8MM-16MM FORUM WORLDWIDE

Hi Roger,

I'm glad you got by without the pictures: my weekend was crazy and I still haven't taken them! You didn't get your photos, my car is still dirty, but at least I got the last of hurricane mess off my patio!

There are a couple of things to watch for:

The guide that flattens the lower loop where it enters the sound chute is subject to wear. This can allow your films to be worn within the image area and I believe it contributes to chatter in sound tracks. To check, you open up the sound chute as wide as is gently possible and look at the two sides with a flashlight. Neither should have a flat worn in it.

There is also a spring loaded tensioner just before the lower sprocket that rides on the film. Once again, take a look with a flashlight and see if this is worn so much that the image area is contacting the guide.

The second guide is available new, the first one may be too.

These are actually really good machines: not full of bells and whistles like the sexier ones but simple, well built and nice performers.

It's the difference between driving a Ferrari and a slant-six Dodge Dart. The guy in the Ferrari could top 180 MPH on a good day, but the guy in the Dodge never needed a tow truck!

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the heads up on those two things. I will be sure to take a look before I run it much. After I received the projector it was easier to see the belt pulley than I had thought and I quickly figured out how to replace the belt..

Hi Steve,

If these are the pieces that I need to check they look almost unused inside. When the film runs through this first guide the film does not touch the guide itself but runs under the upper guide perfectly.

The first area you are interested is the curved guide that funnels the film into the sound chute. When you go from "thread" to "project" the chute clamps down and this curved piece flattens the film to pass over the heads. This point of contact is the potential wear point. If you move the selector knob between the two forward positions with the cover open you will see this in action.

(This curved guide is part of the same piece that has the sprung plunger that presses the stripe down on the head)

The second wear point is on a lever held down by a spring. If you shine a frashlight on it you can rotate it away from the film guide underneath and inspect it. Remember: since it rotates once the film tension rises up, the point f wear will not be where you think it is.

(In your topmost picture it is due south of the pinch roller.)

Thanks Steve,

I know the points that you are speaking of and they don't appear to be worn. Surfaces appears to be smooth and without mark. I am guessing that this machine has not been greatly used.

Excellent!

I think my machine was kind of high mileage when I bought it: I had wear in the places I described. Sometime down the road my motor brushes bottomed out too.

I found a machine that was very low in wear, yet the frame was damaged (Thanks, United Parcel Sevice!) so I cross-bred them. So mine is probably in similar shape to yours.