The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I wonder if anyone can help me.... I have an HMV Model 160 (I think, from internet research) that I've had a few years but am looking to sell. However, it's recently developed an issue that I really need to fix first.

Basically, the speed wanders around all over the place, gradually getting faster and faster again before slowing right down. If I loosen the nut and set the speed on the dial and re-tighten, it has no real effect.

I'm probably doing something obviously wrong, but any help would be gratefully appreciated.

In my experience, a common problem with HMV motors. As the governors get up to speed, they slide along a central shaft. That shaft gets dry and sticky, causing the governors to travel erratically. The whole assembly needs to be taken out of the motor, the governors slid off the central shaft, and everything cleaned thoroughly before re-assembling with a drop of thin oil on the shaft.

Barry

Thanks very much...

As someone with no real knowledge of the workings of these, is that something straightforward to do?

Slenver wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2023 10:01 am
As someone with no real knowledge of the workings of these, is that something straightforward to do?

It's a fairly straightforward procedure, but it involves removing the governors, and they can be a bit tricky to set up again. You might get away with cleaning what part of the central shaft you can see, and then running the motor whilst dripping cleaning fluid onto the shaft as the governor weights slide along. Give the cleaner a few minutes to evaporate and then apply a little thin oil to the shaft. All might be well now, but if not, come back and I'll explain the more detailed method. Good luck!

Barry

Brilliant, thanks very much for your help.

I'm afraid I've ignored the problem for a while, but have finally unscrewed it and taken the mechanism out.

It all seems very well greased still and works smoothly.

Is the lever that connects to the speed controller supposed to drop back into place though? There's nothing currently that causes it to return, just the thin rod that pushes it down and then leaves it there. It does feel like there's a slight spring action that should maybe return it, but I don't really know what I'm looking at of course, though it looks fairly gunked up at the other end.

Yes, there is a spring that keeps tension on the lever arm so that it is always in contact with the speed adjuster screw. Can you show us a picture of the other end of that lever, where it interacts with the governor?

JerryVan wrote: Mon Jan 29, 2024 11:01 am Yes, there is a spring that keeps tension on the lever arm so that it is always in contact with the speed adjuster screw. Can you show us a picture of the other end of that lever, where it interacts with the governor?

Absolutely...

Usually, in the area of the left arrow, there is a coil spring, wrapped around the speed control shaft, that applies tension on the shaft to keep it engaged with the control screw. One of 2 things has likely happened. 1. It's either missing/broken, or... 2. There is so much dried and hardened old oil/grease that the shaft is too gummed up to move. At least by the force of the spring anyway. Also, the double arrow on the right points to more of dried goo that needs to be completely removed before you have any chance of good speed control. I'm pretty sure that the cleaning will need to go even beyond the boundaries of what I've indicated.

Thanks you.

Yes, I can see the spring but it doesn't appear to be doing too much, and there's just the slightest amount of springing back when the controller is moved.

I can try and clean what I can (admittedly it actually looks pretty clean to the naked eye) but everything moves nice and smoothly to the touch. I fear the spring itself is past its best, though in honesty I've barely used the gramophone at all over the few years I've had it and it was fine until recently.