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Ok.... I have an Aladdin Victrola that has issues and need some tips on fixing it.
The first is when winding, the crank will snap back violently. I assume it’s a pawl issue.
Why do I assume? Well, I can’t get the crank out. I’ve tried and it won’t back out. It just spins freely in reverse. Now, another issue is, how do I access the motor? As seen in the pictures, the bottom is nailed on. I can easily damage the base to get at the motor, but I don’t want to do that. Once the crank is out, I can remove the motor board an see what the issue is...
Any advice?

Remove the screws securing the top, then hold the spindle with one hand and unscrew your 3 motor screws with the other. Let the motor down gently then take off the top.

If the motor screws have extra nuts on them underneath let the weight of the motor sit on the nuts till they hopefully drop out.

If this doesn't work you'll need to try to remove the bottom of the horn as I think the motor sits in the horn on that model. You'll need to secure the winding crank stub it threads to, then you'll be able to remove the crank.

I had a similar issue with a different type of machine. This video (about 2:40 into it) shows what I did:

https://youtu.be/zQ61TRVAmr4

What I did was pop off the bottom, it was barely held in with the factory nails. I took a very long needle nose vice grips and held where the crank goes into the motor. It unwound with little effort. Them removed the motor board, and motor from that.
The issue is that the “pawl” system isn’t working allowing the crank to spin in either direction.
Thanks everyone!

While I have not worked on this specific motor yet, I assume that it works similarly to other Victor motors. The piece with the female thread that takes the crank is secured to the shaft with a tapered pin. These often get sheared off and need to be replaced. Shouldn't be too difficult.

Andreas

The "pawl" is not the usual style that Victor used. It's the dreaded clutch spring device. A spring that wraps around the winding shaft and allows the shaft to turn easily in one direction, while tightening on the shaft and stopping it in the other direction. That is... until the spring breaks.

Jerry is right, those springs are dreaded. Does anyone know of a source for replacements.

A few years ago I bought its twin, the VV1-1, the victrolina from a collector and when I bought it he rebuilt the motor just prior to me buying it. I contacted him and Yes! He had the parts needed to repair the pawl system. So he will disassemble,
clean, rebuild, repair the motor. He’s done it multiple times already..

JerryVan wrote: Wed Jun 15, 2022 11:44 am The "pawl" is not the usual style that Victor used. It's the dreaded clutch spring device. A spring that wraps around the winding shaft and allows the shaft to turn easily in one direction, while tightening on the shaft and stopping it in the other direction. That is... until the spring breaks.

That's the problem I had. The non return spring had broken and I needed to make and fit a new one. I made a video of that too!
https://youtu.be/6yn4ah9bkNg