Seeburg Repair Help

buzzard86

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Hi!

Newby here seeking help with a 70s vintage Seeburg jukebox repair. My local, well regarded video game restoration shop doesn't touch Seeburg's anymore and I'm hoping to rule out a simple fix before starting a wider search for a repair tech.

The jukebox selects and loads the 45 but immediately cancels and and playing head returns to the home position. Everything else seems/looks perfectly functional. Is there anything that I can check that immediately comes to mind? (Wondering about relays, fuses, etc).

Thanks, in advance for your help! I don't have a model # but can obtain and provide if that would help. I'm not very experienced with jukes. This was in my parents' basement when I was a kid and I'd like to bring it into my home so that my kids can enjoy it. Lots of sentimental value here.

I also have a pinball machine with a playing field that won't light up, so I'll be cross posting a similar request over on the Pinball forum

Thanks again.

Jim
 
Is the arm that loads the record retracting all the way down after it loads? It is pulled back to its scan position by a spring, and the pivot sometimes gets gummed up so it doesn't go back properly. A little oil will solve that problem. Depending on the model, some are really hard to get at and require sliding the entire mechanism platform partway out, or removing the back panel of the jukebox. Watch your fingers while the mechanism is operating, that little motor is geared way up and produces a lot of power.
Also check if the clamp that holds the record against the turntable is tight up against the record. The pointed rod should be centered on the opening in the turntable and should slide into position smoothly. There are adjusting screws if it is off center, and make sure the opening is not obstructed. After years of sitting, a lube job on the entire mechanism is in order. One of the Seeburg gurus on here can point you to a site with the necessary info.
 
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Is the arm that loads the record retracting all the way down after it loads? It is pulled back to its scan position by a spring, and the pivot sometimes gets gummed up so it doesn't go back properly. A little oil will solve that problem. Depending on the model, some are really hard to get at and require sliding the entire mechanism platform partway out. Watch your fingers while the mechanism is operating, that little motor is geared way up and produces a lot of power.

Thanks, Doughbroz. I'll have to run it and note specifically the position of the loading arm. As an additional detail, the needle engages and record plays for about 1 second and then cancels. Would this timing fit the picture of a stuck loading arm?

The juke is about 15 minutes away in my mother's basement so I'll post back once I've had a chance to stop over there and cycle a record.

Jim
 
First, visit the late (he died in April of 09) Tony Miller's Seeburg website:

http://home.pacbell.net/fmillera/

He was a wealth of Seeburg information since he used to work at the factory and engineered some of the circuitry. He wrote several books on repairing Seeburg jukes (all are available to buy from www.alwaysjukin.com).

Second, Ron Rich became the de facto Seeburg expert after Tony died. Ron also wrote several books on repairing & cleaning Seeburgs. He hangs out at the jukebox forums of www.phonoland.com
 
First, visit the late (he died in April of 09) Tony Miller's Seeburg website:

http://home.pacbell.net/fmillera/

He was a wealth of Seeburg information since he used to work at the factory and engineered some of the circuitry. He wrote several books on repairing Seeburg jukes (all are available to buy from www.alwaysjukin.com).

Second, Ron Rich became the de facto Seeburg expert after Tony died. Ron also wrote several books on repairing & cleaning Seeburgs. He hangs out at the jukebox forums of www.phonoland.com

Thanks, Ken. I located my jukebox on Tony's website. I'm going to check the loading arm as discussed above and if that appears to be functioning properly, I'll head over to phonoland and see if I can find Ron.

I appreciate your help! Fingers crossed that I can get to the bottom of this.

Jim
 
the clamping arm has a "empty selection" switch, incase no record is picked up for play. This would automatically reject if no record is present, or in your case, it has a broken wire or is misadjusted.
 
Make sure you do all the cleaning and oiling before you start adjusting anything, you may end up screwing something up that was fine. To get at the clutch and other components for proper cleaning and oiling you need to remove the whole selector assembly from the juke and then remove the selector. It's not as bad as it sounds, you can have it apart in about 20 minutes.
 
Be careful and take your time cleaning the mechanism. Rube Goldberg would have been impressed at the complexity of this device. I cleaned mine about 6 years ago. My box is from 1959, and it looked like it had never been cleaned and the lube that was in it, was caked.

I followed instructions from a book or the internet (can't remember). It called for removing the mechanism from the jukebox; covering the motor in a plastic bag and hosing down the mech with tire bleach of all things. I let it soak for 30 min and rinsed it with water and then dried it using compressed air. Then I oiled it, which the Seeburg books show you exactly what needs oil. It's run well since then, but has since started doing what yours is doing, but only sporadically. I think for mine, it's either in need of some lube or one of the springs that keeps the trip lever down is weak. If I fix it, I'll post what worked. Good luck.
 
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