Rockola 459issues

Well, now I've done it. My 459 was playing just fine for some time, then it failed to reverse the gripper at the record runoff. Cancel button on the back wouldn't work, either. I wound the gripper arm back over the magazine by its armature, but the gripper arm and inner gripper would not retract. Basket takes off, destroying two Christmas records before I could get it stopped. I unloaded the magazine and got to work. The #3 and #1 Micro Switches appeared to test OK, but the roller arm on #1 had been curled around, shortening the arm. I don't think this is related, but why would someone do that? I made a selection, and all appeared OK as the gripper set the imaginary record on the turntable. But it still would not cancel. That's problem 1.
I opened the control box and activated the gripper reverse relay manually. The gripper reversed and jammed tight. The arm and inner gripper did not retract. I checked the gears, and the turnover gear had jumped out of time. After spending an hour or so on the tedious timing and reassembly by trial & error and observing a similar, not messed-up assembly on another machine, I got it back together. After which I noticed a sheared-off pin laying in the bottom of the cabinet. On the only gripper assembly I've ever had the misfortune to completely tear down, I recall a pin on the right-hand side of the housing that limits rotation of the shaft. This pin does not appear in the parts diagram. It's on the side not illustrated. So that may be why the mech will operate to a point but not feed the tonearm into play. That's problem 2.
I have the gripper motor loosened so the gear will not mesh with the gripper shaft gear. Good thing. Because now every time I switch to operate, the gripper motor starts up. Regardless of whether Micro #1 is open or closed. One of the readout coils also fires, staying hot until I switch it off. That's problem 3, or maybe 3 & 4.
I swapped out the whole control box with a good one from another machine. Same results, so the control box components do not appear to be at fault.
Help!
Patrick

You say the MicroSwitches "Appear to test OK--"--How are you "testing" them ??
See test procedure above in this section-- Ron Rich

Ron" analog tester. On #3, the black (top) wire connector was in pieces, but it might have broken when I removed it. I've attached a new connector. No change.
Patrick

Hi
where I have come across this kind of problem before have been
-gripper motor on its way out
- the attachment where the micro switches are attached was slightly loose on the shaft
-fit new gripper assembly, a real pain I know
clones