Governor Problem

[New Owner]

Alright, so the governor has been making a funky vibrating noise at playing speed. The screws for the screws aren't loose, and the gears are somehow still greasy. I've deduced it to the shaft for the governor vibrating, from a lack of lubrication. The noise seems to get quieter when the needle is lowered on the record. Anybody know how to solve this?

Update: I found a good lubricant for the governor. You're not gonna believe this, but Aveeno skin moisturizer worked. My brother will likely be ticked that I borrowed it (he has "dry skin"), but I had a score to settle with him anyway.

[Lucius1958]

Alright, so the governor has been making a funky vibrating noise at playing speed. The screws for the screws aren't loose, and the gears are somehow still greasy. I've deduced it to the shaft for the governor vibrating, from a lack of lubrication. The noise seems to get quieter when the needle is lowered on the record. Anybody know how to solve this?

Update: I found a good lubricant for the governor. You're not gonna believe this, but Aveeno skin moisturizer worked. My brother will likely be ticked that I borrowed it (he has "dry skin"), but I had a score to settle with him anyway.

Interesting: where did you use the lubricant? You might want to monitor this, to see if the remedy lasts.

Have you checked the governor bearings? (I don't know what machine this is, of course)...

Bill

[New Owner]

I put the lubricant at these two locations:

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The motor is unusual for an off-brand. It's got two spring barrels wound with a worm crank. I'll check the bearings tomorrow. If the repair doesn't turn out well, I'll try sending it away to have it fixed.

[HisMastersVoice]

You may want to replace the governor springs, it could be that not all 3 have the same resistance, causing the governor as a whole to be off balance. They are about 50 cents each. As for using skin moisturizer, I'd be a little nervous to use that, it's likely that it would dry out/gum up since I believe it is partially water based, right?. Light machine oil (3-in-1) is all I use for oiling machines.

[Jerry B.]

I'd suggest a good quality light weight oil. Before you replace the governor springs, examine the springs. All the governor springs should look alike and be the same length. If they are, I would suggest loosening each end of all the governor springs and while slightly flexing the governor tighten each screw. That should help each spring do an equal part of the work. This may or may not be done while the governor is still in the motor.

BEFORE REMOVING THE GOVERNOR FROM MOTOR, LET THE MOTOR RUN COMPLETELY DOWN. THIS IS RULE #1 IN SPRING MOTOR WORK.

ALWAYS REMEMBER RULE #1

Jerry Blais

[David Spanovich]

I once tried using a similar moisturizing product on the large gear of a Sears Silvertone phonograph. It worked great, but after about two weeks, it started to biodegrade, and the gear started squeaking like crazy. I had to clean it all off and re-do it using graphite based molly grease.

Keep in mind, moisturizers sold for "human application," are (generally ) nontoxic and water soluble. They wash off and naturally break down over time, otherwise we'd all still be wearing last year's Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion. Since many do contain water, they can cause metal to rust over time.

After replacing all three governor springs with a new set, I'd advise you clean out the bearings and apply a lightweight oil or a small dab of lightweight silicone grease, or similar product designed for use on metal based bearings and gears.

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I also wanted to throw this out for what it's worth... A few years ago, at the suggestion of a friend who rebuilds music box motors, I started using a few drops of standard transmission fluid (really a type of oil) in place of 3-in-1 on the governor foot and bearings. The transmission fluid seems to do a better job of lubricating the foot and does not break down over time. (For whatever reason, I found that I had to replace the 3-in-1 oil about every three to six months.)

DS

[squeeker7]

I'll double what Jerry B. said about making sure the spring(s) is completely unwound. Learned this
the hard way