M3 Run Motor Dies on Startup

[Guest]

I have an M3 that I "chopped." I know that some will find this distasteful but I'm a gigging musician and I needed something more "portable." I've been happy with the chop job. I have used the organ for many gigs and it has never let me down. The only thing that ever bugged me were the wires coming out of the hole on the bottom leading to the amp which I had in a cage on the top. Recently, I removed all of the wiring leading to the amp in order to install the amp into the main body of the organ, upside down, on the top left side. After un-soldiering and then re-soldering, I said a prayer, and the organ was working fine. I then installed the amp upside down into the body of the organ, turned out the lights, and called it a night without testing it again. I came back a couple weeks later to take it to a gig. I fired up the start motor, heard the familiar whirl, clicked on the run motor, released the start switch, and the heard the tone generator slowly fizzle to a stop. I tried again and got the same result. If I press some keys, I get a sound but as soon as the start switch is released, the notes slowly pitch downward, as is the case when one normally turns off the run motor on a working Hammond. My assumption was that I screwed up. Something in the operation went wrong. Surely, I goofed. I am not a highly skilled electrician and I was now paying for my hubris. I started reading about my symptoms and it sounded a lot like a simple lubrication problem. Perhaps, the major surgery and this malfunction were unrelated. I tested the flywheel without springs and it spins rather freely. I tested the flywheel with the run motor switch on and I felt the expected resistance. I lubed it two days ago and it is still behaving exactly the same. I kept reading and looking at pictures and I noticed that I do not have an oil reservoir above the run motor at all. Like it's just not there. So maybe THIS is my problem? My questions are:

1. Does this sound like a lube problem?
2. Are there M3 models that don't have a scanner vibrato oil cup?
3. What else could I rule out not related to lube and how?
4. COuld the amp being upside down have caused an issue?

Questions I'm not looking to answer are:

1. Is it a good idea to "chop" a piece of history?
2. What is a punk like me doing messing around with crap he doesn't understand?

Thanks, and I appreciate any support.

[enor]

1. Possibly, but I don't think so. General rule when troubleshooting sudden unexpected problems: "The FIRST place to look, is the LAST place you were messing with".
2. No
3. Miswire. If you hear notes as the generator spins down, you must have connected the amp to permanent (unswitched) power, so that it gets juice all the time when the organ is plugged in. This isn't standard, it should be under the "run" switch just like the motor. So, my guess is you've mixed up a couple of wires when re-installing your amp.
4. No.

Thank you, sir!

[tiredoldgeezer]

2. What is a punk like me doing messing around with crap he doesn't understand?

Even some of the "distinguished techs" out there started out pretty much where you are. A few are not much more even to this day. Some will openly admit it.

There is a sweet spot. Guys that actually understand electronics (with maybe some education) beyond the Remove and Replace mentality of the mechanic. Others that have seen so many of the same problems so many times that they just know the roadmap by heart.

Don't be intimidated. Every tech at every level has been thoroughly befuddled. I submit that if it didn't occasionally happen, they'd get bored and quit. And when it's finally solved - especially if it was dirt-simple and facepalm obvious - there seems to be a reinforcement that all is right in the world, again. I don't understand the exact mentality only that it happens.

Thanks. The only way I've ever learned is to get in over my head.

[Guest]

Follow up question. My organ definitely does not have one of these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/401839829259

Where can I learn how to install this?

[skydawg]

Installing the tub is easy...getting the threads to the bushings in the scanner and run motor,not so easy.

I suspected that's the difficult part. Is there any guidance on that procedure?

[tiredoldgeezer]

One last thing about your M3:
Rundown can be caused from several things, but a particularly dastardly cause is a bad starting resistor. To test, simply jumper the thing (the big brown cylinder thing on your AC lugs).
If that cures it, you found your problem.