Garrard Changer

[William]

I'm working on a Garrard changer that is actually in a GE stereo. Model number is: 754 D 730/2. This number also appears. 62-18 It also says Garrard changer built specifically for GE. It has a 2 pole motor. Here's the problem I'm having.

After removing the changer from the console the first thing I noticed was all the mechanical parts were covered in the "white powder." WD40, Q-tips, and paper towel cleaned that up. I also cleaned the dried/hardened grease and oil off all parts that contained it. I reapplied fresh grease and oil, then reassembled the parts I had removed. Next I gave it a test run. I'm sorry to report it was still doing what it was doing before I started this project. And, what it was doing was this:

With records in place, level arm in the proper place, and reject lever engaged, the changer just sits there trying to drop the first record. The platter is moving, but no record is dropping. If I help the record to drop, then it will finish the cycle. The drive tire is like new so I know it's not a slow down caused by that. When the tone arm reaches the end of the record it does the same thing with the next record. When the last record plays, the tone arm lifts, and quickly moves to it's rest and shuts off. There is no slow down in that part of the reject cycle. This is my first go around with a Garrard changer. If anyone has a suggestion on why it won't drop records I would really appreciate some advice. I'm puzzled!

Thank you,
Bill

[electra225]

The only help I could offer is to make sure the overarm is down completely. Good luck.

[Firedome]

My 2 Garrards work just fine even though original, so have no experience with repairs on them, but I use them as single play anyhow as I don't like to stack old hard-to-find records. I just leave them on 33, the over-arm on the L side, slide the LP down over the spindle onto the platter, and turn it on, use the cue lever to drop the tone-arm, and go, reverse that at the end of the record, so I don't bring any of the auto function into play. Machts nichts as that's how I prefer to use it anyhow.

[hermitcrab]

Bill, not familiar with this one ...does it use the common trip mechanism like most other changers? , when you reject it does the tooth project to engage the gear on the platter? does it stall mid change or is nothing happening?

[electra225]

Roger, you run your Garrard changer like I run Collaros......

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

I'm working on a Garrard changer that is actually in a GE stereo. Model number is: 754 D 730/2. This number also appears. 62-18 It also says Garrard changer built specifically for GE. It has a 2 pole motor. Thank you,
Bill

Bill,
Please post some photos of the changer.
Also, do you have a model # for the GE stereo ?

The 62-18 number may be a year/week production number.
Can't tell if this is an early 60's product w/o a photo.

[William]

Elton, it does have the usual type mechanism. Right from the get go, hitting reject, it won't move I need to help it. Once the record finally drops it plays the record just fine. At the end of the record it trips the reject mechanism and moves to the tone arm rest without hesitating. If a second record is present it does the same slow down barely move thing all over again.

Mr. Mogul, I will provide photos and a model number of the GE later today.

Thanks guys!

Bill

[William]

The model of the GE is: RC1674A. Not a bad unit, single ended 7189's. Attached are changer photos.

Bill

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

Bill that is a Garrard AT6, and a nice one.
I think it is from 18th week 1962 per stamp.

I would presume the trip link/reject linkage is the
problem.
Removal of the platter will reveal those parts,
and the eccentric drive cycle wheel.
I think a good cleaning of those will solve the
problem.

I have the service folder from vinyl engine, if you
would like that.

Shoot me a PM or email.

[Firedome]

I could well be mistaken but I've never sen an early while-base AT6 with a mat like that, it looks like one take from a later AT60?

[electra225]

I could also be mistaken, but the VM changers in my little GE stereos have a metal band in the mat much like that Garrard has. Might that mat be a GE-specified fitting, not something normally found on Garrard changers?

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

Bill,
The Photofact publish date is 1/64 for the RC1674, so that stamped
ink code on the Garrard of 62-18 appears to be 1962.

I agree with Greg, that the AT-6 chrome mat insert looks like
a GE specified design.

The GE RP-2060 stereo from 1963 with the VM changer,
has that wide chrome insert and the white changer
base color scheme.

[William]

It does say on the bottom, "Garrard changer built for GE." The platter mat looks like other GE changers I have seen and shown here on this thread by others. It also has a 2 poke motor. I have never seen a Garrard changer with a 2 poke motor. That must be part of the built for GE thing.

Mr Mogul, I did pull the platter and cleaned and lubed things up. After doing that, it still does the same thing. The trip seems to be free, and it rejects just fine at the end of a record. I do have the Sam's for it and mine is dated 1964 as well. Thanks for the offer on the service folder. I'll sent you an email.

Bill

[hermitcrab]

When ever I see those wide tone arms ... it give the impression that they weigh a ton in grams ....

[electra225]

I have at least two of those wide GE "Custom" tone arms on various machines. I have found that they track just fine at 4 grams and are easy on records. They are not as clunky as they look. Two of mine have GE C-100 cartridges, I'm not sure what the other one has.

[William]

It's interesting that you mention the cartridge, Greg. The Garrard changer that goes in the GE I"m working on has a GE C-100 cartridge as well.

Bill

[Firedome]

That mat must have been a made for GE thing, a typical Garrard AT6 mat has a silver disc at the center and radial lines on the outer part of the mat, lots of pics on eBay show this, and that the usual AT60 has the mat like the subject GE changer's mat, perhaps used by GE to differentiate or fancy it up a bit.

[William]

I spent the greater part of the day trying to figure out the Garrard problem. Mr. Mogul made a kind offer to provide the service manual on it, which I accepted. It arrived in an email, I printed it off and started to go thru it. It proved too be most helpful as it was a step by step procedure troubling shooting all kinds of problems. The most important part was it showed where to find the grease/oiling points on the changer. Step by Step I took things apart, cleaned, and greased or oiled and then reassembled. Even though the motor showed no sign of having a problem, I disassembled it, cleaned all parts, oiled, and then reassembled. The drive tire was very soft and rubbery, but had a glaze look to it. I put it in my electric drill and set if for slow. As is turned I gently applied very fine sandpaper to it which took off the glaze look. Once all was done, I reassembled the changer and gave it a test drive. Success! Or, should I say at least for now. It is cycling as it should without slowing down. My next issue to figure out is why a fresh stack of records won't drop the first record. The platter spins, tone arm rises, record stays in place, then the tone arm sets down on the platter. If I hit the reject button again sometime it will work and sometime not. Once it finally makes up its mind to work, it will play the rest of the stack just fine. Back to the drawing board.

Bill

[electra225]

This may not have a bearing on your situation, but I have found that some RCA "Dynaflex" records from the early 1970's don't like to work well with record changers. They are really thin and flimsy and it goms up the changer cycle.

[William]

I finally figured out why the Garrard would not drop the first record. I spent a lot of time just watching what it did as it cycles. If I forced the first record to drop the rest would be ok. I finally figured out the spindle pawl was the problem, it was not retracting all the way back inside the spindle. The spindle pawl is the push lever that pushes the record over so it will drop. Once that is done, the rest of the records fall to the rest position on the spindle and wait for the next reject cycle to take place. Once that was figured out the Garrard service manual had suggestions on what parts to look for that would cause a cycling problem. There were actually 6 different things that could cause this problem, and the last one that was suggested was the cause. It was the Pawl Return Spring. The service manual said if it was weak it would not allow the spindle pawl to retract all the way. And, sure enough, that was the problem. Not having a new spring in stock, go figure, I did the next best thing. I removed the spring, straightened the hook loop straight, then stretched it one coil or loop, and placed it back on the changer. And, that is all it took. It now cycles as it should, dropping all the records as it should. Success! I have played it at least 4 hours since repair and all it well. I shot a photo so you can see the spring. If you look kind of at the middle of the photo you will see two springs. One is kind of long and stretched looking. The other short and little lower in the photo. The spindle pawl return spring is the shorter one.

Finally, I can get this put back together and out of my laundry room and back to the local antique guy.