Columbia 175 Portable Dissassembly

[Ho_Hum]

I have a Columbia 175 portable that I just can't get at the motor of. The motor has one of those screw-on spindles but even after removing it, the turntable is thoroughly stuck on the spindle. I don't know how to get the motor board off of the case, I have removed all of the screws around the perimeter of the turntables to no avail. Anyone know how to get these things apart?

The offending machine ^

[Curt A]

The turntable is probably "glued on' with old grease. Try tapping around the edge with a mallet or piece of wood to loosen it. Then grab the edge and lift up. You can also try to hit the spindle while lifting... Eventually you should have success.

[Inigo]

Most important, are you sure that you need to remove the motorboard from the case? It is difficult, you'll need help to hold the heavy lid in the process, and it NEVER is the same once you have disassembled it. These things are 'tight fit', and after removal and reassembling, they are not the same, and the strong sound vibrations of the machine when playing a record might resonate and make the metal strips vibrate and buzz at certain high frequencies.

You should try to remove the turntable from the motor first, without removing the motorboard. You will need three hands too, someone helping. You have to lift the turntable sides while gently tapping the centre down with a hammer and a blunt wooden punch, to free it from the motor axis. After years of use it can be pretty tightly stuck. Removing the motorboard won't help.

Below the turntable you may see the motor attached to the board by means of a large metal plate: this is what is screwed to the wooden board by several screws by the perimeter, and it can be lifted with the motor screwed to it. This is also tricky in the portables, for the motor is tightly squeezed between the horn and the wooden board hole, and certain ability and odd angle is needed to disengage it. Then you'll see the wooden board with a big hole through which you see the horn and the inside of the case. This wooden board is what is attached to the case with the four metal strips, etc.
I only have a British 113a which is similar to yours, but some things can be different, although by the photo I can see that the motorboard and the metal strips retaining it against the case look the same as mine.

To remove the wooden motorboard, remove first those four metal strips that surround the motorboard by the four sides. You'll have to remove the one at the back first, which in the photo is yet screwed with four large screws. After this is removed, you can remove the other three, but be careful for some important things:
1. They are attached to the case sides with small screws.
2. They are blocking one another, so you shall notice carefully which one goes first and then the others.
3. The one at the front and the two at the sides might be stuck to the Rexine of the case, you'll have to remove them carefully but using certain force. Be sure that you have removed all the screws first.
4. The lid will fall, and it is pretty heavy, so for certain steps you'll need three hands... Especially difficult when reassembling the unit.
5. Be careful with the lid stop at the back left corner.
6. The two round metal 'elephant ears' that go at the sides of the lid are retained also by small protruding tabs that will be freed when you remove the long metal strips at both sides of the case. The lid can then be opened fully towards the back of the machine.
After you remove these for metal strips and get the lid wide open, you can remove the motorboard.
It is a tricky thing, so be careful and take notice of how everything is assembled, to be able to reassemble it properly.

I think these machines are well made, but it's a nightmare to disassemble this, and things are pretty bulky and heavy on these Columbia BIG portables...

[Ho_Hum]

Most important, are you sure that you need to remove the motorboard from the case? It is difficult, you'll need help to hold the heavy lid in the process, and it NEVER is the same once you have disassembled it. These things are 'tight fit', and after removal and reassembling, they are not the same, and the strong sound vibrations of the machine when playing a record might resonate and make the metal strips vibrate and buzz at certain high frequencies.

You should try to remove the turntable from the motor first, without removing the motorboard. You will need three hands too, someone helping. You have to lift the turntable sides while gently tapping the centre down with a hammer and a blunt wooden punch, to free it from the motor axis. After years of use it can be pretty tightly stuck. Removing the motorboard won't help.

Below the turntable you may see the motor attached to the board by means of a large metal plate: this is what is screwed to the wooden board by several screws by the perimeter, and it can be lifted with the motor screwed to it. This is also tricky in the portables, for the motor is tightly squeezed between the horn and the wooden board hole, and certain ability and odd angle is needed to disengage it. Then you'll see the wooden board with a big hole through which you see the horn and the inside of the case. This wooden board is what is attached to the case with the four metal strips, etc.
I only have a British 113a which is similar to yours, but some things can be different, although by the photo I can see that the motorboard and the metal strips retaining it against the case look the same as mine.

To remove the wooden motorboard, remove first those four metal strips that surround the motorboard by the four sides. You'll have to remove the one at the back first, which in the photo is yet screwed with four large screws. After this is removed, you can remove the other three, but be careful for some important things:
1. They are attached to the case sides with small screws.
2. They are blocking one another, so you shall notice carefully which one goes first and then the others.
3. The one at the front and the two at the sides might be stuck to the Rexine of the case, you'll have to remove them carefully but using certain force. Be sure that you have removed all the screws first.
4. The lid will fall, and it is pretty heavy, so for certain steps you'll need three hands... Especially difficult when reassembling the unit.
5. Be careful with the lid stop at the back left corner.
6. The two round metal 'elephant ears' that go at the sides of the lid are retained also by small protruding tabs that will be freed when you remove the long metal strips at both sides of the case. The lid can then be opened fully towards the back of the machine.
After you remove these for metal strips and get the lid wide open, you can remove the motorboard.
It is a tricky thing, so be careful and take notice of how everything is assembled, to be able to reassemble it properly.

I think these machines are well made, but it's a nightmare to disassemble this, and things are pretty bulky and heavy on these Columbia BIG portables...

Well the most pressing issue is to service the motor, so if that can be done without taking the whole thing apart I would prefer to do that. I was already trying the mallet trick with no luck, but I’ll keep at it.

[Inigo]

Could be easier if you screw in the spindle, then use the mallet, then unscrew again... Is it necessary to unscrew the spindle to extract the platter?
Some photos would help to define the problem...
You can also put some penetrant oil around the spindle and let it soak for a night... But I'm afraid it would stain the turntable felt...
I see...
Maybe if the mallet won't work you'll finally need to extract the motorboard with the motor and all it, and try by the opposite side, disassembling the motor (in case it can be done by the lower side, which i don't know...)
Let's see if anyone else with better knowledge of this model jumps in to give some advice.
I only have one machine with screwed spindle; it's a small Brunswick Parisian portable. In that machine unit to unscrew the spindle first, then take out the turntable. And it is also difficult, it gets stuck there...

[Ho_Hum]

Could be easier if you screw in the spindle, then use the mallet, then unscrew again... Is it necessary to unscrew the spindle to extract the platter?
Some photos would help to define the problem...
You can also put some penetrant oil around the spindle and let it soak for a night... But I'm afraid it would stain the turntable felt...
I see...
Maybe if the mallet won't work you'll finally need to extract the motorboard with the motor and all it, and try by the opposite side, disassembling the motor (in case it can be done by the lower side, which i don't know...)
Let's see if anyone else with better knowledge of this model jumps in to give some advice.
I only have one machine with screwed spindle; it's a small Brunswick Parisian portable. In that machine unit to unscrew the spindle first, then take out the turntable. And it is also difficult, it gets stuck there...

Unscrewing the spindle is necessary because it acts as a nut, holding the turntable in place. I have been keeping it partially unscrewed while I used the mallet to give me a place to apply pressure while allowing the platter to break free.

Here is the spindle situation.

[Inigo]

You could also insert wood wedges around, under the platter, to help it out, and then give kicks with the mallet... small repetitive kicks.
You need to give them with the aid of a blunt punch or something, and to be sure that the kicks go where they are needed. Your idea of using the spindle itself, half screwed, it's the same I would do.
Eventually it will start to lean off the spindle. Be patient and careful.
Wish you luck! Turntables can be very stubbornly attached are years of use.

[JerryVan]

I'm not familiar with this particular model, however, I have never seen a machine where it's necessary to remove the turntable in order to remove the motor board. Once the motor board is removed, there may be other techniques to remove the turntable.