Restoration- Wurlitzer 1600

LovelyCoCoNuts

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Long story short, met a guy and he needed space, and was willing to let one of his two jukeboxes go. Very nice guy, and I was more than happy to take it off his hands.

After I loaded it up, one of the wheel blocks fell off. I gorilla glued it and put 3 new screws, and then 3 additional 3" screws to snug it up. Then I placed additional screws in the other blocks. Since I already had it tipped in my vehicle on its back, it only made sense to take care of this now.

Very heavy jukebox.


What I know:

1. Parts are expensive.
2. I am going to need a parts and service manual (victory glass)
3. The machine has issues, will not select record to play
4. Was told the transformer motor and drive motor works as the reset switch on back? Placed the platter back in the stack.
5. Previous owner heard noise from the speaker at one point, like white noise from a needle?



My plan of attack will be to check the cord and solder points, open it up and take some video and pics of the unit, vacuum it out, and inspect for anything hanging or broken. Check for fuses, or ground blocks and check for broken solder joints.

I will then power on, hooked up to a extension box with a resetable breaker inline.

If it gets to that point and seems well, I will check the power transformer, and amp, see what there is to see.

I will then try to coin up and make sure it registers, then move on to the selection issue that I was informed it had.

I have been informed the unit powers on, and lights work, but it will not select a record and play it.



Pic:

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Running Restoration Tally
Tisdale Cap Kit $64/Shipped
AMR Service & Parts Manual $45
Misc cleaning supplies $32
5 hrs of tinkering
4 hrs research
518 Amplifier Cap Kit Install - 15hrs so far
(Some caps had been previously replaced with non original value caps, and can cap reroute had been done. Heavily modified amp, rewired back to original schematics)
-----------------
24hrs & $142 in Parts
 
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Pics placeholder for this thread #2

Welcome to its new home:

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Yea that is a 4tap kegerator.


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One of the first things to do is recap the amplifier before you burn up a couple of no longer available transformers. The 1600 was the last Wurlitzer to use the swing out "pizza trays" style record holders. Starting with the model 1700, Wurlitzer went to an entirely different record mechanism using a rotating carousel (magazine) and played the record vertically.

I don't know about the 1600, but on a 1700 the amplifier was also the power source for all the motors.
 
Didnt think about that... I will check it if had been capped from wax to electrolytics... I do not want any wax caps


I do love that vertical play mech of the 1700. Its classy


600th post... Whaaa
 
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With the record mechanism of the 1600, ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FINGERS AWAY FROM MOVING PARTS.

Be especially careful around the turntable because it raises/lowers and can smash/chop off your fingers! It's very dangerous.
 
With the record mechanism of the 1600, ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FINGERS AWAY FROM MOVING PARTS.

Be especially careful around the turntable because it raises/lowers and can smash/chop off your fingers! It's very dangerous.



Roger that. Moving parts...end to love life lol
 
Didnt think about that... I will check it if had been capped from wax to electrolytics... I do not want any wax caps

Jason Tisdale (son of Vern) has taken over his late father's website and he sells jukebox amplifier cap kits. So does Bill Bickers.

http://www.verntisdale.com/

http://www.jukeboxfridaynight.com/

Wurlitzer uses a three digit model number on their amplifiers. Example: 503, 504, 524, etc. You order capkits generally by Wurlitzer's amplifier model number. Sometimes you can just tell them "I need a capkit for a Wurlitzer 1600" and they'll know what kit to send you. Be advised jukebox amplifier capkits are much more expensive than video monitor capkits. Depending upon jukebox amplifier model number, you're looking at between $80 to $120 for a kit. This is due to the expensive high voltage electrolytic capacitors.
 
Jason Tisdale (son of Vern) has taken over his late father's website and he sells jukebox amplifier cap kits. So does Bill Bickers.

http://www.verntisdale.com/

http://www.jukeboxfridaynight.com/

Wurlitzer uses a three digit model number on their amplifiers. Example: 503, 504, 524, etc. You order capkits generally by Wurlitzer's amplifier model number. Sometimes you can just tell them "I need a capkit for a Wurlitzer 1600" and they'll know what kit to send you. Be advised jukebox amplifier capkits are much more expensive than video monitor capkits. Depending upon jukebox amplifier model number, you're looking at between $80 to $120 for a kit. This is due to the expensive high voltage electrolytic capacitors.



Dales site is dead.

And Friday nights site does not even liat one for my juke if I am reading it right.

Those prices are high. Which is an issue.

Same reason I will never order from happ.

I will try to source my own, through mouser and digikey. Ill see what I need.

Right now I am at the service manual needing stage.




Edit:


Reset button set back the platter, but trying the selection keys... Causes a buzzing sound from the unit...

Im not gonna lie... The unit is pretty hacked...

Hard to look a gift horse in the mouth... But I hope the original operator (not whom I got it from) bought this jukebox dinner first....
 
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My mistake his mobile site is dead.

It is stuck on record 47. Over and over

I unplugged the coin mech, and was able to select a bunch of records, and it did cycle through them. But it did not reset the mechanical switches.

I was able to play a record and hear it through the amp...

Even manually resetting the notches on the disc... That record still plays.

The coin counter is disconnected.
The tone arm needs to be adjusted
The needles need to be cleaned.
The 45 rpm spindle allen se.t sctrem need o be wscnee?
Multiple wires need to be soldered and taped

Amp needs to be recapped
May need new needles
Cabinet needs to be vacuumed



I almost thought the guy wired the drive on for a display..

I need a cap kit and a free play plug.



I need to lookup what to grease the parts with.

The vertixal spindle.... Very gummy. Most gears getting gummy.


What caln i ise to lubricate?
 
Re-cap before you power up

To re-emphasize Ken's Post

1. Re-cap before you power up
2. Re-cap before you power up
3. Re-cap before you power up

I didn't heed this advice on my last project, recapped the amp but not selector. First time testing the amp, smoked a $350. power supply because of bad caps on the selector side.
 
I need to lookup what to grease the parts with.

The vertical spindle.... Very gummy. Most gears getting gummy.

What can I use to lubricate?

Lubrication is spelled out in the manual. As I recall for that vintage of jukebox, in general, most things were oiled with 20 weight NON-Detergent motor oil.

To degrease old lubrication from parts, use mineral spirits.
 
Yes. I played with it. Against my own better judgement.

I just did not want to start sinking money into a project that I had no idea how much work i repairs it was going to need.

The manual and cap kit alone will end up being over $100.

Then I will need lubricants, the tone arm wiring is crap. The stylus are dirty... They are nothing like my shure white labels on my 1200mk2's. More like replaceable stylus needle carts on my sony belt drive turntable.

Im pretty sure this is going to be a long term project.

Let's have an adventure!!


As always, thanks guys for very valuable information from knowledgeable people.

Now if only I would listen..... I will work on cleaning while I await parts. Will not be powering back up until I cap the amp. And check the bits and pieces.

I will have to check the amp tonoght to make sure it is indeed the 518 amplifier. It seems to be a stereo amp but one of the power tubes has a socket in it jumpered to flow power to the other tube for mono.
 
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That vintage of machine must be mono. Wurlitzer did not introduce stereo amplifiers until 1958. Better make sure of your amplifier model number before ordering a cap kit.
 
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518?

Not sure on differences of models yet.

Pretty sure im missing a tube on the back right...

.....preamp tube.. Is my guess. Like a 6j8? No clue. I need a service manual LOL
 
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I see two "twist prong" (aluminum can style) electrolytic capacitors in the rear left corner of the picture. They will need to be replaced as part of the capkit. These style capacitors are usually part of the high voltage (450 to 500 volts) B+ power supply and are often the first to fail and take out a power transformer.

If there is a tube "missing" it's probably the tube which controls the Automatic Volume Control circuit. The amp will run without it and many operators pulled that tube out because of "low volume" complaints. The purpose of the tube was to regulate the volume between different qualities of records. Back in those days record recording standards were poor/non existant.
 
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Its a 518... Dirty as hell... Oil in the sockets oil everywhere

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A couple of caps replaced at somepoint.

And a resistor to the coin mech socket is blown in half.

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Is it me.. Or do all radio valve amplifiers look like orderded rats nests
 
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Starting with the model 1700 jukebox, Wurlitzer mounted the amplifiers vertically against the side wall. All previous jukebox models had the amplifiers sitting horizontally on a shelf directly under the motor! There is supposed to be an "amplifier drip shield" (a metal oil catching pan) mounted over the amplifier to catch all the oil flung/dripped from the motor and mechanism. It keeps the oil off the amplifier and operators typically removed them. The technicians would take the drip shields to the workbench to use as ashtrays for their cigarettes!

You're gonna need to clean the oil out of the tube sockets. I've used pipe cleaners dipped in 99% isopropyl alcohol to clean the socket contacts. If you don't clean up the oil wherever you find it under the amplifier chassis, it leeches into the old wax capacitors and worse....into the twist prong electrolytic can capacitors and causes them to short circuit thus taking out the power transformer.

I've marked up your amplifier pictures to point out the twist prong capacitors. The major twist prong capacitor manufacturers Wurlitzer used were Mallory, Sprague, Cornell Dublier (a.k.a. C.D.E. ), and Aero. In general, 99.99% of the time, the twist prong capacitors used the metal can frame as common ground (negative in other words). The labeling on the capacitor usually says "CAN COM NEGATIVE". However, on the model 1700, it was the first time I had ever seen POSITIVE ground can capacitors. As far as I know the 1700 was the only jukebox to use positive ground capacitors. I'm pretty sure your 1600 uses conventional negative ground cans, but look on them to be sure.
 

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Funny, but verntisdale.com works for me. Perhaps you should call or email:

Call 602-944-8444 or call Jason directly: 480-521-7600

[email protected]

From Bill Bickers site:

http://www.jukeboxfridaynight.com/kits.html

Wurlitzer model 518 (model 1600 jukebox) amplifier Cap Kit $59.95

Wurlitzer model 518 complete set of tubes kit $145.00


Spoke with jason waiting for a quote, stated cap listing and diagram would be included.

Spoke with mr. Bickers, and same, stated could ship quickly, and comes with some documentation as well.



Update: quotes in from both.

Going with Jason simply because I contacted him first. Mr. Bickers seems like a VERY knowledgeable individual.

Cap kit wiith instructions $64.

Now I need tone arm wire

A cobra needle... Or decide to change the tone arm and mod a newer cart. ... I dunno


And so the cleaning and restore begins.

I will have to fabricate the replacement drip pan cover


I wonder if I could leave a record slot empty and label it aux and just put a rca 2x1 to hookup a external audio source... Then use the cancel circuit to exit out of it...

May need the audio equalization circuit back up and running for that...

I also asked Jason if I could document his literature, and he ok'd it. But no scans will be provided... Sry. I will comment on the quality of the information and the schematics provided. Should me fairly simple... Just a rats nest and some mods for the can capacitors.


Update update------

Cap kit paid for $64
AMR 1600 service & parts Manuals $45

...so it begins
 
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