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HMV 34 motor, help needed

Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 3:39 pm
by nostalgia
This maybe should have been posted in the Tips and Tricks section, but I am in the middle of an operation, and I post here so the message is not overlooked. Can someone tell me how I release the spring barrels on a HMV 34 motor? From the photos one can see how far I have come in the process, but now I am stuck. I have earlier serviced a 32 motor, but this "Monster motor" is different, should I hit the axis from one end, and if so what end, or is there another necessary step to do at this stage? I have removed two screws in the axis area, but after that I do not find any more components to remove easily, apart from hitting the axis from one end?

Re: HMV 34 motor, help needed

Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 4:46 pm
by alang
I recently did a similar motor from a VV-330 and after removing the two set screws it only took some light tapping from either side to remove the shaft.

Good luck
Andreas

Re: HMV 34 motor, help needed

Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 7:10 pm
by nostalgia
Thank you, Andreas. I worried I had to tap in one direction only to avoid ruining something. I have really tried to tap ( hit!) the shaft hard at both ends with a hammer and a mandrel, but it is not moving at all. Since this is the first time I service a quadruple spring cylinder motor with two barrels, I started to worry there was a different procedure to remove the shaft, than what I am used to from smaller motors.

Re: HMV 34 motor, help needed

Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 8:01 pm
by JerryVan
nostalgia wrote:Thank you, Andreas. I worried I had to tap in one direction only to avoid ruining something. I have really tried to tap ( hit!) the shaft hard at both ends with a hammer and a mandrel, but it is not moving at all. Since this is the first time I service a quadruple spring cylinder motor with two barrels, I started to worry there was a different procedure to remove the shaft, than what I am used to from smaller motors.
You shouldn't have to hit it very hard at all. I usually just push on one end with a long screwdriver and drive it right out with no hammering at all. Where did you remove screws from? And, did you remove them, or only loosen them?

Re: HMV 34 motor, help needed

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 3:23 am
by nostalgia
Jerry, that is what I also normally do, using a screwdriver and driving the shaft out with minor tapping if needed from one end, when servicing springs on bigger motors, so far on the HMV 32 double spring and Victor equivalent. I started to worry there possibly was another necessary step before driving out the shaft on this HMV 34 motor (also since it has 2 barrels that are connected), since it does not move at all, so far, even when being hit. I stopped the process when hitting the shaft did not help, minor hits, since I absolutely not don't want to ruin something, of course.
I attach a photo of one screw removed, the second smilar screw was attached to the far right on the shaft, but is not visible on this photo. Both screws are removed completely, since I felt their task was to lock the shaft in it's position, even if they are very small.
I have looked closely at the shaft for another 30-50 minutes after removing the screws, spinning the barrels slightly trying to understand if there is something I have missed doing, tapping the shaft from both ends..later on hitting the shaft with the screwdriver/hammer somewhat harder, but can't really understand what else to do than to hit even harder, even if I really don't like the idea of doing it...

Re: HMV 34 motor, help needed

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 9:46 am
by JerryVan
I'm assuming the other screw you removed was in the exact same position as the one you photographed, except adjacent to the right side spring barrel instead of the left? Seems as if something is just gummed up with old hardened grease. First, the shaft should be able to turn in the motor frame. The collars that you removed the screws from should now be able to rotate on the shaft. The winding gear should also be able to rotate on the shaft, as should the large gear the drives the spindle shaft. If any one of these things is still frozen or stuck to the shaft, that's where you have to direct your efforts. I'm thinking the two collars that you removed the screws from are the most likely culprits. If old, dried grease is the the issue, try warming up each of the collars with a propane torch. You don't need to get anything red hot here, maybe just warm enough to smoke a bit. This will melt any dried up grease and should free things up.
The only other possibility that I can think of, is that the motor is very worn and that grooves have worn into the shaft where it rotates in the motor frame. Any such grooves would form "steps", or edges, that will catch on the motor frame and make removal difficult. While pushing on the shaft, try shaking/moving the barrels around to dislodge any such interference if it exists.

Re: HMV 34 motor, help needed

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 9:50 am
by soundgen
make sure you have removed both set screws , these motors and 32 motors can be very difficult to dismantle if never serviced , the grease acts like a glue on the shaft making it almost impossible to remove , hit it hard enough and you risk breaking the casting which I have done in the past , so how to solve this problem ? a blowtorch ! Using a blowtorch heat both ends of both spring barrel mountings and arbors , you need to get it fairly warm and do it outside as you will get a lot of smoke from burning grease ! The heat melts the adhesive grease and you can then gently tap out the spindle , once removed and the spindle cleaned and the arbors cleaned out you will find the spindle can be pushed in and out with your fingers ! If you have been hitting the spindle very hard you may have burred the spindle end over , and will meed to file it smooth if you have you can test this by pushing it in and out of the spring arbor , ALSO remember which way the spring barrels go ! They are mirror images and cannot be exchanged with one another

Advice given without any warranty of any type , best of luck !

Re: HMV 34 motor, help needed

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 10:30 am
by nostalgia
Jerry and Soundgen, this is the information I needed, thanks a lot, I am very grateful ! And yes Jerry, the second screw to the right, fastened to the collar on that side, is also removed.
I will use a propane blowtorch, here comes the pyrotechnics.;) Thank you Soundgen, for also telling that the barrels placement can not be exchanged, I will carefully mark them. And no, I have not hit the spindle too hard, so the ends of the spindle look good. I did not want to apply more force, hoping there was a better way to solve the problem. I did not think about heat, since this is actually the first time I will apply head during a gramophone motor service.

Re: HMV 34 motor, help needed

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 1:18 pm
by Henry
Suggestion for hitting metal: use a wood dowel of proper size, and strike it with a rubber hammer.

Re: HMV 34 motor, help needed

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 1:32 pm
by nostalgia
Thank you, Henry. I was already using a rubber hammer, but not a wood dowel, but it very much makes sense. Metal against metal is never a good idea for such a job, really.