Rock-Ola 459 just getting started.

[TCW]

My first Post. I am a Electromechanical Pinball guy. I have brought 9 such machine into working order though I have ask for help from the pros from time to time. So here is where I am with my first Jukebox, a Rock-Ola 459. I am including a picture of the position in which the cam is in that may help to ascertain which part of the sequence I am in. Here is where I am at.

I turn the power on, lights come on and a low hum from the speakers. The stylus is muted at this time.

I move the selector switch to Operate or Scan, the Play Control Relay actuates and the turntable spins for about 8 seconds and then the Mechanism Breaker trips. The stylus is now amplified. If I reset the Mechanism Breaker the stylus is then muted. Note that the Basket Magazine never runs only the turn table.

The gripper Spider Housing Assembly seems to be well greased and capable of operating smoothly. The Griper Motor that drives this, the knurled knob at the base of the motor seems to move freely. The Griper Motor that drives the Basket will not turn at all by the knurled knob. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this. Your guidance is truly appreciated.

[Ron Rich]

Where is the gripper itself-- ? Sounds as if the basket is jammed -- Ron Rich

[TCW]

Mar 15, 2021 18:16:47 GMT Ron Rich said:

Where is the gripper itself-- ? Sounds as if the basket is jammed -- Ron Rich

The gripper arm is at rest on the basket as shown here. 

[TCW]

It seems to get jammed between the A&B side intersect.

[jukenorman]

Hi tcw,
The gripper arm looks pretty much as if it is fully open but you could make sure by driving the gripper motor a bit more using the knurled knob on the gripper motor. Your issue has been covered before - there is quite a long thread from Ollie on a 442 that's well worth reading through. There have also been some posts specific to the 459 that would also be worth looking through. Once you are sure that the gripper is fully open, the mechanism should be attempting to drive to the home position or to the next selection. You have a service manual, I take it?

Norman.

[TCW]

Thank you Norman,



I did get this cleared up by removing grease with solids mixed in. I just downloaded a service manual.



Now at the end of a song the tone arm doesn't get out of the way soon enough and the gripper arm lifts in to it. I hope the service manual covers this?



The Tone Arm Cam Keeper Spring seems to be out of place (see photo). Anyone have an idea on how this should go? The manual doesn't seem to show this clearly.





When playing I can hear the cartridge dragging a bit on the record. Would this be solved by raising the position of the tone arm or something else?

Thanks for your help!

[Ron Rich]

1. READ you "downloaded" manual.
2. READ the sticky on "Grippers" above.
3. The alignment spring looks normal to me from here
4. What does you downloaded manual say about needle pressure-vs, what it's set for ?
Ron Rich

[TCW]

I have not read all 207 pages of the Manual, Parts Catalog & Trouble Shooting Guide. I did read the above.

The Pins guiding the Tone Arm seem to be staying on the Tone Arm Cam Keeper Spring after a minor adjustment. The pin was initially missing it prior.

Needle pressure was already at the maximum Decrease Setting. Maybe the Tone Arm Spring (41758) is all stretched out?

I have it running pretty well now. It has a weird cork, I haven't seen this in the service manual yet. I select 110 and it plays 220 and when finished it plays 110. Is it possible that the hammer is hitting both the 1 and the 2 when setting the first digit or is this something else? I just don't know the equipment well enough yet.

[jukenorman]

There are two operating coils one for A sides and one for B sides. It could be possible that they are both operating together although the B side of 110 is 210? Reset all the selection pins, make a selection, put the operating switch to off and have a look.
Norman.

[TCW]

No change after cleaning. Select 180 it plays 290 and when complete it plays 180. To make it interesting this last time it set 180 on the turn table but never raised the tone arm to play it and the turn table just stopped. I selected 180 again and it played it where it sat and when finished it played 290. It always does display the record being played. It does hold the last digit pushed.

The way I interpret the trouble shooting guide it doesn't describe this problem in the "Write-in Selection Phase". If I was forced into selecting something being at fault I would say the selection control board has an issue but I have no idea what. Just for the sake of wanting to try something I checked all the diodes on the board. The were all good and before I went on I checked the diodes in the control box. One was shorted in the K6 Record Side Relay circuit. It actually parallels the coil of the relay K6.

Its a 100PRV 1 AMP Miniature Rectifier, Part Number 46497.

Does anyone know of a modern equivalent or do you just get something close like a 6 Amp 100V Axial Diode Rectifier? I see there is one in the unused relay socket for K7 but using an old diode even unused I'm not sure if that's the way to go.

[Ron Rich]

Check the specs for it, but my thinking is a 1N4004 would more then cover it ? Ron Rich

[TCW]

The specs looked good. Set to arrive by Thursday.

[TCW]

Well this is unfortunate. I was looking all around for a reason that the Play Relay would start intermittently energize for just fraction of a second. It would do this endlessly if I would let it. I did notice that if rattled the basket it would act up more. So then I tapped the Selector Assembly and there was more activity from the Play Relay. I started to look at the write-in and read-out assemblies. The Carriage Housing, part number 48924 on the read assembly is cracked in two. Parts of it looks like a fresh break.

[Ron Rich]

No big deal-- buy one, or use JB Weld to fix yours -- Ron Rich

[TCW]

Is there a place that sells these new or just used available?