Victrola fully automatic breaks

[Anna-marie Berliner]

I bought a Victrola vv 4-3 a few days ago for 100 dollars. But something that really interests me about it is the fully automatic break that it comes with. But the groove at the end of the records does not move it enough to activate it. Is there any way I can fix this? Any help is appreciated

[AmberolaAndy]

Might as well ask the obvious: are you playing Victor Scroll era discs with your machine? those are the ones the auto brake usually works with. Some late batwing era discs work too.

I notice the piece of leather that stops the turntable on your machine is missing. I heard a piece of an old sewing machine belt might fix it.

Here a video on how to fix the issue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyVliUR9gP8

[Anna-marie Berliner]

Yes, but the groove at the end of the record doesn’t move it enough to actually activate it.

[JohnM]

It’s missing the brake pad.

[JohnM]

Yes, but the groove at the end of the record doesn’t move it enough to actually activate it.

Just to re-examine Andy’s response: Acoustical-era discs have a run-out groove that moves the needle towards the center of the record a short distance and then holds it in a circle. That type of groove works with the manually-set auto-brake. In the Orthophonic-era, the run-out groove was made eccentric so that it would carry the needle toward the center and then back out to trip the brake. Your fully-automatic brake will only function with an eccentric run-out groove.

[Anna-marie Berliner]

I might not have been very clear. I know the leather on the break is missing. I took that picture earlier today and have since replaced it. I’m playing orthophonic records. My problem is that when the needle reaches the end of the record the brake isn’t triggered since it isn’t moved back far enough. But I do appreciate the help

[gramophone-georg]

I might not have been very clear. I know the leather on the break is missing. I took that picture earlier today and have since replaced it. I’m playing orthophonic records. My problem is that when the needle reaches the end of the record the brake isn’t triggered since it isn’t moved back far enough. But I do appreciate the help

First, make sure that the little "finger" is actually making contact with the serrated edge that's adjustable as it is moved to where the end of the record would be.If it isn't, then adjust the serrated edge with the two flat head screws one way or another till it does. Make sure it contacts where it would be at about ¾ of the way through a record or so.

If that's good, either the short spring has too little tension or the long spring has too much. Too little tension on the short spring means that the eccentric stopping groove will "wave" the two flat bars that the tonearm stud fits through but it won't trip the brake.

Too much tension on the long spring means that even if the other part IS tripping, there's too much tension against the arm pointing to the actual brake to release.

The adjustments to make things functional both at the serrated part and the springs are pretty minute, so don't overcompensate or you'll have the opposite problem.

Hope this makes sense.

[Detrbear]

I saw this problem with a friend's Credenza last fall. The rod that hangs from the underside of the tone arm fits between the spring loaded arms of the brake. The two screws that hold that rod to the tone arm were very slightly loose, so the rod wobbled almost imperceptibly. I tightened those two screws, and the brake worked fine. It was surprising how little it took to make it work again.

[gramophone-georg]

I saw this problem with a friend's Credenza last fall. The rod that hangs from the underside of the tone arm fits between the spring loaded arms of the brake. The two screws that hold that rod to the tone arm were very slightly loose, so the rod wobbled almost imperceptibly. I tightened those two screws, and the brake worked fine. It was surprising how little it took to make it work again.

Good point- this is also very plausible. Always start with the simplest possibility.

[Anna-marie Berliner]

Thank you!! Just tried it and finally it worked. I would have never in a million years thought that was the problem.