VV2-55 portable tonearm removal problem

[Jim_Cannon]

I have a 2-55 that I am cleaning up thoroughly, inspecting and lubricating. I am having a problem getting the tonearm out of the back bracket. There seems to be a pin inside the mount that prevents the arm from coming up through the bracket. See photo.

What's the secret? Do I need to remove a few rivets? Just finesse it out?

Thanks for your help!

Jim

[BigC]

Well I see I'm not the only one who got stuck with the tonearm. I removed the rivets and out came the ball-bearings but not the tonearm. I'm stuck with the auto stop lever not allowing the tonearm to pass through. At the end I gave up bought a really nice one on ebay because I lost some of the bearings too. If you figure it out let me know.

[VanEpsFan1914]

I have an old 2-65 (not a 2-55) arm in the barn if you need one really badly. Never did figure out how to lubricate these. Between the riveted arm bracket, clicky autobrake, pot metal, and the riveted spring barrels, I think these beautiful but finicky portables are why I appreciate the simplicity of my English-built Columbia Grafonola 202.

[Jim_Cannon]

OK, thanks guys.

A bit of cleaning so far reveals that this pin that is holding the arm in was soldered in. I will try to unsolder it.

If not, I will clean and lubricate everything the best I can without disassembling. Getting the old, hard grease out without ruining the paint finish on the back bracket will be the hard part, but I can do it.

It seems Victor made these machines to be disposable, with this piece impossible to remove and the spring barrel riveted shut. The original black graphite grease in there was as hard as a rock when I opened it.

[pallophotophone]

It seems to me that the pin and the rest of the tonearm bracket being pot metal, it has swollen and jammed itself into the lower bracket.
I've had half a dozen of these things over the years and they were all that way. Thought about drilling out the pin, but doubted that would free it. Tapping it out gently will just cause it to fracture into 100,000 tiny pieces unless extremely lucky. At least that is my experience.
If ever there was a need for a replacement casting for this model machine, I believe that this is it. Don't all of the VV2-55's in existence use this exact bracket?
BTW, this machine really wasn't meant to be a throwaway. It's just that it has outlived the life of pot metal. And the springs generally would not be serviced back then- you'd simply replace the whole barrel if something went wrong. Which is of course what a collector would never do !!

[JerryVan]

It seems to me that the pin and the rest of the tonearm bracket being pot metal...

I don't believe this one is pot metal. It appears to be a metal stamping. Maybe the OP can confirm?

[pallophotophone]

I don't think that a single part with that many planes and intricacies could be stamped. Machined , yes, but costly piecework for an inexpensive machine.
It could have been cast in aluminum by Victor or another company in the repair business using a good Victor part to make a mould taking into consideration shrinkage as it cooled.
If it is a good casting then separating the upper and lower halves should not be difficult. Gentle tapping on the little locator pin visible in the casting ought to create a gap between the 2 parts. The slight edge visible at the base is the line of separation of the 2 parts.

[Jim_Cannon]

It seems to me that the pin and the rest of the tonearm bracket being pot metal...

I don't believe this one is pot metal. It appears to be a metal stamping. Maybe the OP can confirm?

I don't think the back bracket is pot metal. That's not always easy to determine unless it is crumbling.

It looks to me like the pin in the photo has been soldered in. (I cleaned it up after that photo was taken and can see a little silver edge where the pin enters the tone arm.)

I always go back to "how was this thing assembled in the first place?". It has to come apart the same way. I think they added this pin to the tone arm of the portable machine so that, even if the top adjusting screw worked loose, the tone arm would not fall out.

I will attempt to desolder the pin tomorrow morning and will report back.

[JerryVan]

It seems to me that the pin and the rest of the tonearm bracket being pot metal...

I don't believe this one is pot metal. It appears to be a metal stamping. Maybe the OP can confirm?

I don't think the back bracket is pot metal. That's not always easy to determine unless it is crumbling.

It looks to me like the pin in the photo has been soldered in. (I cleaned it up after that photo was taken and can see a little silver edge where the pin enters the tone arm.)

I always go back to "how was this thing assembled in the first place?". It has to come apart the same way. I think they added this pin to the tone arm of the portable machine so that, even if the top adjusting screw worked loose, the tone arm would not fall out.

I will attempt to desolder the pin tomorrow morning and will report back.

Does a magnet stick to the back bracket? If not, it's pot metal and I'd be wrong in my assumption, which occasionally happens (Actually, the more I look at your photos, the more I believe I'm incorrect.)

My thought on your cleaning efforts is that you have far more chance of damage in completely disassmbling, than you will gain in being able to clean things just marginally better than doing so while assembled.

[Jim_Cannon]

I don't believe this one is pot metal. It appears to be a metal stamping. Maybe the OP can confirm?

I don't think the back bracket is pot metal. That's not always easy to determine unless it is crumbling.

It looks to me like the pin in the photo has been soldered in. (I cleaned it up after that photo was taken and can see a little silver edge where the pin enters the tone arm.)

I always go back to "how was this thing assembled in the first place?". It has to come apart the same way. I think they added this pin to the tone arm of the portable machine so that, even if the top adjusting screw worked loose, the tone arm would not fall out.

I will attempt to desolder the pin tomorrow morning and will report back.

Does a magnet stick to the back bracket? If not, it's pot metal and I'd be wrong in my assumption, which occasionally happens (Actually, the more I look at your photos, the more I believe I'm incorrect.)

My thought on your cleaning efforts is that you have far more chance of damage in completely disassmbling, than you will gain in being able to clean things just marginally better than doing so while assembled.

A magnet does not stick. It is pot metal.

I could not unsolder the pin, so I cleaned it in place. It all goes back together tomorrow after I load spring in barrel.

Very hard to clean down by the ball bearings. The grease in there is hard as a rock. I loosened it up and removed a lot. I don't see how I am going to get grease in there on them. Oil will run out when you pick the case up. This tonearm is not a very good design. I have a grease needle I will try.

Thanks for all your help.

EDIT: Added picture of final machine playing a record.