Any tips on freeing up this stubborn shaft and tonewheels?

[Guest]

Stupid or not, I decided to disconnect all 84 necessary wires from the tonewheels and motors and I now have complete access to the bottom of everything. I've had this thing oiled for a couple weeks without any progress, and have yet to diagnose the issue. I'm definitely considering the recommendations that I've heard about using kerosene and lighter fluid, but is there any other method that could de-gum this old thing?</p>

- it's not the vibrato scanner/run motor</p>

- highly doubt it's the start motor because it spins easily without the tonewheels engaged....could I have a start motor so weak that it just seems that the tonewheels are really stuck when I turn it on?
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I don't know why plain oiling didn't work.....how easy is the shaft supposed to spin by hand? </p>

thanks so much for all your attention and efforts
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[Hammondlover]

Re: Any tips on freeing up this stubborn shaft and tonewheels?



Possibility one: It is possible that the main shaft is bent in relation to the start motor plate. Unscrew the motor from the assembly anddetermineifit is properly aligned withthe start/run transmission. This can occur if violent force is applied to the organ and the generator is not tightened properly.</P>


Possibility two: A failed run switch. There is a resistor in parallel with the run switch to both the start and run motors. Either this or the entire switch has failed. Replace. </P>


Possibilty three: An open or shorted induction coil in the run motor. It would need to be replaced if thisis so. </P>


The shaft should have a loose, boucy feel to it. It should spring back if you turn it a bit and let it go. </P>
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[Tim Rinkerman]

Re: Any tips on freeing up this stubborn shaft and tonewheels?



Can you turn the shaft at all by hand? Are there any dried out, or corroded spots near any of the bearings (bushings)? I'm wondering if it is seized..won't move at all, or, just sluggish...since you have access to the whole thing, shoot a small shot of WD-40 at each point where the shafts go through a bushing to help free it up, and try to move it by hand. WD-40 is harmless to the metal parts. When you get it freed up, touch each bushing with hammond oil, and let it drip dry for a couple days to let theexcess oil run out.</P>


It should be fairly easy to turn by hand...look for any debris that may have fallen into the drive gears...anything stuck on any of the gears will stop the whole thing.</P>

[kcbooboo]

Re: Any tips on freeing up this stubborn shaft and tonewheels?



It should turn by hand and feel sluggish and heavy, but keep turning for a few seconds after you stop rotating it. A lot of inertia is present in the rotating mass to help keep it running exactly on frequency with the help of the run motor. All of thetone wheels should rotate as should the shafts they're mounted on. A lot of little spring clutches connect the wheels to the various shafts. Eventually the main shaft HAS to move. If oil hasn't penetrated the bearings, you might try adding some directly to each bearing in each of thetone-generating sections. You might also consider standing the TG up on one end and let gravith move the oil down the shaft into each bearing. All it takes is for one to rust up and that will stop the whole shaft, but once they're all free, it should turn quietly.</P>


The kerosene and other fluids just softn built-up gunk etc from the bearings. Definitely worth a try now that you've gotten the TG out. After you DO get it moving, make sure you add plenty of Hammond TG oil and let that migrate everywhere, so it displaces the thinned-outmixture.</P>


I don't want to recommend forcing the shaft to turn, at least not until everything else has been tried and you're absolutely sure it's the main shaft that's frozen and not some dirt in the gears that have jammed it up. You may also have to look at everyoiling thread to make sure that they haven't gotten jammed up in the gears or clutches or wrapped around the shaft. Use plenty of light and a magnifying glass.</P>


When/if you get things moving, consider replacing the filter capacitors on top of the TG. Goff Professional sells a kit. Extremely easy to do with the TG out of the organ; much harder when inside, depending on the model. Been there, done that with an A100.</P>


Bob M.</P>

[Hammondlover]

Re: Any tips on freeing up this stubborn shaft and tonewheels?



No! Don't touch those filter caps on top of the Generator just yet! Those capacitors are hand picked for every model hammond. The caps in Goff's kits will bring your organ back to factory specifications, but you may end up not liking the bright biting sound of factory new. </P>


While those capacitor kitsare set for each model Hammond, and wax-paper caps should be replaced as soon as possible, you should be extra careful about fundamentally altering the sound of your Hammond for better or worse. </P>


If you're really good with electronics, I might suggest building or purchasing a capacitance decade box, that way you can determine what the value of each capacitor is for yourself, and make it sound like you want it to. </P>

[Guest]

Re: Any tips on freeing up this stubborn shaft and tonewheels?



Yesterday, I spun the whole thing with a drill where the scanner/run motor normally connects and used and air compressor to blow a bunch of oil/dirt around and out of it. It definitely moves a lot easier than when I first got it(had to use a giant wrench to pry it) and today I bought some lighter fluid which I'm going to make sure not to go overboard with, and hopefully that will finish everything after I do some touch up oiling. Does lighter fluid dry up like wd-40 would?
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As for replacing caps, I need to just make sure this thing works first. And anyways, I prefer really dark, kind of dirty, vintage sounds. I listen to a lot of modern indie bands with really full sounds who use instruments of those qualities. Yeah, I realize I'm not a church organist, or jazz organist, or clasically trained something like a good amount of people here, most of whom could be my parents, but we all love organs! So there....I don't think I'm gonna change the caps. Haha</p>

Again, thank you all for the assistance, I will let you know of any more progress we make on this stubborn old thing.
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[Guest]

Re: Any tips on freeing up this stubborn shaft and tonewheels?

We have progress! After the lighter fluid with more drill spinning and air blowing, it has now started to come to life. I flipped the generator board back in and soldered some wires and now the start motor can spin loudly, but very fast. It is not powerful enough to spin the run motor and the run motor is stuck and cannot spin the whole deal, so I will buy a new one....or does anyone recommend disassembling it all to clean it out?

[Guest]

Re: Any tips on freeing up this stubborn shaft and tonewheels?



So, I've taken out the run motor and that thing has burnt itself out with the past owner or something. Therefore I need a new one, which is actually kind of exciting because that will almost guarantee that this thing will work once it's replaced.</p>

I checked eBay and there is only once listing and it comes with the vibrato scanner and the run motor, neither of which I really need and it has a lot of bidding interest. http://cgi.ebay.com/Hammond-Organ-Start-Run-Motors-w-Scanner-B3_W0QQitemZ220244245482QQihZ012QQcategoryZ16219QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem</p>

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Does anyone know where I could just get a working run motor for pretty cheap? Or would someone on this website be willing to sell me one privately through eBay or something?
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[fredy2]

Re: Any tips on freeing up this stubborn shaft and tonewheels?

Try a rewind motor shop if the windings are burnt.