Rockola Contact Rings

Hi folks,

I'm new here but no stranger to jukeboxes. I picked up a really nice RockOla 454 last weekend that's a real beauty. I've been reading through the manual, wiring diagrams and parts manual, but there are many things I can't find there, so I'll start with a couple of basic questions:

1) Is there any way to quiet down the contact rings in the wrire in / read out "wheel". They're super sqeaky. I read someplace that a very thin coat of die-electric grease would help, but I wanted a second opinion before going that route.

2) This came with a dollar bill unit that I've got working, but, when it takes the bill and it tries to register in the credit unit, it starts to hum as if something is stuck. If you unplug the plug from the bill acceptor to the CU and plug it back in a couple of times, it will finally count up and add the credits. I assume the credit unit needs a good cleaning with deoxit and some oil on the credit wheels, am I on the right track?

Thanks in advance! I'm sure I'll have more once I get these two issues clear...

Sean

Hi Sean,
Welcome !
If the squeek is actually from the contacts, I would use Deoxit 5 on them. Usually that "squeek" comes from the plastic carriage riding on the metal of the drum. If there is a coating of "black stuff" on the track, just moisten it with 20 wt. ND oil. If clean there, or "someone has added grease", It MUST all be removed, and re-freshed with a graphite type.
Which DBV is in that model phonograph ? My guess is that it is most likely the DBV, rather than the CU, that's causing that problem--
Ron Rich

Thanks Ron!

I'll do some further cleaning up in those areas then. I had started this yesterday when I'd read an older post with your advice, but I didn't see anyone referring to that sqeak. It's a bit quieter, but I'm hoping to eliminate it altogether. There is some black stuff around the edge of the wheel, but no apparent grease that I can see / feel. I'm actually using something similar to Deoxit, called chemwash which is used in fiber optic applications, but also recommended on any kind of connections / plastic / metal / plugs etc. It seems to work just as well, if not better?

I'll have a look when I'm home to check the bill unit. I think you're right, too, as the coin gear in this registers credits with no issue, but since I read that the validator runs off the 50 cent (half dollar) wheel, I wondered if that was why. I haven't tried to really do anything with any of the coin yet, it takes quarters, but that's as far as I got. I will remove and clean the slug rejector soon since it was completely frozen up when I got it home.

The DBV in this machine is an NRI "Buck Passer", for what it's worth. If you have any advice or pointers, please let me know, I'd really like to have this working properly!

Sean

Hi Seab=n,
I have never "worked on" a "buck passer"--but I THINK, RockOla did the same as Seeburg, and had the DBV pass a "one-shot ground", to the CU. You might check this and go from there--
Ron Rich