Rockola 1448 gripper cam

I recently purchased a Rockola 1448 to restore. I’m new to jukebox repair and I’m trying to troubleshoot some mechanical issues. Should I be able to cycle the gripper cam and arm by rotating the stub of the shaft that sticks out of the bottom of the motor? When I try to do that the shaft starts to rotate but then everything locks up.

This is common on these old machines, especially if their mechs have not been washed and been dormant for meny years.

if you have tried to turn the shaft both directions and the gripper gear "locks up" either way, you have a case of dried oil turning into varnish in the gripper assembly.

First, remove the motor and all records anywhere near the gripper. then apply heat to the gripper assembly at the gearbox. The heat can be from a heatgun set at "low" or even a hairdryer. the gearbox sould be made just too hot to hold for more than a few seconds. Then try turning the large gear that the motor pinion gear had connected to.

If you can get enough action by this method, set the gripper bow approx vertical and dribble some light lube into the space around the gripper shaft.

The idea here is to liquefy the hardened oil in the gripper gearbox.

This normally will work so try several times --but do not use excessive force-- the assembly is rugged but some parts are cheap potmetal.

Once you get it going, keep working it and add plenty of lube to help flush out the old oil. This can be messy so keep paper towels around the area to absorb the ejected oil and overflow.

If you have no luck with the above procedure, you will have to remove the whole gripper assembly and soak it in an emulsifier suah as dilluted floor stripper and hot water.

I've never had to remove the gripper to free it up, so you have a good shot at getting it going w/out major disassembly.


Rob/NYC






On Tuesday, April 24, 2012 5:49:36 PM UTC-5, smarch wrote:
I recently purchased a Rockola 1448 to restore. I’m new to jukebox
repair and I’m trying to troubleshoot some mechanical issues. Should I
be able to cycle the gripper cam and arm by rotating the stub of the
shaft that sticks out of the bottom of the motor? When I try to do that
the shaft starts to rotate but then everything locks up.




--
smarch

smarch wrote:
I recently purchased a Rockola 1448 to restore. I’m new to jukebox
repair and I’m trying to troubleshoot some mechanical issues. Should I
be able to cycle the gripper cam and arm by rotating the stub of the
shaft that sticks out of the bottom of the motor? When I try to do that
the shaft starts to rotate but then everything locks up.





Here is my help page on gripper assemblies:

http://www.flippers.com/Rockola-tips.html

John :-#)#

--
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