Rockola Magazine motor problems

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Topic author
jshort74
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Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 8:13 pm
Location: Canton, Illinois, USA

Rockola Magazine motor problems

by jshort74 » Wed Apr 29, 2015 5:31 am

I think my is exhibiting the dredded Rockola magazine/gripper motor death slide. It turns like normal for a bit then all of a sudden the motor bogs down as if it were stressed and then blows the fuse. I removed the motor and the magazine turns freely. I tried the motor unattached and it exhibited the same behavior as above and burnt out the fuse. I looked up how to test these motors here:
http://www.groschopp.com/how-to-check-a-motor-armature/

These were my results:
1. 180 deg commutator test:
5.9, 7.2, 5.4, 5.8, 2.8, 2.2 ohms

2. Commutator Bar to bar:
Rage from 2.4 and 3.0 ohms

3. Commutator bars to armature:
No conductivity

I know that number 3 is a good test but I don't know if the range is too large on tests 1 and 2. The directions say that they should be close, but I don't know how close? I hope someone on here with a little more knowledge can help.

Thanks,
Josh
Last edited by jshort74 on Wed Apr 29, 2015 2:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.


Topic author
jshort74
Junior Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 8:13 pm
Location: Canton, Illinois, USA

Re: Rockola Magazine motor problems

by jshort74 » Wed Apr 29, 2015 5:49 am

A few pictures:Image

Image

I don't think the commutator looks too bad and the brushes have 15mm of material left.


Ron Rich
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Posts: 8196
Joined: Sun May 06, 2007 11:31 pm
Location: Millbrae (San Francisco area)CA, USA

Re: Rockola Magazine motor problems

by Ron Rich » Wed Apr 29, 2015 4:46 pm

Hi Josh,
I don't know much about motors--but if it blows the (correct size-type ?) fuse when dis-connected, from the gear train, it IS bad !
Those motors can be re-built, at most "small motor shops", or there is a guy who places an ad in Always Jukin Magazine, offering that service.
Ron Rich


Topic author
jshort74
Junior Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 8:13 pm
Location: Canton, Illinois, USA

Re: Rockola Magazine motor problems

by jshort74 » Wed Apr 29, 2015 7:33 pm

Thanks Ron, There is a shop here in Peoria that will probably do this motor work. I was just wanting to pinpoint what is wrong with it if I could. I want to confirm it is the motor and not something upstream causing this. I'm guessing the inconsistancies on 2 of those tests points to an armature failure.


Topic author
jshort74
Junior Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 8:13 pm
Location: Canton, Illinois, USA

Re: Rockola Magazine motor problems

by jshort74 » Wed May 06, 2015 5:26 am

I'm happy to report that after receiving a NOS armature from eBay today, I've got the 444 running smooth again. The motor is spinning super strong now after the rebuild. Now that it's running right, it's easy to tell the motor was really having trouble before. Thanks for all the help!

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