squeaky, creaky pedal puzzler---NO ONE WILL SOLVE THIS!

[Michael Magness]

On 8/16/07, Mike McCoy <mjmccoy at usa.com> wrote:
>
> Action bracket knob loose and bracket rubbing on the bolt threads.....??
>
> Mike
>
> Tom Sivak wrote:
>
>  List
>
> Fixed a squeaky pedal today and the solution to the probem was one that
> never occurred to me, nor will anyone on this list solve it, including you,
> Paul Revenko-Jones!
>
> Now, I'm not saying I'm any better than you guys; it's much harder to
> figure something like this out from cyberspace.  I had the distinct
> advantage of having my hands on the piano (and an hour and a half of time).
>
>
> But what I am saying is that the squeak came from somewhere you'll never
> guess.  (So, think outside the box!)
>
> The piano: a Yamaha P202 from the 80s.  The squeak occurred on the release
> of the damper pedal.  It was a creak more than a squeak.  Like a rusty door
> hinge, it would creak 4 or 5 distinct times rapidly in a row, almost like a
> cricket.  It was LOUD.  (You could actually release the pedal slowly and
> hear each individual creak.  It sounded like somebody cracking their
> knuckles.)
>
> Here's what I did that DIDN'T fix it:
> 1.  Floor board was loose at the front where the movers damaged the bottom
> a bit.  Put more screws in to keep it from moving upon depression of the
> pedal.  That didn't fix it.
> 2. Lubricated EVERY friction point from the pedal itself to the damper
> lift rod connectors in the action.  Nope.
> 3. Tightened the screws on the pedal floor bracket and also the bracket
> that holds the horizontal lever that connects the pedal to the vertical
> damper rod.  (This actually eliminated a clunk that happened on the downward
> movement of the pedal but didn't affect the creak on the upside.)
>
> At this point, with the clunk gone,  I realized that the creak was coming
> from above the keys, not below.  Sure enough, I could disconnect the
> vertical damper rod from the pedal assembly and with my hands, push the
> damper lift rod up and there was the squeak, clear as day.
> So I focused on what was above the keys.
>
> 4. I removed the action and moved the damper lift rod with my finger and
> there was no creak.  Perfectly silent.  Hhhhmmmm....maybe it's the rod
> itself.
> 5. Yes!  I found that the pedal rod had a deteriorating rubber nipple on
> the top and replaced it!  Nope.
> 6. Put new punchings to cushion the vertical damper rod on both ends.
> Still creaky.
> 7. Removed the action and tightened all the screws in the action
> brackets.  I did find a couple that were slightly loose, but...nope, still
> there.
> 8. Tightened case screws on the interior of the piano.  (OK, at this
> point, I was grasping at straws.)
>
> So...here's your big clue, since this will be hard enough even with a
> clue:
>
> *The creak only occurs when the action is in the piano.  And it happens
> whether you lift the dampers using the pedal or push up the damper lift rod
> with your hands.  Yet, take the action out of the piano and lift the damper
> lift rod with your hands, and there's total silence.  Back in the piano,
> there it is again!*
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Prove me wrong.  Somebody solve this one.  I dare you.  LOL!
>
> I won't let this go on too long, but anybody got an idea?
>
> Tom Sivak
> Chicago
>
>
>
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>
> On second thought that seems too easy, 3 other things I have had on rare
occasions, the plastic/nylon/whatever it is tip in the metal damper pedal
rod have come loose and groaned. I have had dummy dampers that only squeaked
under stress(in the piano).  The last and most probable, the swing arm
brackets for the damper lift rod. These are metal lined with felt, in a
piano of this age the felt gets worn and glazed, occasionally the swing arms
will get deformed or move due to wearing of felt causing them to rub on
things they wouldn't normally. I have switched them around putting them in
differnt places to change which direction the swing arm enters them from
when I didn't have replacements.


-- 
Michael Magness
Magness Piano Service
608-786-4404
www.IFixPianos.com
email mike at ifixpianos.com
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