[Oldie Goldie]

In the photo of the guts of the chassis, what looks to be hot snot (glue gun) is some kind of rubbery silicon.

Like I said gents, I was turning the center fine tuning control and kind of jumped out in my hand. I havent lost any ball bearings, clips or anything else because I haven't moved the radio. So whatever is in there is still in there.
I didn't hear any expensive sounds or broken metal sounds.
It was so gooey and gummed up as I was turning it it just dislocated. The black crap on the shaft only dissolved with WD-40.

Any bodge wire the last clown used I have a stash of cloth like covered copper wire salvaged from a domestic kitchen oven which is both old timey looking and high heat rated probably silicone core high voltage stuff.

[Oldie Goldie]

I heard some Fibber McGee and Molly on station 800khz yesterday, it was funny.
Downloaded a gigantic archive of thousands of episodes from the mid 30s to the 50s. For all I know the entire discography. Anyways it was eleven gigabytes hot and heavy.

[Oldie Goldie]

klondike98 the schematic PDF looks really nice, thank you for sharing!

[Oldie Goldie]

I followed the instructions on the link another member provided.
Carefully took the shaft assembly apart. One screw was the devil to unscrew, frozen in its hole. Chewed up the head I had to file it to make it look half decent again.
Cleaned the black gunk out with lots of wd-40 and metal bristle brush.
Put the little ball bearings in, than the spring, than the next little ball bearings,than the inner shaft, than compressed everything and slid it home until it clicked into the outer ring. Than the lock washer. It works perfectly, the course outside control and fine inner control.
But a couple turns POP! It throws the inner shaft out and I'm back to square one!

I'm getting disappointed.

[Oldie Goldie]

I had no idea the heart of the tuning mechanism was based on such an unnecessarily complicated fragile design. With such crucial close tolerances where any wear or slop the thing literally springs apart!!!
Bad BAD design. I would have incorporated a second spring clip to hold the inner shaft in after it's snapped in with the ball bearings.

I suppose I could put the two inner ball bearings and the spring in a plastic baggie. Put the stupid thing back together, put a dab of water based glue on the inner tuning knob so it stays in for cosmetic purposes; than just settle for having just the course tuning control.
Philco.....I should have bought a Zenith or a good solid General Electric.

[Oldie Goldie]

I put it all to bed for the night.
In the morning I'm going to try to get the three big balls bearings out and see what's what. I only got one of the big balls bearings out the others staying out, if that makes a difference.

A turn or two and all the tension on that spring releases and zinggg the inner knob and Its shaft pops loose.
If I put this old whore back together in its cabinet and it does that, it's going in the trash.