The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I picked up a VV-X for $80 with 100 records (20 of which are useable, including a V-disc, can't wait to check that one out). I only have 5 or 6 machines, this was the first I had picked up with a rumble so awful my wife and kids thought ice was coming off the roof or a truck was hitting our house. So I decided I would try my hand at tearing apart a rather non-collectable specimen. I learned a lot, it was fun and now my baby don't rumble no more! I'll try my hand at my VV-400 next, it's rumble is much less energetic

I first restored the reproducer with new gaskets and back rubber flange. I tried my hand at boiling the old one in wintergreen oil to soften it up with mixed results, needless to say my time is worth more than that.

Here are a couple of photos of the process. I'll tell you, the hardest part of the whole thing was hooking the springs back into the barrels. These pre-clip Victrolas require a little bit of a wrestling match if you're going to reach the finish line for sure.
These two shots are just to show the shape of the nickel. This came completely clean with some #0000 steel wool.
I'm betting a bit of kerosene would have been an easier way to clean. I used Gojo shop wipes and then rags with WD40 to cut through the real hardened grease on the springs.
Tried to get a shot of the Victor logo but didn't quite come out. I was so happy to find no corrosion or cracks in the springs.
Packing the springs back in was tough but I prevailed. They got a good dose of new grease and a little bit of motor oil before reassembly.
After reassembly I oiled her up to test her out. She behaved perfectly! I opened her up one more time to give everything that makes contact with something else a bit of grease or oil. Now she purrs like a kitten and doesn't give my family a heart attack!
All finished! Now I'll get to work on the cabinet and see if I can find a couple of door knobs that appear to be missing.

Wow! NIce work, and what a luck to take this marvel for only 80 bucks!

Does the motor have adequate power when wound up? The spring should be much bigger in diameter when it is out of the barrel.

It has enough to play two 12" records without re-winding. I don't know if that's good. Before I took that picture I wound it up enough so that it would fit in the frame and, I don't know if you can tell, but I'm holding it in a way so as to keep it from expanding using a little bit of friction from the table to help keep it in place.

Congratulations! and nice work. I just finished rebuilding a VV-X too, and so nice to not have the rumbling.

As far as hooking the springs back into the barrel, I place the end of the spring an inch or two ahead of the hook on the barrel, and then lay in the first full coil of spring. This allows the spring to lay flat in the barrel, then you can turn the barrel (or pull the spring around) until the hole in the spring slips right over the hook. It takes some practice, but is much easier than trying to catch the hook while wrestling with the entire spring. Hope my description makes sense...

That certainly does, great tip, I'll have to try that next time.

Looks like I'm fighting a completely different fight with this next one, pair of double spring barrels on my VV-400. I'm going to film the whole thing and post it on YouTube as there seems to be nothing on there currently. Sometimes it's just as helpful following someone who has little idea of what they're doing as it does to follow someone who knows. At least that way you can learn what NOT to do

Good luck on the 4 spring rebuild. It's not hard to do. I would recommend you grease as you go. I used a brush, layed a loop of spring, greased and so on. After you get the lower spring in use a wood block to tap it down in all the way.

Steve

.... I would add : especially the outer turns which are pressed against the wall of the barrel, are the most difficult to put in place, they may have been placed not deep enough into the barrel. They are the first ones you insert into the barrel, inclined, so they must be later forced down completely after the whole spring has been installed.
The intermediate plate that separates both springs into the barrel is the best test : when dropped down into place it must seat neatly on top of the bottom spring, leaving all clearance for the next one.
Use a sharp palette tool, pressing down the outer turns against the bottom of the barrel. I sometimes use a wide screwdriver to bring them completely down. A judicious and careful force by hand can do the trick.
Today in the afternoon I will install the springs on one of those double spring barrels of an hmv no32 motor (a Burton motor with one barrel). One spring has broken. Let's hope it is the outer one!

The one thing i hate about those motors is the rear governor adjustment screw is under the spring barrel, if you have to adjust the governor its a pain to get to. I had to use needle nose.

I hear you. That was the one thing I was fretting as I was finishing this up. I already had to have the bolt all the way down when I first got this so knew it had to be adjusted. It's a matter of trial and error, lift and check, lift and check...