Unusual Seeburg Selection Problem

Q&A about all types of jukeboxes: Wurlitzer, Seeburg, Rock-Ola, AMI, and more.



Topic author
carl_694
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Location: York, PA, United States

Unusual Seeburg Selection Problem

by carl_694 » Mon Aug 25, 2014 5:23 am

Hey all,
Got an R, recently completed a refurb. It included a full pinbank cleaning and rebuild. Since completing and putting into service, I've noticed a random problem and haven't seen it referenced elsewhere, though it probably has been. Here's what happens: You play A1, for example, but the mech doesn't move. Then you select another song and the mech begins to move. It will play A1 and the other selection as normal. It's almost like the mech doesn't "realize" A1 was selected until after the second selection is input. Only happens once in a while. No noticed consistencies. Machine otherwise works great. Seems weird.


Ron Rich
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Re: Unusual Seeburg Selection Problem

by Ron Rich » Mon Aug 25, 2014 4:39 pm

Carl,
That's perhaps the MOST common problem the electro/mechanical Seeburgs ( and some RockOla's) have----( and the main reason Seeburg went to the "Tormat" system).
The "ground start" washer is failing to make a good contact--read your Service Manual, trouble shooting guide section, for suggestions. Ron Rich


Topic author
carl_694
Regular Member
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2014 10:30 pm
Location: York, PA, United States

Re: Unusual Seeburg Selection Problem

by carl_694 » Mon Aug 25, 2014 9:00 pm

Ok. I presume you mean the little washer at the bottom of each pin. I had read the manual but ruled it out as it was inconsistent and because it doesn't affect the same selection routinely. I hope this doesn't mean I need to take that bank apart again! What a PIA.


Rob-NYC
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Re: Unusual Seeburg Selection Problem

by Rob-NYC » Tue Aug 26, 2014 3:18 am

If the pins are truly free to move, the problem is then poor contacts.

Are the ground wires on the group commoning relays (in memory unit) intact with continuity?

Have you examined and cleaned the contacts in the credit unit. This is where the pulse it generated.

Has the keyboard been washed? Dirty contacts will certainly cause this problem. Remove latchbar solenoid and counter before washing. If you have a schematic and continuity tester (DVM, etc) you can avoid washing the keyboard if you have low resistance in the contacts. .

Rob-NYC
"If we believe absurdities, we shall commit atrocities" -- Voltaire


Ron Rich
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Location: Millbrae (San Francisco area)CA, USA

Re: Unusual Seeburg Selection Problem

by Ron Rich » Tue Aug 26, 2014 5:02 pm

Rob, Carl
Rob, You must have mis-read this one--
The ONLY thing possible, in what you wrote, is the pin is not being FULLY pulled to the selected state, and the "dresser" is pushing it the rest of the way. This is a pretty rare occurrence, which must caught in the following manor:
One must make a selection, and have the mechanism not move. WHEN this happens, one must physically determine if the pin has moved over half way, or not moved at all. It "hasta have" moved over half way, or the dresser will return it to the non-selected state, prior to it being played, in most cases(this ASSUMES, of course, that the dresser is working properly!).
If the pin is NOT being "pulled, at all", other factors listed, are in play.
As for the question of "do I have to dis-assemble the pinbank"--dono--depends on if it is correctly assembled or not, and how you "cleaned" it--About 50 %of the pinbanks (SAU's) I have rebuilt over the years, are assembled incorrectly--somewhere--when sent to me for rebuilding.
BTW--I have yet to find a 100 % cure for this problem--lack of use, will cause that washer to fail to make good contact. Ron Rich

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