Rock-ola 429 cycle of operation

Hi
I suppose you could check the motor by returning machine to standby position, remove gripper motor and cycle back manually and test motor on basket motor socket and see if it spins when the machine is scanned
Sean

You can quickly check the motor by removing the gripper motor and, after unplugging the basket motor, plug it in there. You can also plug the basket motor into the gripper motor plug to check those connections. Take a look at the plugs first, but on all my Rockolas, the plug is the same on both (but the hardware is different where the gear engages the mechanism.) This might help sort out problems.
Patrick

OK, so I was able to drop the gripper motor and test it in the basket motor socket. It worked when scanned. I also tested it removed by plugging into its original socket and selecting a pin. the cycle went through, selected a the proper pin and power was sent to the motor, it operated for a short period but then stopped. I assume that I had "broken loose the jam" and the motor works.
Now when I re-installed the gripper motor, the same thing happens. The cycle stops when the read out motor stops on the proper pin. I went ahead and manually turned the knurled end all the way through the cycle, simulating the gripper running. The read out cleared the selection, but that was the only other thing that happened. I had to kill power "reset " the trip coil relay manually to get the basket and read out to work again. Am I missing something?

Now after messing with it some more, I may have messed up the basket motor. While checking connections I think I have gotten into the gripper reverse relay where I heard something click in the accumulator unit. So now the basket nor the read out motor will spin when a selection is made, or scanned. I'll work on more. But I may have royally screwed something up here. Suggestions are welcome.

Hi I would make sure that the gripper assembly is fully in the home position, manually cancel the lever that was selected, set interlock relay back to it standby position and hopefully the basket should return to its home position, I worked on a 432 recently whereby the selection would write in , basket and read out arm revolved to the selection and then stopped there. I cleaned the interlock contacts and seemed to have sorted it but i would be still suspicious about the gripper motor
clones

Hello all,
I am super pumped at the moment. For the first time, my 429 has ran through an entire cycle (from selection to record return and back again)!! I shouldn't get too excited however. I have yet to perfect the turntable, the mech is on a stand outside of the cabinet, and I haven't even thought about sound yet! I thought I would post some of the solutions I found with your help, along with another issue I have noticed.

I assumed the gripper motor wasn't getting power. It was after some meter tracing, so i looked at the motor itself. I took it apart and cleaned out the gunk, put back in a spring that had popped out, and now it spins fine. (please excuse my lack of motor terminology, it's due to lack of motor knowledge)

I thought I had screwed up the basket motor also. This turned out to be a loose connection on the accumulator unit. I could fiddle with the wires coming into the low volt power plug and everything would start back. I'll have to stabilize/replace those wires later.

Now to my current issue. When the gripper places the record on the table and the tone arm is over the record, the gear on the gripper assembly tends to over rotate. This causes the a) the record to be gripped and b) the gears to jam halting the reverse action of the gripper. I was able to remove the outer gear while it was jammed and put it back in the proper position. I ran it again with turntable speed selector removed and it happened again. Have i got something missing or in the wrong position perhaps? Does the position of that "boomerang" piece on the speed selector have anything to do with stopping the gear in the proper place?

Here are some photos to clarify my earlier issue. These are from the rear of the machine. The first is the gear positon while in Home Position, the second is position while record is playing (I have to hold in place), third is what happens as the gripper begins to reverse.

Hi
The boomerang piece has no influence on it. If i understand you when the record is placed on the turntable, the tonearm moves to the record, but the gripper does not retract fully so essentially the record is still being gripped when its on the turntable. Does the tone arm land on the record edge.
clones

Clones,
Yes and no. The gripper places the record fine. Tone arm moves to the record OK. Gripper retracts fine. Then the outer cog on the gripper assembly continues to rotate. This causes the record to be gripped again. Once the music cycle ends, the gripper begins to reverse but cannot due to the jam created by that over rotation. I was able to alleviate by adjusting grippers home position, but worried that it may slip out of alignment again. Make sense?

Hi
If the gripper retracts but the outer cog continues to move then is the gripper motor still running, does the cog change direction, it should if it causes the record to be gripped again, like when the tone arm trip blade is actuated
clones

The gripper motor has stopped at this point. The music cycle has started. The outer cog, the one that controls the gripping and releasing of the record, continues in the same direction until the record is gripped again. Its like that cog has nothing to stop it so it keeps "bleeding" until it jams on the main shaft gear. Then when the music cycle ends it cannot reverse.

Hi
The outer cog can't move unless the motor is on. I have a rockola at home, when i get back later will take a look and see if I can figure it out
clones

Hi Ed,
Well,--I dono--I belong to the school that says never say "never"--except when you want to admit that you have "never seen such a thing"--
and I hafta admit that now ! -- I can not see how that gear can move with the motor stopped ??
If you were located in Ireland, along with Clones, I MIGHT ASSUME, that the Leprechauns had invaded your jukebox ??
Ron Rich

Ron and Clones.
Sorry to be a bother but this issue is sort of resolved! Since it is difficult to explain, I'll attempt again with possibly better photos.
The outer cog on the gripper assembly, which moves an arm that grips and releases the record, is the issue. It, somehow, gets jammed on the gear below it (rear gear on the gripper assembly main shaft). This happened after the record is placed and released. I fixed it by adjusting the lower gear counterclockwise so the outer cog cannot slip as in the first pic. It rests on the wide tooth and doesn't grip the record (like it does while in the home position in 3rd pic) Hopefully this will not repeat. Still curious how this happens.

Hi
so is it playing ok now, maybe some Irish-American Leprechauns came to the rescue, it would be handy if a video could be uploaded (might do it myself) with a gripper assembly being operated manually on a bench taking and putting back a record and views of the gears showing what goes where during the operation
clones