De-fluttering the BC

[tpappano]

Reaching the inboard wheels of the main TG are a bit of a challenge, but necessity is the mother of invention 8)

[Tim_at_Jonas]

We bought a wee camera to help with such things. Your hose could be attached to one.

[tpappano]

Excellent idea! I actually have a little Ryobi gooseneck inspection camera, totally forgot that I had it!
Thanks!

[David Anderson]

More fun than humans should be allowed to have!

[tpappano]

That's a fact 8) I'm getting mixed results with the solvent treatment, a couple of wheel sets persist. They sound perfect while still wet, then start fluttering again when dry. Not as bad as at first, but still some...

[muckelroy]

If you don't want to remove the generators, you could remove the capacitor trays to access the wheels from the top. But it is probably just as labor intensive as removing the generators to gain better access. I like flushing clutches with the generator belly-up.

[tpappano]

Well, my efforts to de-gunk/de-flutter with the generators in place did not bring joy so I pulled both generators last week. Some of the tone wheel pairs had some tenacious ancient goo causing the fiber gears to stick to their adjacent brass hubs. Several forceful applications of QD finally got them all cleaned out and they sound much better. Interestingly, the caps on the filters were three different styles. All but 12 had drifted up over 50%, but the 12 were actually off less than 10%. These 12 were a cardboard tube style with roll-crimped ends, but others of the same type had drifted as bad as the waxed dipped ones. Go figure...

I replaced all the caps and re-calibrated some of the levels based on Kon's 'post 1937 B series' chart, now everything looks real smooth on the meter. Today I finally fabricated a puller and got the gear swapped, and also swapped the motor end plate/bearing. The BC tremulant-side bearing is a different configuration from the M3 motor I used. So, the tremulant is mounted and both TGs were made ready to go back in on this 'postcard day'.

The puller worked great, no heat was needed and I used my drill press quill to press the gear back on. I anyone with similar issues needs to borrow the puller, just let me know.

[muckelroy]

Awesome work!

[tpappano]

Thanks! Now, more questions 8) Lubrication of this organ doesn't seem to have been an issue, but while the generators are out of the case is it a good idea to go ahead and do a naptha flush? I have a M3 that I got recently that was completely stuck and hadn't been oiled since 1966. After getting it freed up with WD40 and running, it became evident that fresh Hammond oil was not going down the wicks. I gave it the naptha treatment and it straightened right up 8)

I'm redoing the BC cabinet power wiring, etc. and I intend to rework the organ and tone cabinet connector arrangements so that power and signal will not be in the same cable. Is there any particular convention that has been adopted when restoring these instruments?

Thanks to all for the advice and encouragement!

[Drawbar Dave]

Well, my efforts to de-gunk/de-flutter with the generators in place did not bring joy so I pulled both generators last week. Some of the tone wheel pairs had some tenacious ancient goo causing the fiber gears to stick to their adjacent brass hubs. Several forceful applications of QD finally got them all cleaned out and they sound much better. Interestingly, the caps on the filters were three different styles. All but 12 had drifted up over 50%, but the 12 were actually off less than 10%. These 12 were a cardboard tube style with roll-crimped ends, but others of the same type had drifted as bad as the waxed dipped ones. Go figure...

I replaced all the caps and re-calibrated some of the levels based on Kon's 'post 1937 B series' chart, now everything looks real smooth on the meter. Today I finally fabricated a puller and got the gear swapped, and also swapped the motor end plate/bearing. The BC tremulant-side bearing is a different configuration from the M3 motor I used. So, the tremulant is mounted and both TGs were made ready to go back in on this 'postcard day'.

The puller worked great, no heat was needed and I used my drill press quill to press the gear back on. I anyone with similar issues needs to borrow the puller, just let me know.

Well done Tom :-) I hope you get a lot of pleasure from it. I added the trek outlet box on mine like the B2/3 style. You could just add a mains cable directly to your Leslie and tone cabinets and then keep the stock wiring scheme on the organ sans ac.

[tpappano]

It seems I have an unused knockout on my outlet box. I'm thinking put in a female AC socket to provide switched power to the tone cab, and as you suggest, remove the AC from the 6-pin jacks. Yeah, I'm really excited to get it back together! I think I'll go ahead and naptha flush the generators, I don't see a downside. While they are airing out I can clean the drawbars 8)

[Drawbar Dave]

It's already got an outlet box? Great! They came from the factory with a hardwired 5 conductor cable that came out of a hole on the end of the pedal switch. Mine still had part of it hanging out of the hole.

[tpappano]

Yeah, I guess so, it looks just like the ones on the Trek page. I wondered what the hole in the side of the pedal stuff was for 8) It looks like I need to replace the pedal switch felts. Some mice made their home down there and damaged a few of them. They also carefully stashed a foil wrapper from a Hershey's Kiss and a completely intact pistachio nut!

[Drawbar Dave]

Yeah, I guess so, it looks just like the ones on the Trek page. I wondered what the hole in the side of the pedal stuff was for 8) It looks like I need to replace the pedal switch felts. Some mice made their home down there and damaged a few of them. They also carefully stashed a foil wrapper from a Hershey's Kiss and a completely intact pistachio nut!

Haha the little rascals. I replaced my felts with the tonewheel general felt kit when I had the panel above the pedal switch lifted for rewiring.

I'd suggest you get any new outlet box wiring done before the chorus generator goes back in because it is hard to feel where the tube meets the generator shelf with it in situ.

The switched female ac receptacle is a very good idea. Hopefully you can find a NOS one on eBay.

[tpappano]

I'm going to root through a bunch of crap I have in storage and try to find some. I used to use those Amphenol ac connectors by the hundreds, but I have seen them on ebay if it comes to that 8)