Classic Hifi Care

Per Chris Cuff's video, I found that mine is the first edition of the first RCA 45 changer, circa 1949. Mine has the recessed screws for the star wheel. Later ones have longer bolts in that position, since it may be tough to get the recessed screws out. The later ones also had the linkage for the damper they used so the tone arm didn't drop so fast. Interesting stuff this is, to my feeble brain at least....

All this talk of RCA 45 rpm changers got me to typing "45EY2" into Google, and whoosh!! Down the rabbit hole. Looks like my little player has the RP-190 changer. The good news is that the amp has two stages so it will take a medium-output cartridge.

Chris Campbell

My changer does have the recessed screws. I thought at first they were "plus head" screws, but now I'm not sure. I can't see them well enough to identify them. Nothing I have is skinny enough to get in the recessed holes if I knew how I had to turn them. I've read that these recessed screws may be a non-starter for the project. I've been watching videos on these changers but haven't had this question answered. Does anyone on here have an idea as to what type of head the recessed screws have?

When the time comes to dig into this changer, I believe the path I'll take is this. First, I'll remove the tone arm so I can remove the metal chassis from the bakelite cabinet. Then remove the motor and drive tire, all the wiring, anything that doesn't have to be there. I should then be able to get a straight shot at these screws to both identify their head type and to get a tool on them straight. My best guesstimation is that they are plus head screws. I have a Phillips screwdriver skinny enough, but it is too long to get on the screws with the metal chassis in the cabinet. This will also allow me to get a Dremel to that gear in case I need to cut it off and put another one in its place. I will have the replacement procured and on hand before I attempt this last-ditch repair. RCA made lots of these little players, so parts should be obtainable. The rest of the repair and rehab looks fairly straightforward. The service documentation tells me everything I need to know, but doesn't mention the early type of recessed screws. Or how to deal with them. Chris Cuff mentions them in one of his videos, but doesn't go into detail. He just says those screws can be deal breakers when it comes to rehabbing one of these little changers. This one is too nice to give up on.

Edit:....I found a Chris Cuff video that does tell about the screws on the star wheel. "They look like plus head screws, but they're not. You use a small regular screw driver to remove them. If they are stuck, you are out of luck, you have to cut the star wheel in half to remove it". So, it sounds like a good squirt of PB Blaster on the screws and star wheel might be the place to start.

If I remember correctly, they're Bristol head screws.

Why would RCA use a weird fastener like that on a record changer? Was there a factory tool available to remove the screws? Where would I get such a tool if it exists?

Probably for the same reason the auto industry had special tools, it was an income for them. I'm guessing, at least at first, the only place you could get that screwdriver was through RCA.

Bill

I don't want to get ahead of myself or make this worse than it is. Guys fix these all the time. I don't see any "scare" videos showing the problems encountered. I've got it soaking with PB Blaster which always works for me getting something unstuck. I don't think they have ever been messed with, so that is good, they aren't currently stripped. I'll get it apart for a good look and see if I can figure out how to remove those screws without getting carried away with a Dremel.

It's one baby step at a time and before you know it, it will be playing 45 records for you.

Bill

electra225 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2024 6:18 pm Why would RCA use a weird fastener like that on a record changer? Was there a factory tool available to remove the screws? Where would I get such a tool if it exists?

At the time the 9JY was made, Bristol screws were not uncommon.

If you poke around the web, you should be able to find a set of Bristol keys without spending too much money. I don't believe you will find them at your local hardware store.

I've never seen or even heard of a Bristol screw.

Chris Campbell

This little changer is my next project. I'd like to accomplish rebuilding it before I do the Concert Grand.

I have looked at the heads on the recessed screws in the gear on this changer at length as best I could. The heads look like your typical "plus" screw heads, but I can't find a screwdriver that will grip them. There is not much room to work. These don't look like Bristol heads to me. Bristol is like they use on Hallicrafters SX-110's on the knobs. Kinda like an Allen head, but different. These look like plus head screws that are not deep, if that makes any sense. I'm going to see if I can source another gear, then just cut this one off with a Dremel. I'll have to retime the changer, but I'll probably have to do that in any case. Does anybody have any suggestions on what I need to remove the recessed screws?

I thought that sometime in the past I had watched a Chris Cuff video on the RP-168 changer. I had even bookmarked it. I watched the video again. He mentioned those little pesky screws. Remember, I had soaked these screws with PB Blaster some weeks ago so they could soak really well. Chris Cuff mentioned that you needed a short minus screwdriver to remove the screws, and if they were stuck, you would have to cut the star wheel off the shaft. I didn't have a minus screwdriver short enough. I did not have a minus big for a driver set that I could use a wrench on, but I did have a plus bit about the right size. So, since it seemed to grip the screw head fairly well, I used it, squeezed onto the screw with water pump pliers. Then I used a 1/4" open end wrench to turn the bit. Both of the screws came loose! YAAAYYYY!!!!!

I'll get my camera out and take lots of pictures as I go. I marked the star wheel as recommended, but there is a Chris Cuff video that tells how to align everything and I have bookmarked the service documents for this changer. What I want to concentrate on right now is getting this thing apart to see what all I will need. I know for sure it needs a drive tire, motor mounts and a cartridge. I may consider taking the GE VR cartridge out of that Newcomb record player I have and see if I can use it in this little changer.

The hard part may be over now. Getting the star wheel off successfully is a good omen. Stand by.....

I took almost 30 pictures of this thing all apart. I know there will be hassles and adjustments ahead, but, so far, this project has been very enjoyable. There isn't much to one of these. I can see where having a good drive tire and making sure there is no grease on the drive components will be ultra-critical. This changer completely changes the record in one revolution of the platter. The only place you have to grease is the grooves under the platter that runs the cycling mechanism. There are lots of springs on this changer. I have it all apart and cleaned, ready for motor mounts, a new drive tire (this one is like a rock) and a new cartridge. The bakelite cabinet on this changer is essentially perfect. I used Simichrome and polished it out really nicely. Looks like brand new.

It looks great, Greg. I have one just like it that needs "the service" but have been putting it off for no real reason but just being lazy. I guess I should roll up my sleeves and get at it one of these days.

Bill

I hope I can remember how to put it back together. I took the arm off the tone arm shaft so I could get it apart. Gary has the parts I need. I have to send in the old drive tire before I get new parts. I think I'll go with the P51 cartridge. It looks like it might be easier to install. I think both options are stereo cartridges, bridged for mono. RCA wants the original cartridge to track at five grams. Replacements track heavier, apparently. 8 grams, I think. This changer doesn't have the damper to keep the tone arm from jumping.

This is my first RCA 45 changer. I can tell you one thing for sure. Take LOTS of pictures. And, make yourself a cheap stand out of spare bolts you have hanging around. I woke up in the middle of the night wondering how the tone arm linkage all works. I took redundant pictures of that. That will be my Waterloo in this project. I didn't mark the parts well enough when I took it apart.

Parts for this changer will run about $70 after I ship the old drive tire in to Gary so I can get a new one. The comment was made on AudioKarma that it cost more to fix one of these than it does to buy one already working. That is not the case today. Shipping is the killer.

I'm jealous of how neat and clean your workbench is ... mine is piled with stuff ... all the time

Thanks, Elton. I'm trying to keep this one a bit tidier than ones in the past. To the right of the camera view there is some "pushing and stacking" going on......

I have three or four of the large RCA AM-FM radios they built in the 1950's. I had two 6-RF-9 models, a 1R81 and a 6-RF-91, which is the bakelite cabinet version of the 6-RF-9 models. These big RCA radios all have phono inputs and would be appropriate to use with this changer. All these radios have power transformer chassis. The little 45 changer does not, of course. The chassis is metal, housed in a bakelite cabinet. The knob for the power switch is plastic, the tone arm is plastic. The turntable/spindle assembly is metal. The power transformer in the radios will not protect the user of the changer from electrical shock. Would using a safety capacitor on the power line be advisable for one of these changers? Where/how would one be installed?