spinet player motor

[Bill Maxim]

Eric wrote 20 Nov 1996 18:42:47 -0800
>From:	tunrboy@teleport.com (Eric Leatha)
>Sender:	owner-pianotech@byu.edu
>To:	pianotech@byu.edu
>Subject:	spinet player motor
>
>Hi again folks!
>
>I found an old Wurlitzer spinet player (I know, go figure) in the
> basement
>with what appears to be a bad blower motor.  This is the player with
>solenoids, so the only suction going on is the tracker bar.  I'm
> reading
>only 4.5 volts DC out of the transformer and when checking the
> resistance
>through the motor, it goes to ground.  Therefore, I assume the
> blower motor
>is bad.  Does anyone have a source for these?  Any ideas for a
> solution?
>Perhaps a blow dryer?

When Wurlitzer stopped building players perhaps a decade ago, they sold
all the leftover parts to Morelock's Organ Service in Mississippi.  I
have their address and phone number at a different location and can get
it in three days if you need it.

You may not need it.  I ran into a Wurlitzer spinet last year where the
blower was not working.  The motor was a 115 volt AC motor (I think you
will find that the 4.5 volts is for the solenoids) that had set so long
that the bearings set up and therefore blew the fuse when trying to run
it.  What worked for me was:

1.	to get the blower loose and free up the bearings.  If I remember
correctly, all I had to do was get a few drops of oil into the
bearings, spin the armature a few times; and

2.	to find the blown fuse and replace it.  It was not set up for
easy replacement, but was soldered with wire leads inside the metal
chassis that the blower was sitting on top of.  I chose to get a fuse
holder, leave it out where I could replace if I blew one, and wired it
into the circuit.

Hope this helps.



Bill Maxim, RPT, Piano Technicians Guild    wmaxim@gnn.com
Serving South Carolina from Columbia and Greer