147..semi-restoration

[dylan]

Looking for some insight here.

Wanting to begin a deep cleaning of a leslie 147 I picked up a year ago. It's not really in terrible shape, lot's of dust. Probably needs some oil.
Any redflags, things to watch out for. Tips, tricks?

Thanks

DarkM

[picothinker]

Welcome to the bunch

This is a great place to start. Go slow, take pictures as you go. http://bentonelectronics.com/servici...leslie-motors/ If it's history is unknown, it should be assumed that you need to recap the crossover, as well as the preamp. Browse around at tonewheelgeneral.com The rubber grommets should be replaced if they are old. Here is a rebuild kit for a 147 amp. http://www.tonewheelgeneral.com/buil...tem_no=147-KIT

[BX3guy]

First, before you take the back panels off, unplug the Leslie cable. Once you get the panels off, take a bunch of pictures so that if you accidentally pull a cable or wire off/out, you will know here it goes back. I used a circular vacuum attachment with soft 2 inch long hogs-hair bristles when vacuuming the inside of my 147RV. Inspect the belts on the upper horns and lower rotor for fraying and wear and order new ones if badly worn.To inspect the belt on the lower rotor, you will have to remove the bass speaker, being very careful not to damage the cone. Once you undo the screws on the bass speaker, lift it out and then you can blow the dust off it with air from a compressed-air can (don't vacuum the cone). Look at the cone and check for tears/damage or any previous repairs that have come undone. Next, find the code that gives date of manufacture of the Leslie: it will be on the lower baffle (i.e. deck) that the bass speaker was mounted on (sometimes the speaker hides some of the code). Here is the link to how to de-cipher the code: http://www.tonewheelgeneral.com/agelist/agelist.php
Take a look at the speaker: is it a stock Jensen or Utah? If it's a Jensen, here is the manufacture date code de-cipher: https://www.jensentone.com/date_code_information
If it is a Utah, you will find the manufacture code de-cipher here:http: http://www.triodeel.com/eiacode.htm
Check the lower rotor for wobble by giving a spin (spins better when you remove the belt from its pulley). If there is any wobble or weird noises, order the all the rubber grommets and lower and upper bearings as well.
Go to The Captain's website to download both 147 manuals (they are slightly different and there is some better info in one or the other) and use them to help you replace the grommets and bearings. It is here: http://www.captain-foldback.com
Lastly, have a look over the insides and compare yours with pictures of other 147's posted in Google images. This should tell you if yours is stock or has been hot-rodded. Stock means you can use the manuals without fear of doing something wrong.

[Wes]

THE most important thing is to thoroughly oil the motors and the horn bearing. It is very, very, very common for these to be neglected to the point where they get damaged.

[dylan]

valuable stuff here. Wes, BX3, Pico, thanks a bunch.

[dylan]

1969 Leslie with Jensen Specialized.
Now the Cabinet is labeled a 122, with a 147 amplifier. Is this standard?

[Sweet Pete]

1969 Leslie with Jensen Specialized.
Now the Cabinet is labeled a 122, with a 147 amplifier. Is this standard?

Not standard. Also not uncommon. These boxes get modified and repaired along the way.
Pictures help,but my silver Jensen P15LL's are in older boxes.
And one Leslie I sold came to me as a 122 box with a 147 chassis.

If you remove the 15" speaker the codes stamped onto the shelf will say 122 on a 147 and 145 on a 142!
Same box,different amps.
The #'s tell you what day and year your box was made.
The 142 pictured was made the 115th day of '69 and is labeled 145.

Here I have a 147 chassis stuffed into the 142 to match it's brother.