Magnavox Astro-Sonic wont spin at slower speed settings

[James27]

I have an Astro Sonic that will only spin on the 78rpm setting. There are 3 slower settings that I'd like to get to work (45, 33, 16). What should I try first?

I tried to see what year or model it is but the sticker on the back is torn/faded. I'm hoping there are some generic troubleshooting steps I can try first to see if I can get this working. Any suggestions?

Note: I'm not familiar with any of the terminology or perhaps even the basics of how this works. Feel free to provide as much detail as seems appropriate.

[52 Bill]

I have an Astro Sonic that will only spin on the 78rpm setting. There are 3 slower settings that I'd like to get to work (45, 33, 16). What should I try first?

Welcome to the place. While this is sort of out of the normal scope of this forum, there are a few guys here that can probably help you.

The turntable is a typical idler wheel/capstan type, where the motor shaft has a 4 level capstan (spindle). The four levels relate to the 4 speeds that the turntable spins at. There is a rubber idler wheel that rides on one of these four levels and transfers the motion to the metal turntable platten which holds the records.

It sounds like your idler wheel may have shrunk or hardened or is out of alignment enough that it no longer contacts the motor spindle on the three smaller levels. The largest is the 78rpm level, 45 is next, followed by 33 1/3 and 16. You will need to remove the platten and inspect the motor, the idler wheel and the idler linkage.

If the unit has not been used or serviced in a while, you will probably want to clean up the old hardened grease and lube all of the contact points and see if there is a replacement idler wheel available.

To remove the platten and expose the internals, look at the center where the record spindle is and look for a C-clip that holds the platten in position. Remove the clip and pull up on the platten to remove it.

[olddawg]

Back in the old days BC (before CDs) about a month before Christmas, the turntables would start coming in in droves. They were our yearly bread and butter. Yes, your TT is probably an idler drive. And yes you need to get the platter off. But it might be a little more complex since it is a Magnavox depending on the age. If it isn't obvious how to remove it, post a picture. If it is an "automatic" TT, take the stacking spindle out before you do anything. If it doesn't play after cleaning and lubricating all the bearings and cleaning the rubber residue off of the capstan, you may need to restore or replace the idler. If you are lucky you can wipe the idler surface down with some rubber restorer. There also used to be a product called "Phono Magic" which was like lacquer and fine sand that was translucent red and you painted the capstan with it like fingernail polish. Sometimes you can also scuff the idler surface with a little Emory cloth. PRB Pro Line used to stock replacement generic idlers or would rebuild yours, but I don't know if they are still in business. Of course it's a whole different situation if it is a belt drive or a direct drive TT. Again, a picture is worth a thousand words. Be careful with lubricants, they migrate and will cause everything to slip if the wrong surface gets contaminated. Do not use WD-40.

[Enzo]

Probably a large E-clip or a C-clip on the central shaft to free the platter.

My working theory is the three motor mount grommets have broken down into goo, and the motor is hanging low, so the idler no longer makes good contact with the motor shaft.

[James27]

Pictures

Thank you all for the quick replies! Unfortunately I don't have much free time to work on this so it will likely be a slow moving project. Please stick around. I appreciate your help! Some pictures:






It looks like what I would call a c-clip on the turn table. Next chance I get I'll try to get that off. Not sure if I have a tool that will work but I probably know someone who does.

Thanks!

[Enzo]

Any good hardware store will have C-ring pliers. C-rings come in inside and outside varieties, and ring pliers are often 'reversible" so you can use them on either.

Harbor freight probably has cheap ones which ought to get you through the project.