Victrola VV-VI Basketcase

[Ortho4-7]

Quick update: I’ve now got all of the parts needed to get this thing up and running again.

*Governor Gear (courtesy of JerryVan)
*2 new mainsprings from The Phonograph Shop
*Victor Exhibition from a seller in Florida
*Needles, tonearm bearings, and gasket material from Walt Sommers

I wasted no time tackling the easy stuff, and popped in the new governor gear and tonearm bearings. The motor spins much quieter now, just spinning it by hand, although I bet it’ll run even quieter once I’ve replaced all that ancient grease. Likewise, the tonearm feels buttery smooth with new arm bearings. It seems like the ball bearings on Victor machines have a habit of flying the coop - this is the third Victrola I’ve owned that needed new ball bearings (the VV-IV I had also needed new tonearm bearings, and my VV 4-7 needed new needle bearings in the Orthophonic soundbox). I’ve yet to take the motor fully apart and see if the spindle bearing is still in there, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s gone too.

The Exhibition soundbox looks to have been rebuilt in the past. The rubber mount feels very supple (almost like silicone), and the gaskets are intact, if a bit wrinkly. The seller did not advertise it as a freshly rebuilt box, so it could have been rebuilt 5 years ago, or it could have been rebuilt 25 years ago. I’m not sure how long these rubber gaskets last, and there’s no guarantee that they did a good job. Once I get the motor running, I’ll see how it sounds and decide if it needs another rebuild. As a side note, the (presumably) original rubber mount is amazingly still intact, although it feels much more fragile than the replacement.

The next order of business is going to be replacing those springs. I’ve been doing my research on the safest methods of removing and replacing mainsprings, and feel reasonably confident in my ability to do so, but I still have some natural trepidation. I’ve worked with coil springs on cars before, so I’m well aware of the dangers poised by the sudden release of potential energy. Hopefully I’ll have them installed this weekend.