The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have a Triumph E with a slight warble, narrowed it down to the governor (with a swap). This does have the angled stabilizer wire setup, which looks good. I have disassembled and cleaned it up and improved things with the ink marker trick. But, all 4 springs have a moderate V bend to them. These springs are peened to the weights, so flattening them is no easy task. I would probably have to heat them. Wish I could buy replacements, but that appears to be a pipedream.

I assume these need to be flattened to remove the flutter. Any pointers? Also, how are they properly adjusted on the slotted end?

While trying over and over to cure the warble in a friend's Triumph, I eventually discovered the importance of having all governor springs with their round holes (slotted holes too, of course!) positioned on the same side.

George P.

Thanks George. I have learned that on a prior adventure. Do the springs need to be flattened?

Do NOT heat the springs, it will ruin them.

I do not believe they need to be flattened, but I would think that they should all have the same arch.

JerryVan wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 7:55 pm Do NOT heat the springs, it will ruin them.

I do not believe they need to be flattened, but I would think that they should all have the same arch.

I agree with Jerry - the governor springs don't need to be flattened, but they should all look the same.

George P.

While you were advising me not to heat them, I was in the shop deciding not to use heat. The springs are thin, but also look to be hardened. Took all 4 off and straightened them with my hands so they had only a minimal bend. Then I reassembled and she was quiet and smooth, with no apparent warble. I find most of the noise and flutter is almost always in the governor.

So, the key is to disassemble and clean the components, then reassemble after straightening the springs evenly but not flat. BUT, these were too bent and uneven before I addressed it and that was the cause of the warble. Thanks for the help, guys. I'll leave this up so somebody else can benefit.

BTW, I have an idea the way they get bent is by physical force, perhaps trying to remove the governor the easy way. Take your time and don't force it. If you remove the set screws, it pops right out.

danohallaron wrote: Mon Jun 23, 2025 4:23 pm I have a Triumph E with a slight warble, narrowed it down to the governor (with a swap). This does have the angled stabilizer wire setup, which looks good. I have disassembled and cleaned it up and improved things with the ink marker trick. But, all 4 springs have a moderate V bend to them. These springs are peened to the weights, so flattening them is no easy task. I would probably have to heat them. Wish I could buy replacements, but that appears to be a pipedream.

I assume these need to be flattened to remove the flutter. Any pointers? Also, how are they properly adjusted on the slotted end?

What is the ink marker trick?

If you suspect your governor spring/weights are out of sync: Start your machine. Then, take a marker, preferably a dry erase and working off a non-moving piece you move it forward into the path of the spinning weights. If one gets some ink on it, that weight is out of sync with the others. You can also move it around to different parts of the weights to see if they are crooked.

Thanks, Dan. I bought four new governor weights and simply installed them. I have thought the machine might run more smoothly with some fine tuning.