marking on the speed adjustment lever's plate. It's right on center now for 78 rpm.

Now to find someone local to me that will clean and re-grease the motor. After several coats of Goo-Gone around the edge of the sound box's diaphragm, the sound quality has been greatly enhanced with no hint of shrillness or "mica tone" and virtually no surface noise, even when using a loud tone needle. The treble and mid-range are strong and even some bass is apparent, so I'll save rebuilding the sound box for last.

As I noted in my previous post -- viewtopic.php?t=61317 -- the HMV logo is in Spanish, and I assume it was assembled at the Gramophone Company's Barcelona plant using parts shipped from the UK. The ID plate is missing--though the hole is in place--so I don't know the exact version number, but would guess it dates before 1930 when the auto-brake was added (???)

OrthoFan