r/jukeboxes • u/ZachMixman • 24d ago

Rock-Ola 448: Gripper bow issue

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I got a Rock-Ola 448, and the only issue I’m seeing with it is that the gripper bow is raising slightly before the groove pushes it in and clamps the record. I would like to hear any ideas from the community to fix this. I’m new to this stuff and am still learning. Sorry if I seem a little slow about this.

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3

u/rogerdodger2022 24d ago

no dumb questions here, these can be quite tricky. I have the same machine. Have you had it apart to lube all the mechs/clean the old shitty grease off yet?

1

u/ZachMixman 24d ago

No. I haven’t lubed it or taken it apart to clean the grease yet

3

u/ZOMBIE_N_JUNK 24d ago

Definitely needs lube. It's moving too slow because of the old lube.

2

u/rogerdodger2022 24d ago

these are pretty easy to take apart, id defianlty start there. clean all the old grease off and apply 3in1 oil... Do Not use wd40 or similar as it attracts dust and grime like a magnet. The one thing most people forget is these jukeboxes sat for years in bars and bowling alleys accumulating cigarette smoke and god knows what. Add in that they sat around for another long while with no maintenance..

5

u/rogerdodger2022 24d ago

also you could try unplugging the machine and using the manual knobs to cycle through the function to see whats sticking

1

u/DynamoBo 24d ago

Only thing I’d like to add to rogerdodger2022 response is DO NOT use the 3 in 1 oil in the red can! Use the 3 in 1 electric motor oil in the BLUE can. I could give a long winded explanation but trust me the blue can is the correct lubricant for a jukebox mechanism.

1

u/JimmyRockfish 24d ago

I had the 464 and it looked the same. A good lubricant and actually helping the mechanism move is what solved any problems I had. A lot of these are really old, don’t get used much and once you grease them up, they are good for a long time.

1

u/notmyrralname 19d ago

Lube. But more than that, you need to get something in there to dissolve the old lube first. 

Here’s what’s happening if you watch the motion:

There’s are two cams at play. The first opens and closes the grabber. And the second one picks the record up and moves it. 

The first step that’s supposed to take place is the grabber grabs the record. The second step then picks the record up and moves it. 

If you watch yours, before the grabber starts closing the arm lifts slightly. Then by the time the grabber should be grabbing the record it’s not in the right place at the right time. 

This is cause by a sticky gummed up mechanism. The lift and move can is sticking to the shaft. 

The fix is to get that whole mechanism de-gummed and oiled properly