Rockola 480

Hey everyone!
I've been working on this rockola 480 for a friend. When I got it the gears were stuck so I took out the gripper assembly, cleaned the dried up grease and applied some 30 weight oil to it. I reassembled and now it will grab the record, bring over to the turn table, set it down but then the inner gripper piece goes out too far which causes the record not to spin. I attached a picture of what is going on. I'm sure it's an adjustment of some sort but I can't find anything in the manual that points in the right direction. I also have been checking the forum but couldn't find anything like my problem.
If anyone can't point me in the right direction I would appreciate it.
Thank you in advance and thanks for setting up this site to help those with jukebox problems.

Brad

Hi Brad,
Is that inner section going to far, OR, not going far enough--it should "retreat",
upon setting record down. Ron Rich

Ron Rich wrote:Hi Brad,
Is that inner section going to far, OR, not going far enough--it should "retreat",
upon setting record down. Ron Rich

Hey Ron! Thanks for the response.
The gripper sets the record down, the inner piece retreats and then it pops back out towards the record causing it to stop.
If I use the lever (operate/off/scan) and turn to off right when it sets the record down then that piece doesn't pop back out. I can then slide it back to operate and no problems...
Thanks again for taking time to help!

Sounds like the gearing is "out of time".
The service manual usually has the proper assembly proceure and timing details.

Hi Brad,
I doubt it's "gearing"--sounds as if the switch that SHOULD stop the gripper motor is not stopping it--??
If the tone arm is on the record, I'm 99.87 % sure that's your problem-- Ron Rich

Ron, I'm pretty sure it is gear timing. The limit of rotation is established by the sector gear on the gripper. If the assembly is not properly put back together it will either do what is pictured, or the motor will jam against the 'shelf" of the gripper sector gear before the cam kills power to it. Those motors reverse.

Hopefully, someone will check in with the right procedure to assemble the gears.

Rob.

Hey guys!
Thanks for your responses. Just to clarify on my cleaning of the gripper assembly. I did not take the gripper assembly apart, just took it out and cleaned up a few spots of dried grease on the gears. Originally the gears were stuck. I'm not sure if they can come unaligned with my outside cleaning or not. I never pushed hard on jams before I took the assembly out of the jukebox.
Just need to know if I should be looking at gears or electrical stuff.

Thanks everyone!

Brad

Brad: when you said you did not take the assembly apart, did you remove the outer gear? if not it is still sticking. if you have, then the timing of the outer gear sounds off. I have totally disassembled one gripper that had to have the old grease chipped out. that is unusual though. Mark

Guyz--
I think it's "lectrical"-- I have seen a few where one of Rob's "Geppeto Friends" has fizzed it-- this person realized the slow down resistor, had opened, so he "jumped it"--therefore the motor "over-runs" it's stopping point. Ron Rich

The 5 ohm resistors haven't been jumped and both test out at 5.2 and 5.3 ohms.
Do you think my next step would be to take the whole gripper apart, clean, and regrease? Making sure to mark the line up of the gears so it goes back exactly how it was taken apart.
Thanks for your help guys.
Brad

No-from what I understand, from what you wrote--the gripper is setting down the record, releasing the record, then tightening back up--
If I am understanding this correctly, adding more "grease" to the system will only make the motor run more----I think it's MicroSwitch
problems. Ron Rich

Thanks! I'll check out microswitches next then.

I'm back again. Thanks again for everyone's time helping me attempt to get this thing figured out.
I took the gripper assembly out to get a better idea on the gear timing.
The picture attached shows the gear position in the play mode. It looks like the outer gear(one closest to you) is what pops that piece in and out which causes it to stop the record. The piece (attached to gear with screw) that connects to the tone arm linkage is what is causing that gear to move clockwise if it pushes down on that pin sticking out...that piece is pretty loose.
Once it goes down and hits that pin the gear moves, pops out the inner piece towards the record and causing a jam.
Please let me know what your thoughts are. Gears out of alignment? Should I take apart and try to find correct reassemble of gears (haven't seen that online yet and it's not in manual).
Thanks again everyone!

Brad, did you check the sequence of the microswitches near the tonearm? If you removed the gripper assembly what did you remove? There is a cam that actuates those switches and if disturbed it must be retimed. If the switches were disconnected, then connections must be checked. I think this is just as I wrote previously, a timing problem.

If this machine was bought as-is non-working some additional tinkering with the microswitches and their cam may have occurred.

Rob/NYC

Hey guys! I had to take a break from the jukebox but I'm back on it. Thanks again everyone for your help.
Rob-I unscrewed the microswitches but didn't take the connections off. In the manual it says to make sure the #1 microswitch is in the groove in the home position. I've done that and have adjusted many times in that groove to see if anything changes. No dice.
I have attached a picture of the gears in the home position. To me it seems off one tooth that should go clockwise. I'm hoping someone might be able to tell me if these look right or not.
Thanks again everyone for your time. I really appreciate it. You all are great!

Brad