Leslie slow motor not engaging? This may fix it.

[Dave_B]

My two-speed Leslie just arrived in the mail today and I'm hoping someone can answer this.  Both motors work, and the fast motor spins the cheesewheel as expected, but the slow motor isn't in contact with the reduction wheel.  There's about a 1/16" gap between the wheel and the shaft and the chassis doesn't have slots to adjust the position of the motors. 

Am I missing something obvious?  Does the rubber ring on the reduction wheel shrink over time?  I can post pics if that helps.

[Dave_B]

The other thing I thought I'd read was that the upper motor isn't engaged all the time, while the fast motor is.  Both of these motors are stationary.

[Sir H C]

Okay, just worked on one:

1.  The slow motor should drop away from the ring on the fast motor when in the high speed, this saves the motor from excessive wear when spinning fast.
2.  When going to slow, the motor's spinning causes it to shift so the axle hits the rubber ring.  You can change the ring placement with a hex bolt on the collar holding the ring on and adjust (slightly) the slow motor if the ring is too far in.
3.  The rubber does go bad.  I got replacement rubber from Goff http://www.goffprof.com/index.jsp . 

[Dave_B]

Okay, just worked on one:

1.  The slow motor should drop away from the ring on the fast motor when in the high speed, this saves the motor from excessive wear when spinning fast.

OK, so that's why the spindle has some play in it, right?

2.  When going to slow, the motor's spinning causes it to shift so the axle hits the rubber ring.  You can change the ring placement with a hex bolt on the collar holding the ring on and adjust (slightly) the slow motor if the ring is too far in.

OK, thanks.  I've seen slow motors mounted at an angle and I assumed that was the reason.  My slow motor is mounted straight up-and-down, so I can't see how it moves to touch the wheel.  Maybe I'm not so mechanically inclined after all.

3.  The rubber does go bad.  I got replacement rubber from Goff http://www.goffprof.com/index.jsp . 

That's a great link that's going on the Wiki's new Leslie page. 

It sounds like I may need to spend some more time with it.  I'll post the results to this thread.  Thanks again, HC.

[Sir H C]

http://www.theatreorgans.com/hammond/faq/mystery/mystery.html

is also a great site.

[Dave_B]

OK... for anyone who ever runs into this issue and doesn't have a lick of sense (like me):

1) The slow motor had been moved or jarred at some point, but it is adjustable. 
2) This particular Leslie only seems to work correctly when mounted horizontally with the speaker pointing down.  That way, the slow motor shaft does indeed engage and drop away correctly.



Thanks again for the assist, HC!

[Quackzed]

i've got a trick for those side mounted leslies as well... some organ rotory speakers are mounted sideways like a wheel on a bike sideways rather than  like a sewer cover(normal).
-- the small motor has a spring on it so that the spin and gravity pulls it down into contact with the rubber wheel / belt thingie... you can use a small spring (from a pen) cut in half or smaller(?) and at it to the other spring to give just enough extra lift so that it  a) touches when its turned on... if that is the problem  OR b) doesn't stay in contact all the time and stop the fast rotor from getting up to full speed, by putting the spring on the other side...
  pay close attention when removing / messing with the mounting screws washers springs etc... on the small motor to make it easier to put back together...
... the adjustment nut just wasn't enough to get it working right for me, due to it being intended to work on it's side in an organ, but with the spring( just a little piece) i was able to get it (balancing act) working fine for my needs... figuerd i'd post this here for others having problems with found/ adapted organ rotary speakers... : )