Wurlitzer 1700 carousel motor not working

[sam]

Hi everyone,

I have a question regarding a Wurlitzer 1700 that has some issues. Amp has been rebuilt. The machine makes selections, throws a pin in the pin bank, turntable motor starts but the carousel motor does not run. I have cleaned the motor, checked voltages and at the plug in location for the motor I get 28 volts DC. How can I check if the motor is bad or not. Any other suggestions would be welcome as well. Thanks Sam

[Startgroove]

Quick way is to check the motor for continuity. Disconnect the motor, and measure its resistance. It should be a low resistance, under 250 ohms. In addition, connect the leads to your voltmeter and spin the motor (best to use an analog meter). It should cause the meter to read some voltage proportional to the speed you spin the motor shaft. If you get a voltage reading when you spin the shaft, the motor is probably good.

[sam]

Update on my Wurlitzer 1700 and some help if you can. Got the machine working properly. Several switches were out of adjustment and the transfer switches had a few cold solder joints. New issue: The machine picks up the record, plays it but when it's over the mech is very tight and the motor works very slow to put the record back in the carousel and shuts off. I have removed the carousel motor and turned the mech by hand. Everything is smooth picking up the record, but when it reverses I can barely do it with both hands. Something is binding. What can be binding the mech only on the reverse cycle? Please advise if you have had this problem before!

[Ron Rich]

Hi Sam,
Never have seen this problem-- but my first thought would be--Have you properly oiled the phono?-- Didja work the oil into that "center hole" in the basket area ??

[sam]

I have done very little oiling. It has been in a controlled environment so not a dried out rusty mech. What center hole? The shaft that the basket sits on?

Sam

[Ron Rich]

Hi Sam,
IMHO, one needs to oil any phono about every six mounts-- use it, or not. Yes, if you flip the loading lever to "load" and slowly spin the basket, with your right hand while looking down below the fan, you will see a "cut out" pass. There may, or may not be some partial cut-outs-- wait for the round hole to appear-- When that round cut-out is dead center if you are holding a bright light, you will see a felt pad, come into view, below the hole. On the 1700, I don't remember if it was treated or not, but on later models it's RED, when it's dry, and a "browish" color when it's properly oiled. It drinks a LOT of oil !! Also oil all the other linkage-- Ron Rich

[sam]

OK update. Checked the felt pad, oiled it. Started taking things apart to eliminate any binding parts. Removed the top mech plate. and the lower drum. Without the top plate which has the bearing for the top of the vertical shaft, the bottom bearing surface was very sloppy. Oiled every possible rotating surface. Without the top plate, I could rotate the mech and keep the lower shaft centered and it worked ok. Reassembled everything and the same problem. Mech binds when you reverse the cycle to take the record from the turntable and replace it in the carousel. I can help it along and it works. I believe the lower bearing surface is so loose that it binds the mech. Anyone ever have this problem? I plan on dismantling this again to get the lower bearing surface exposed so I can evaluate further. Alot of work but that is the only area that I have found any resistance to a smooth cycle.

[sam]

Update: The machine is now working properly. Found that the Bridge Rectifier was bad. 28 volts DC but under load it went down to 20 volts. New rectifier fixed everything.

[Ron Rich]

Hi Sam,
Thanks for the up-date-- As I re-read the above posts, I thought I'd ask "how/with what" didj "check the DC voltage. Digital meters, especially self ranging, ones,tend to show voltages, but that reading does not indicate current is present in enough "volume", to do the job. Ron Rich

[Ken Layton]

The original rectifier (located on the amplifier chassis) was a selenium rectifier. I had the very same problem with my 1700 back in 1977. I bought a modern bridge rectifier to replace it at Radio Shack. Then the jukebox operated correctly.