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Re: A Vic III New To Me
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2024 9:56 am
by Dischoard
Quite so! Wow, folks really got resourceful when they didn’t want to deal with springs. Thanks for that post. What did you end up doing with that motor?
Re: A Vic III New To Me
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2024 12:47 pm
by mrrgstuff
It was a spare motor, bought in the hope it might have some decent springs!

It doesn't make financial sense to repair it, as it needs 2 new springs and will probably leak grease out of the bolt holes, once the bolts are removed. Probably end up as spare parts.
I did buy this other one which was rather better:
https://youtu.be/1YA8lxv9LGo
Re: A Vic III New To Me
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2024 7:50 pm
by JerryVan
Sorry to say, your governor is not right either. The friction disc appears to maybe be from a Columbia. Do I see 2 weights, or the proper 3? Any more pictures of it??
Re: A Vic III New To Me
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2024 9:35 pm
by kiwiatlarge
Jerry is right that the governor friction part is wrong. From the photos, the rest of the governor looks right. I believe this is the right part.
https://thephonographshop.com/products/ ... s=e&_v=1.0. The Phonograph Shop also has the governor weights and springs if you need them.
Don't feel too bad. It looks a nice machine and we've all bought a machine online, got it home, opened it up and got that sinking feeling. Restoring it back to original parts is half the fun and it's very satisfying once you get there. And in about three years you will forget how much it cost you and it will become a great story to swap with other collectors.
Michael
Re: A Vic III New To Me
Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2024 10:22 am
by Dischoard
kiwiatlarge wrote: Sat Jul 20, 2024 9:35 pm
Don't feel too bad. It looks a nice machine and we've all bought a machine online, got it home, opened it up and got that sinking feeling. Restoring it back to original parts is half the fun and it's very satisfying once you get there. And in about three years you will forget how much it cost you and it will become a great story to swap with other collectors.
Michael
Thanks Jerry and Michael, THAT is why belonging to a group like this is imperative for anyone fixing up an old machine new to them, it takes a village to raise a phonograph. I do look forward to fixing this up bit by bit, it sort of prolongs the satisfaction and will make the first play even sweeter.
Am I right that the motors in an L-door Vic are the same as a Vic III? If that’s the case I may swap mine around and then worry about the L-door later. At the very least I can use one as a reference for another.
Someone mentioned maybe the tonearm dowel being down inside the back bracket. Alas, that is not the case. Any hope of finding this part? I also think the shaft in the tonearm is missing a pin. I’ll post pictures.
This will be quite a project but I’m excited to start, I even dream about it at night (which actually makes for fitful sleeping), thanks all!
Re: A Vic III New To Me
Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2024 11:10 am
by kiwiatlarge
Dischoard wrote: Sun Jul 21, 2024 10:22 am
kiwiatlarge wrote: Sat Jul 20, 2024 9:35 pm
Don't feel too bad. It looks a nice machine and we've all bought a machine online, got it home, opened it up and got that sinking feeling. Restoring it back to original parts is half the fun and it's very satisfying once you get there. And in about three years you will forget how much it cost you and it will become a great story to swap with other collectors.
Michael
Thanks Jerry and Michael, THAT is why belonging to a group like this is imperative for anyone fixing up an old machine new to them, it takes a village to raise a phonograph. I do look forward to fixing this up bit by bit, it sort of prolongs the satisfaction and will make the first play even sweeter.
Am I right that the motors in an L-door Vic are the same as a Vic III? If that’s the case I may swap mine around and then worry about the L-door later. At the very least I can use one as a reference for another.
Someone mentioned maybe the tonearm dowel being down inside the back bracket. Alas, that is not the case. Any hope of finding this part? I also think the shaft in the tonearm is missing a pin. I’ll post pictures.
This will be quite a project but I’m excited to start, I even dream about it at night (which actually makes for fitful sleeping), thanks all!
The part you need is this one:
https://thephonographshop.com/products/ ... er-bearing. You may also need this one if it's not in taper arm.
https://thephonographshop.com/products/ ... s=e&_v=1.0. The missing screw may be this one:
https://thephonographshop.com/products/ ... aa60&_ss=r Finally you need a spring inside the bracket to put pressure in bearing and hold it in place. They are sold out at the Phonograph Shop (
https://thephonographshop.com/products/ ... 642c&_ss=r) yet any compression spring of the same size from amazon will work.
The VTLA motor is not the same it’s a 3 spring and the III had a two spring motor. Many parts are likely interchangeable but not the whole motor. Yours looks very fixable and depending on your location there are some really good folk out there who will work on it for you if it gets too challenging to do yourself.
Re: A Vic III New To Me
Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2024 2:51 pm
by Hoodoo
You wouldn’t have to grind ALL of the welded on bits from the barrels if you are worried that doing so might do inadvertent damage. Once you cut through the coat hanger, or nail or whatever that rod is, to separate the barrels and you replace the spring, it will work with those unsightly blobs in place.
I see there is not much heat discolouration on the barrels though, so I suspect that cold-looking weld hasn’t penetrated through the steel and might be easily removed with some careful grinding.
Re: A Vic III New To Me
Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2024 7:02 pm
by Dischoard
Hoodoo wrote: Sun Jul 21, 2024 2:51 pm
You wouldn’t have to grind ALL of the welded on bits from the barrels if you are worried that doing so might do inadvertent damage. Once you cut through the coat hanger, or nail or whatever that rod is, to separate the barrels and you replace the spring, it will work with those unsightly blobs in place.
I see there is not much heat discolouration on the barrels though, so I suspect that cold-looking weld hasn’t penetrated through the steel and might be easily removed with some careful grinding.
That is good to keep in mind, thanks!
Re: A Vic III New To Me
Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2024 7:04 pm
by Dischoard
Um, you’re absolutely right, that is not a Vic governor. Crazy that someone got it to fit. Is the Vic III governor specific or could I use one from, say, a VV-X donor which I happen to have

Re: A Vic III New To Me
Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2024 7:10 pm
by Dischoard
kiwiatlarge wrote: Sun Jul 21, 2024 11:10 am
The VTLA motor is not the same it’s a 3 spring and the III had a two spring motor. Many parts are likely interchangeable but not the whole motor. Yours looks very fixable and depending on your location there are some really good folk out there who will work on it for you if it gets too challenging to do yourself.
I seem to remember mine only being two spring? I’ll take a look and see. It’s an XVI? I notice the tonearm is the same though gold… bummer. I’m sure I’ll be able to handle the work, looking forward to it actually. I love the mechanical side of these AND YouTube is my friend
