Amberola VIII Fireside Mechanism Repair Prob- belt tensioner

[miker2001]

Harvey Kravitz came to Seattle to help me fix some small problems. I have an Amberola VIII and the spring that holds the belt tensioner was broken. How can we make/fit a spring to get the tensioner to work? Thanks in advance.

Mike Rosen

[Bob]

Ron Sitko sells them. It looks like the same spring used on a Standard.

[miker2001]

Okay, we were able to fashion a temporary spring, until I order one from Ron Sitko. The picture helped a lot.

However, it still runs fast. We oiled everything (feed screw, governor pads, etc), the springs and weights look good, replaced the belt, but it still runs a little fast. I should mention that I bent the on/off pad when I first got the machine, because the governor weights were striking it. I wonder if it is coming back to haunt me.

Anyone have any ideas?

[52089]

Have you tried adjusting the speed control? It's the knurled brass knob/wheel seen at the top of your photos.

[Bob]

If your speed control is bottomed out you can loosen the 2 gov bearing set screws and shift the gov assembly towards the pads. That should slow it down.
Bob

[miker2001]

We adjusted the speed control, underneath the deck. Harvey is on his way home, but will tell him about your suggestion and it looks like it might solve the problem. (I can use the brake to act like a speed control. But that isn't really a satisfactory solution.) Thanks for your help.

[Bob]

You can even loosen the set screw on the small collar on the gov and slide the spring/weight assy on the gov shaft towards the pads to slow it even more.
Bob

[VintageTechnologies]

I think it would be prudent to run the spring down before loosening and shifting the governor assembly. If you accidentally slid the assembly too far that the governor pinion gear disengaged with the larger gear, all hell would break loose.

[Lucius1958]

Okay, we were able to fashion a temporary spring, until I order one from Ron Sitko. The picture helped a lot.

However, it still runs fast. We oiled everything (feed screw, governor pads, etc), the springs and weights look good, replaced the belt, but it still runs a little fast. I should mention that I bent the on/off pad when I first got the machine, because the governor weights were striking it. I wonder if it is coming back to haunt me.

Anyone have any ideas?

Have you checked to see whether the governor flange moves freely on its shaft? If you watch the governor while the motor is running, and the disc does not reach the pads, it may be a sign of a.) something preventing the flange from moving far enough, or b.) someone before you has replaced the springs with too heavy a gauge.

As mentioned before, you can also loosen the set screw on the flange, and move the disc closer to the pads. Make sure the motor is wound down when you do this.

Bill

[FellowCollector]

I have an Amberola VIII and the spring that holds the belt tensioner was broken. How can we make/fit a spring to get the tensioner to work?

I have repaired my own belt drive Edison cylinder phonographs (models A through F and my Amberolas that use a belt drive) for many years and I'm extremely critical of how they sound.

And, with all honesty, you really do not need to use that belt tension mechanism at all. In fact, the belt tension mechanism can help introduce problematic (flutter) playback if it is not in perfect operating condition.

I almost ALWAYS bypass the belt tension mechanism when I make and install new belts for my phonographs. As long as you make and install your drive belt correctly with the correct tension between the drive pulley and the mandrel pulley and the belt tension pulley itself is not inhibiting/resting on the drive pulley then you do not need the belt tension mechanism at all.

Anyone who has listened to any of the Edison belt drive cylinder phonographs playing in my collection (refer to my YouTube channel below) can attest to the fact that they play very well with no flutter or other problem. And, with all of them I do not use the belt tension mechanism.

In your case, if the machine is playing too fast and you have the speed adjustment screw screwed in to its fullest (for slowest setting) then chances are good that the leather on the speed yoke fork is worn down to almost nothing. You should replace the leather(s) on the speed control yoke and you should be good to go. Messing around with the lateral positioning of the governor could create more problems. The governor pinion should always mesh perfectly with its mating large drive gear and moving the governor laterally could disrupt that alignment.

Good luck.

Doug