Rock-Ola - Grease and Oil

Hi all, non-typical lubrication question here...

Does anybody know what was used or what now should be used for the gear housings on the gripper and magazine motors? Inside is the worm gear off the driveshaft going to a nylon gear. It looks like at one point they were packed with vaseline(which I didn't think was nylon safe).

Secondly - any recommendations for what should be used in the infamous write-in motor gearbox? I cant tell what it was at this point - it's like caramel candy.

Thanks

Well,
Since you did not supply a model number, or state if it's a 78,45, or CD player, and since they used the same "basic" gripper design in all, it is difficult to say.
The 78's and 45's all appear to have used a SMALL amount of "Graphite Grease", which I dilute with SAE 20 wt ND oil. They started "changing things" after the RockOla company was purchased by Antique Apparatus. The later black "plastic" gears seem to be coated with some form of "white grease" that hardens. I have not discovered anything that will dilute this stuff, so I remove it, when it is causing problems, and go back to a VERY THIN coating of "moly-graph" grease. I have never seen Vaseline used on them-- Te above is from my observations only, and should not be considered "factory advise". The "write in" motor is an "open frame" AC motor, and should be oiled with the 20 wt as mentioned above--one caution, do not dis-assemble it, as I have found it very difficult to re-align. If you are speaking of either the "basket" or "gripper" motor gearbox, I use the same moly-graph" grease there? Ron Rich

Various 400 series - 45rpm ( have a few projects going at once)

Both the "gripper" and "basket" motors still have the white nylon gears in them. I suppose the grease I found could have been some form of white grease at one point, but it sure just looked like somebody packed them with vaseline that has long since stopped being useful.

I never found anything in the manuals specific to these parts - other people have told me to not even grease them since its a nylon gear and the grease will collect derbies that will then be ground in by the steal gear.

Do you just use regular molygraph grease? I'm mostly just concerned about the grease softening or hardening the nylon/plastic gears.

As far as the Motoreseach write in motor/gearbox goes, are you actually oiling the gearbox or just the shaft bearings of the motor? It's already been apart as the original lub seized it.

On the sealed gear boxes, with the metal to metal gears, I just clean them and "pack them" with, CRC/StayLube moly graph grease. On metal to (white) nylon, I use it very sparingly.
If the Motorsearch motor is "open frame", I try to get some oil into the "gear areas" and oil the armature for sure. BTW, if the motor has a "spec. # " on it, they will totally rebuild it at a very reasonable price ( least that was true ten or so years ago, when they rebuilt a 40 year old motor for $35.00 for me !) Ron Rich

Riley,
Interesting--- they do not tell you to oil the following points, that I think are "critical".
The TT motor, bottom bearing -some have an oil tube going there---if not, you must remove the motor, turn it over and saturate the felt wick (every year or so ?).
The TT idler wheel--1 drop. The "post" that the idler wheel is on. If so equipped, the 33/45 speed change apparatus--one drop here and there.
The gripper motor--some have an oil hole drilled into the casting about 2/3 rds of the way back along the gearbox "spline". Both ends of the gripper and basket motor main shaft. And (IMHO) very important--the "side change" cam and all linkage. On this section I use oil only, unless I have removed ALL of the grease, then I use the moly-graph here. And, as stated earlier, the write-in motor bearings/gears
I do not use any "Aero Lubriplate" ANYWHERE, as I think it just "gums up" over time and turns to glue !

Riley,
I have never seen 3 in One in a spray form here--Is it "regular" 3 in One, or SAE 20 motor oil ?
If "regular" I would not use it !
Ron Rich

Riley,
I STRONGLY dis-agree with your "serviceman's" suggestion. That will "gum up" motors and bearings. I suggest that you should not use it.
I suggest that you use only, SAE 20wt. ND (electric) motor oil -- 3 in One brand (owned by the WD-40 corp here) is distributed here in the US, in 3 Oz cans.
Ron Rich

I guess we are just going to have to agree to dis-agree on this one ---Seeburg did an extensive study of this subject (along with the motor manufacture, Bodine), and the results of "Household/Multipurpose" 3 in One were found to be unsatisfactory. I have used the 20 wt for almost 50 years now, and never had any oil related problems in commercial units-- Ron