Rockola 445 frustration

My 445 was working beautifully, but every so often it would pick up a record incorrectly. So, I followed the instructions in the manual and adjusted the position of the gripper arm. This didn't help. Then I went off script and figured that the arm wasn't fully gripping the record because it wasn't going down deep enough into the magazine, so I manually turned the nub. At the bottom of the gripper motor figuring that might help. It didn't. By turning the nub the gripper engaged (ie gripped the record). Now, I can't un grip it. In fact, as soon as I flipped it to operation mode, it jammed and now I can't un-jam it. Can anyone help? Is there a reverse mode? Dr. Jeck, charlottesvile, Virginia

You turned "what" "nub" ?
Ron Rich

Little knob sounds better. I'm talking about the little knob on the bottom of the gripper motor that you can turn in order to manually move the gripper arm up and down.

That's the motor armature shaft--did you "turn it so far it's jammed" ? If so, turn it back, and replace the blown fuse, or push the "mech CB"--whichever was installed in that phono--
Ron Rich

Ron. Replaced the fuse, and unjammed the motor. As soon as I flip to operate, it jams again. It seems like the motor doesn't know when to stop. In other words, it seems like if the motor were moving in the other direction (ie taking a record out rather than putting one back in), it would be okay. Dave

It's the gripper motor. The nylon gear inside the motor is stripped causing the motor to seize up.