1961 Sears Silvertone Syntronic phonograph-- Please Help

Hi,
I recently acquired a 1961 Sears Silvertone Syntronic Phonograph Am\Fm Stereo cabinet. Chassis number is 528 57283.
I am new to restoring phonographs, looking for advice and help.
The radio and speakers work great.
The phonograph needs repair.
It seems to spin fine but might need some attention.

It did not come with a cartridge or needle and the wires to the cartridge\needle are no longer attached. I have them but do not know where to resolder\reconnect them.

First two questions:
1. Where do I find a cartridge\needle for it. Numbers on the sticker on the tonearm 5811d 5812d. ??
2. Where do the wires that go to the cartridge attach?

other questions:
What parts should I clean and what should I use to clean them?
What parts need to be greased? What kind of grease do I use?
Where can I find a parts diagram\ schematics ?

What parts should I check as far as to replace repair them?

Thank You in advance for any information, tips and advice.
I have had luck on other forums with help regaurding other projects of mine such as restoring vw bugs. So I thought I would give this forum a shot.
---Matt

I am going to answer your questions with questions. First how commited are you to finishing this as this is a big project. I work a lot with my two jobs but it usually takes me several months to a year at least to do something like this. This is not something to learn on. You will need to know what you are doing when you get inside the belly of this beast. Are you mechanically inclined? Do you know your way around vintage electronics and the lethal voltages contained therein? You may think it needs some attention but I can assure you that a 53 year old set like that needs a complete restoration if it is to operate reliably and safely. You will want survey and replace all paper and electrolytic capacitors in the tuner/amplifier along with any resistors found out of spec. Lest you be inclined to think this is an unnecessary step please see the sticky at the to of this forum called "Required Viewing". I usually get my caps from (justradios.com) though I am not endorsing them. The crossover capacitors should also be replaced. Then the changer will need to be taken apart, though not usually all the way for cleaning, degreasing and relubing. Sams Photofacts might have the schematics you need. You can find them online. Eprey may have the cartridge you want or a suitable substitute. You have to be willing to spend some time online looking for the parts you need but I can tell you they are out there. Youtube has some videos which can help with capacitor replacement and various aspects of this restoration and there are "(How to's)" all over the net regarding capacitor relacement.. I hope this helps. If you do decide to go forward with this keep us informed and we will help as we can.

Hi,
THank you for the response. Yes I am willing to take on a project like this. I have found a cartridge and needle and they are in the mail. I would first like to get the phonograph working so it will play records. Once I am able to do that I do not have a problem with doing a full restoration as far as replacing capacitors and resistors and what ever else I need to do. I am not confident in my soldering skills however I have done a couple of cap kits on arcade monitors from the 80's. And there is quite a bit of high voltage in those monitors. Working on something this old and this type of electronics is very foreign to me. And this is something for me to learn on, regardless of how you feel. The only way I can learn about something like this is to do it. And I acquired this cabinet for free, so right now all it is costing me is time and it's worth putting some money into for parts that are needed.
Thank you for the lead on sams photofacts it looks like they do have schematics for my model which I have not been able to find on other sites so I think I will be purchasing those soon. Hopefully they will show me where to solder the cartridge wire harness. I think I have figured out where it is supposed to go but not sure which wire to solder where.
Thanks for the tips and I'll update you guys as I make progress.

Post pictures of this "wiring harness". You should never use a soldering iron anywhere near a cartridge. You will destroy it. There should be small clips that plug onto the cartridge. When you recap the amp I strongly suggest you put an in-line fuse where the power enters the set to protect it and you.

I got the cartridge\needle in the mail today. I was talking about the other end of the wiring harness, not the cartridge end. The end which attaches to the chassis of the phonograph. I was able to take a closer look underneath it and saw where the red white and ground wires were going into the chassis from the amp (sorry my terminology might not be correct) I was able to figure out which wire went where, for tonight i just used alligator clips to those spots and then twisted the ends of them to the wiring harness wires and am able to get it to play. Now that I am confident I know where the wires need to be soldered I will do that later this week.
So where do I go from here?

before I get into replacing the capacitors I want to clean up the phonograph and regrease what ever needs to be greased and clean what needs to be cleaned.
so what should I clean it with and what type of grease should I use?
and what parts need to be greased?
What parts need to be cleaned?
Any suggestions?

I'll take pictures of the wiring harness and where I need to solder it and post them. So you can see what I was talking about.
Thanks Again

And thanks for the tip on the inline fuse, recommendations on size of fuse? amps \ volts?

Take lots of pictures of the underside of the changer with many close-ups. You will need them later, trust me. If you do not have a service manual for the changer, you are at a disadvantage so look for the model number underneath if you can find it and post it on the forums perhaps someone will have one. Note where you find dried up grease and oil for when you re-lube it. Electronic cleaner/degreaser works, as well as isopropyl alcohol, I have used brake cleaner on some stubborn metal parts. Never use any of this on plastics... EVER. Toothbrushes, small round brushes and q-tips work well. I usually spray the brush and clean rather than spray the mechanism to reduce chance of overspray and droplets from getting on sensitive parts. I use a good grade of sewing machine oil and turbine oil and a lighter grade of grease. Phonograph lube is still sold but I've not bought any in years. The details have already been written about on other sites, such as disassembly and reassembly of the motor and tone arm bearings so I am not going in get that detailed here. You need to search this and any other forums you are on. I know they are there because I still refer to them when I get stuck. Take notes, draw pictures and diagrams, take pictures and above all, take your time.

Thanks for the tips. I appreciated it

Also, forgot to mention, I use a 3 amp (automotive style) fuse in a fuse holder for consoles in most cases.

Hammond Oil (for those screaming tone wheel, tube models used in alot of rock bands and just about any Black church) also works well. It's supposed to be finer than sewing maching oil and is made to military specs, . Just some info shared from the past. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona
Hammond C3, 122 Leslie, PR40Tone Cabinet
Baldwin Concert Artist 9-FT Concert Grand

Tips on cleaning and lubrication of the record changer parts:

- I use ordinary isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) to clean with. Never wash down an entire mechanism. This transfers unwanted lube into the wrong areas, making problems appear. I usually use Q-tips to clean parts that do not snag them.

- Always remove hardened or congealed lube before applying new.

- Use a light grease on sliding parts. That record changer has a slide cam that controls the various functions of the changer as it slides back and forth. But avoid white lithium grease, especially with tube sets. It vaporizes with the heat of tubes and coats the electronics with a thin film. At tube voltages, and the line voltage parts of transistor sets, this can cause electrical leakages that can cause a malfunction.

- I use Lubriplate or Phonolube for grease. Phonolube was made by GC, but is now discontinued. I bought all they had (3 tubes) in the electronics store when it was discontinued. If you are into jukeboxes, coin machine lube works too.

- Use light oil (#20 or #30) on motors, rotating, and pivoted parts, and most ball bearings. Note that 3-in-1 oil is a little too light. If tube temperatures are encountered, it disappears, leaving the parts unlubricated.

- DO NOT lubricate certain parts. The part that trip the change cycle usually must remain clean and dry to work properly. Trip failures are often caused by an amateur lubricating the trip mechanism. The change cycle then either starts too early, does not start, or repeats over and over. Lubricating the trip mechanism can also cause the stylus to jump grooves. If there is a point with too much friction, often powdered graphite works.

- If the arm pivots are lubricated at all, the kind of lubricant depends on the kind of bearings. Pin bearings (e.g. the horizontal pivot of the arm that lets it move up and down) and cone bearings usually require no lube at all. The vertical pivot usually requires you to analyze what lubricant is already there. Often there is a damped lubricant that is no longer available. I have had good luck with a mixture of Vaseline and #30 oil. My modified Collaro changer has had the same pivot lube in it since 1978.