Brunswick Model 117 Surprise

[CDBPDX]

Just brought home a Brunswick Model 117 phonograph with a 4 spring motor. The crank just spins, forward and backward, no tension or anything. Took the motor out and examined one of the spring barrels, it was loose on the shaft. Removed it and discovered no springs in the spring barrel and apparently, a gear or something missing from the side opposite the crank gear side. Other spring barrel seems OK. This is a first for me, with the springs missing. It looked so good on Craigslist.

Anyway, I need to find some springs and a gear. Anybody got spares?

Thanks! CDB

[FloridaClay]

How strange! First place I would try would be George Vollema.

Clay

[Kirkwood]

I would second that recommendation for George Vollema of Great Lakes Antique Phonograph. I had a similar Brunswick motor where the springs AND barrels were gone. He supplied the parts, got the whole motor cleaned and greased and returned it to me ready to go. This has to be the quietest motor of them all, almost dead silent in operation, and I didn't even have to fiddle with the speed control to have it register exactly on 80 RPM when the needle was placed at that spot on the dial. By the way, I believe there is also supposed to be a black steel drip pan that mounts on/around this motor.

[VintageTechnologies]

I also have a Brunswick 117. That quad spring motor is some piece of engineering. Totally silent. It ought to have torque and play forever, but my motor is underpowered and plays through only one record, despite being oiled up. It looks outwardly okay. I figure the motor and springs will have to be completely disassembled, cleaned and lubed. I'm not exactly looking forward to such an extensive project. Has anyone documented disassembly of such a motor?

To answer a previous comment, it does have a drip pan.

[CDBPDX]

By the way, I believe there is also supposed to be a black steel drip pan that mounts on/around this motor.

The drip pan is present. I don't know if any other parts are missing, though. Guess I'll find out as I try to get it working. The 2nd spring barrel seems to wind up OK.

CDB

[CDBPDX]

Got the spring barrels apart. Went and bought a couple oil filter removal tools to facilitate the seperation. Mr Vollema will be able to provide the springs and gear I need.

The springs in the one spring barrel were wound clockwise. I assume the springs in the other spring barrel would be wound counter-clockwise since the winding gear goes the other direction for that barrel, right?

The grease in the loaded spring barrel appears to be fairly fresh. Though I had to remove and clean one of those springs to measure it, I might just leave the remaining greasy spring as-is (with the addition of some Lucas oil stabilizer). Maybe someone started to refurbish the motor but never finished.

This is still fun!

CDB

[VintageTechnologies]

Thanks for the photos and descriptions, I am watching this project with the utmost interest since I have a Brunswick 117 also. Good idea using the oil filter wrenches. I just realized that you and I describe spring winding directions differently. You say they are wound clockwise, and they indeed are, if starting from the outside. In my Opera repair narative, I described the winding starting from the center. If there is a contrary way to do anything, I am usually the one likely to do it! I wonder if there is any concensus about properly describing the winding direction? At any rate, the large pictures help remove any doubt.

[CDBPDX]

Found yet another surprise. Finally figured out why the crank spins forward and backward - the ratchet pawl is also missing. Parts cost about 50% more than the machine.

[CDBPDX]

I just realized that you and I describe spring winding directions differently. You say they are wound clockwise, and they indeed are, if starting from the outside. In my Opera repair narative, I described the winding starting from the center. If there is a contrary way to do anything, I am usually the one likely to do it! I wonder if there is any concensus about properly describing the winding direction? At any rate, the large pictures help remove any doubt.

I tend to think of the spring winding as the direction I need to remember to reinstall the spring. I don't know if there is a proper way to identify the winding, probably...

So the first spring barrel springs need to be wound clockwise, and the second counter-clockwise. Gotta keep track of the gears, too, keeping them in the right barrels, as they are specific to different winding directions.

CDB