Seeburg post 1948 motor capacitors--/AND, motors .

[Ron Rich]

Hi All,

This gets axked often--hence this sticky ! 

All Seeburgs starting with the 1949 model A, thru the SMC/100-79M models, use a motor RUN (NOT "start"), cap.  ( should you wish to learn more about how this works, I think the late Tony Miller, covered it on his site--see our FAQs for info--I know he covered it in his "console era book".)  Seeburg originally used a dual cap, who's values were 1.45, and 1.0 uf. This was changed at about the Q models to a 1.65 and a .75 uf  As far as I can determine, the newer ones can replace the older ones, with no problems.  The older ones MAY not have enough power to start a stopped in play, motor--especially if an Autospeed is involved ( I have never tried this). Switching on the mechanism, adds the larger section during all  scan and transfer functions. The lower section is in the circuit at ALL times.  On the SMC models, using the three wire NIDEC, or Bodine, brand motors, the cap was changed to a dual 2.4 cap.  This cap is not interchangeable with the earlier cap. ALL 4 wire motors are interchangeable, regardless of brand !  3 wire motors are also brand, interchangeable.

Do not assume motor cap wire colors are the same ! Wire colors varied even within a model run !

All, no mater what brand, or type, motors, NEED to be oiled !  Oil that should be used is 20 wt. ND oil  ONLY !-- see other "stickies" on "lubrication"! If there is no upper "oil tube" there ARE holes, or at least ONE hole, for the upper bearing-- It's "burried" behind the motor coupling--and it MUST be saturated, with oil, or the motor will, burn up the bearing !

Note: On the 4 wire motors, motor wire colors are all the same, even if faded !  On the 3 wire motors, NIDEC brand, common color is White-- Bodine KCI-42 A1 B, type, brand, motor common, is Blue.

Ron Rich

[jukeboxmarty]

The more capacitance in the circuit, the more torque (and less speed) the motor has. Therefore it would seem that the NEWER (1.65/.75uf) capacitor may not have enough power to start if starting from the play position.

Just sayin,

[Ron Rich]

Hi Marty,
Very interesting--but not what a Seeburg ingineer tolt me-- ?? Thanks,for the correction-- now-the question is--why did they change that cap--Bodine ( the motor producer), did not change the motor at that time ( they did so, 10 or so years later )?? Ron Rich

[jukingeo]

I am going through my Seeburg 220 after a long hiatus of it being in storage I just took the mech cover off to inspect the innards and I have noticed that this motor run capacitor mentioned here was one I didn't change out. I don't recall if this is a cap that needed to be changed or not, as it has been a long time I been in the machine, or any jukebox for that matter. Should this capacitor be replaced after a certain time, or is it OK to keep in the machine until it exhibits any problems? It was working fine prior to putting the machine into storage, but I am just looking over the whole machine right now to see if everything looks good and the mechanism freely moves and cycles before I apply power to it.

[Ron Rich]

I leave them till they fail--no problem I've ever encountered, doing so-- Ron Rich