Leslie lower rotor bearings

[Piktor]

Hey all,

 

I was wondering if anyone who has had some experience servicing their Leslie speaker could answer a question. I bought my Leslie 147 in 1975 and it survived many years of gigging. Hoping to use it for recording, I recently had a knowledgeable friend do some much needed service work on it. Everything works and sounds better now, except for the lower rotor. For about about the first 15 minutes after I power up, the lower rotor is reluctant to spin when I engage the fast speed. My friend thinks that the lower rotor bearings might need replacing and he has sourced out a part supplier. My question is, is it possible for me to access the lower rotor bearings from the plate at the bottom of the Leslie, or will I have to remove the bass speaker and drum and go in from the top?

 

Mike

[mate stubb]

There are two bearings - one which can be removed from the bottom of the cabinet, and one which is on the metal bar spanning the speaker opening, which requires removing the speaker to access.

 

Do the bearings squeak or wobble? They might not necessarily be bad, just filthy and in need of a clean and lube.

 

Other things to check: stretched, loose or filthy belt, and tired or dirty motors. Maybe the belt needs a little more tension.

 

Edit: one other thing occurs to me. If the slow motor shaft is adjusted too tight it may not drop out of the way immediately when you switch to fast. Watch the motor action during the change to see.

[OB Dave]

I would check the alignment of the motor stack before I suspected the bearings. Those bearings are massively over-spec'd and probably will last another 500 years.

[Piktor]

Thanks guys. There are no squeaks, wobbles, etcetera. After the servicing (including adjustments, alignment, oil) and testing, I left the unit off for a few days. I just checked it now and all see that it has started to work normally. (Hooray!) I wonder if I just needed to run it some more after servicing. The Leslie had not even been turned on for a longish while, especially as I mostly use headphones while my wife is on the telephone all day as she works from home. Anyway, thanks again for the info, as I might still need to open it up again, depending on how it continues to function.

[Legatoboy]

Make sure the lower belt it tighten enough.... there is the groove and the lower thumb screw... make sure it's getting enough grab between the pulley and the capstan. .. not to much though. As Matt said, the lower belt tension..sounds like that to me.

[CEB]

There is a fine line in getting belt tension correct. Too tight is hard on motors. Lower tension acts as the clutch. Too loose and the rotor may not turn. Should be instructions in the Leslie"s service manual. You can check Captain Foldback and see if they have the service manual you need.

 

http://www.captain-foldback.com/Leslie_sub/leslie_manuals.htm

[CEB]

How cold is it? Is the Leslie in unheated storage? The old bastards get cold and stiff. First thing I used to do at a winter gig is put it on tremolo before the gig and let it run a while before the downbeat.

[Piktor]

Thanks CEB. I grabbed the 147 manual. Is it cold in the area where my Leslie is set up? It's in my uninsulated basement and temperatures returned to sub freezing levels today. I had to push a couple hanging sides of beef aside so that I could check on the Leslie, so I guess you could say that it is in a cold area. I usually wear a down filled jacket, a pair of Bob Cratchit gloves and a toque when I work there. âï¸

[AWkeys]

How cold is it? Is the Leslie in unheated storage? The old bastards get cold and stiff. First thing I used to do at a winter gig is put it on tremolo before the gig and let it run a while before the downbeat.

 

 

Wow, you just brought back a memory for me! I was doing a gig in Ithaca, NY with my old band back in the 90s. My rig included a Leslie 145, and we kept in stored in the rear cage of our bus. Slow was not working on either the low or high rotors when we were soundchecking, but keeping it on tremelo before the downbeat was the cure.