The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hey guys, I haven't posted here in a while. After working on a Victrola XIV motor this afternoon, I thought I'd ask a question that's been perplexing me for a long time.

So often when I find "straight out of the attic" Victors, many of them tend to share a common problem. It seems as if the platter and/or spindle has "sunken" a fraction of an inch over time. The result is that the platter grinds and rubs on the brake assembly, or worse, it grinds onto the wooden motor board. This often leaves me either trying to find a creative way to lift the platter a tiny bit, or more often, taking a file to the tips of the brake assembly. Does anybody know what causes this problem? Is it the ball bearing wearing down over time? Thanks!

Humm. Haven't experienced this with Victors, but have that issue with a Columbia "Eclipse" table model. A pragmatic and easily reversable, albeit none too elegant, fix for that one was just to put a narrow band of tape around the lower part of the spindle, making it a bit fatter so that the turntable did not settle down on it as far.

Clay

Is there any evidence that the motor has been apart ? There is supposed to be a single ball=bearing un the spindle at the bottom-end, to reduce friction... if the spindle was out and this little bearing went missing, that could account for a drop in the spindle/turntable...


Also, check the bolts the secure the motor frame to the motor-board: make sure the heads haven't "buried into the deck", allowing the motor to drop slightly ( tightening should correct this), or that "too thick" washers were installed between the motor frame and the motor-board...

Those are my thoughts right off the top of my head...

Shane wrote:Hey guys, I haven't posted here in a while. After working on a Victrola XIV motor this afternoon, I thought I'd ask a question that's been perplexing me for a long time.

So often when I find "straight out of the attic" Victors, many of them tend to share a common problem. It seems as if the platter and/or spindle has "sunken" a fraction of an inch over time. The result is that the platter grinds and rubs on the brake assembly, or worse, it grinds onto the wooden motor board. This often leaves me either trying to find a creative way to lift the platter a tiny bit, or more often, taking a file to the tips of the brake assembly. Does anybody know what causes this problem? Is it the ball bearing wearing down over time? Thanks!

Well, steel is not going to settle....that's for sure. However, what will start to deteriorate are the pads between the motor and the motor board. By changing them.....should bring everything back up to the correct height. When you change the pads.....you also need to make sure the motor is level. Over tightening one screw can put the level out ie; over toward the brake,etc..... So, just try to keep the torque even. Hope that works...

True... I suppose the pads could have something to do with it, making the machine tilt at a weird angle and a collision occur. I repair phonographs from time to time for people, and I would say 75% of the Victor machines I've seen have this problem when I first get them.