From bruce@ashbysolutions.com Wed Sep 17 05:45:48 2003
Subject:Re: Help with 142

Hi Bob,

>I just bought a 142 (the purple one on Ebay which I plan to paint black)
>and will be driving from So Cal to Arizona to pick it up. I plan to
>bring my VK7 and Speakeasy to fire it up. I have two questions:
>
>The seller has not played it for 3 months and does not know when it was
>oiled last. I have a tube of Hammond oil inside my B3 cabinet. Can I use
>that? If not, what can I use, since I will not have time to send to
>Hammond-Suzuki to get Leslie oil? Where does the oil go and how long
>should it sit before I fire up the Leslie?

I have always used Hammond oil on my Leslie, following the recommendation of several notable Hammond techs. The most obvious place to oil is a small hole on the side of the tweeter horn that says "Oil Here." Unless the horn is frozen in place, you only need a drop or two; most techs consider a drop of oil once or twice a year as sufficient maintenance. Hammond oil is very thin, so you shouldn't have to wait long to see the results.

There are other places that you can oil later -- motors, pulleys, shafts, etc. The larger motors are the most difficult to oil: There is a little felt ring that surrounds the motor shaft at both ends of the motor. If you get one of those clear plastic oiling tubes with a long, thin spout -- it looks like a bottle of shampoo with a length of plastic tube coming out the top -- you should place the spout through each of the six (?) holes on each end of the motor and oil the felt until it's saturated, but not dripping.

The bottom rotor has two bearings, one on each end of the shaft that runs through the rotor. These are sealed bearings, and shouldn't need oiling; however, they sometimes seize up from moisture. Take a look at the lower bearing, which can be seen from the outside bottom of the case. If it's rusted, I would replace it, and consider replacing the top bearing, too (under the woofer). A pair of bearings should be available from most any Leslie tech, and shouldn't cost very much.

The best test that I can think of for the mechanics of the Leslie is a "1-speed" test: Disconnect the two AX plugs that control the Chorale (slow) motors, so that the Leslie only runs at Tremolo (fast) or Brake (stop). Turn the Leslie to Tremolo, and leave it there for a couple of minutes. Now, turn the Leslie to Chorale and watch the rotors. The horn should take a 2-3 of seconds to stop, while the drum should continue turning for at least 10 sec., maybe longer, and the speed change should be very smooth, like that of a ceiling fan. Bear in mind that this isn't a completely scientific test; belt tension on the drum can affect the length of the slow-down.

>The seller states that the current 15 inch is an 8 ohm speaker and that
>the stock 15 inch is a 16 ohm speaker. Is it true about the stock 15
>inch and will I run into problems in the future with the current
>speaker? I don't mind replacing the 15 inch if it is necessary.

Yes, this is true. An 8-ohm woofer will put a bit of strain on the stock amp. Replace it with a 16-ohm woofer. You should be able to get a proper replacement from places like BT Productions and Goff Professional.

Regards,

-BW
--
Bruce Wahler
Ashby Solutions™ http://music.ashbysolutions.com
978.386.7389 voice/fax
bruce@ashbysolutions.com