I started my Labor Day celebration by getting in the garage early and tearing down the SMC1 mechanism to wash. It looked a lot nastier than it actually was what with all the oil on it. When a mech gets over-oiled it attracts dust that turns to dirt and this one was a prime example.
Removing the rack on the SMC mechanisms is the hardest part of this particular tear-down. Seeburg used 1/4 inch hex head screws removed with an Allen wrench on all their mechanisms from 1950 to 1977. The SMC’s have the damned Philips headed screws in them. They’re made of aluminum and bind to the aluminum mechanism base. I’ve actually had to cut and grind them out at times. My method now is to use a hand impact driver with a foot long 3/8″ extension and an oversized Philips bit with my favorite hammer for persuasion. I got lucky and all four came out relatively easy. They get immediately tossed. I physically removed the motor and trip coil by cutting their leads. Motor leads about at about half length and the two trip wires a 1/16″ from their terminals. The clutch always comes out and that is when I saw someone had been through this mechanism before. The unmistakable sign of old Lubriplate grease was on the clutch gears. Seeburg never used Lubriplate. They recommend it but there wasn’t much else to recommend back then and they didn’t know that crap will dry out and harden. I use wheel bearing grease. The thrust plate will get a dab of a molybdenum grease. This mech was so nasty looking I took the tonearm assembly out as well. I had an ulterior motive as well. The turntable on the SMC1 model is painted black and has six chromed spots embedded in it. I was missing one and really hoping it was under the tonearm assembly. It was. I’ve found coins and needles and bugs there as well.
I’m currently using a wonderful cleaner called Oil Eater for mech washing.How wonderful?? I cleaned an oil pan with it once from an engine that broke a rod. Cleaned the pan then welded up the hole the piston rod made. This stuff breaks oil down so that it easily rinses off with water. It doesn’t discolor aluminum like some of the “purple” cleaners. If only more people knew about this cleaner. I usually mix it 50% with water but I have two gallons of Mean Green for some reason and have been using it as a cutting agent. I started with the mech, spraying my mix on and using a toothbrush to scrub with. The second time around I started getting excellent results with the oil and grease coming off easily. I just use the garden hose and liberally rinse the mech then hang it upside down on two milk crates to dry in the hot Texas sun. The rest of the parts got the same treatment. Sometime next week I’ll start re-assembling this mechanism and give it a spin in the SMC2.
My Seeburg Life 