[Jamie]

I'm repairing a Delco radio. The tuning mechanism works off of friction between the tuning shaft and a large metal wheel. I think originally there must have been rubber on the edge of the large metal wheel, and it's gone. There is about a 1/8th inch gap between the little rubber piece on the end of the shaft and the metal wheel.

Any ideas on how I could make this work again? Here are some photos...

   
   
   

I'm thinking I need to glue something on the wheel so there is contact with the shaft, but what? Or perhaps there is a way to adjust the wheel and move it outwards so it contacts the shaft? Anyone ever seen one of these before?

[keithw]

Try pushing the shaft in and turning. It looks to be spring loaded. If it won't push far enough then the rubber tip on the shaft might be worn.

keithw

[Jamie]

I tried pushing. It makes contact, but it just spins. It's like a bald tire..lol.. You can even see black rubber marks on the metal wheel. I may try to glue some scrap leather around the rubber cap on the shaft.

[Electrothaumaturgist]

Is there a set screw in the center of that rubber cone, like an old faucet washer assembly? (Hard to tell from the pictures). That would be ideal. If no screw, then maybe it just pops off? :

[w4rtc]

IF you put a new rubber wheel on the small shaft it should not touch the big wheel until you push the shaft in to tune it. If the rubber touches the big wheel the push buttons won't work I think. I think you need to push the shaft in to tune it manualy. At least that is what I think
Joe

[Jamie]

Nope, no set screw and the cap wouldn't come off. I glued some leather around the rubber cap and it seems to be working fine. (The Mrs gets credit for the idea).. Here are some pics..

   
   


and here it is.. all finished and playing Tube Talk! I am very impressed with the quality of this radio. It is a nice unit and well made. Sounds great. The first Delco I've ever worked on.

   

[morzh]

You could coat the wheel with some liquid rubber and let it polymerize......or take a piece of a rubber band and stretch it over that piece of leather...nice looking radio.

[Jamie]

I wonder if liquid tape would've worked better than the leather? I'm concerned about the longevity of the leather fix.

[BrendaAnnD]

My fix for this would be an appropriately sized rubber grommet. It could possibly be friction fit over the old rubber, or glued with something like contact cement if needed.

[Paul Philco322]

Perhaps a rubber washer that could be trimmed to fit? Delco, American Motor Services..nice radios. I have a nice Delco, plays well, fairly sensitive.


Good luck.

Paul

[jerryhawthorne]

Did one a few years ago and yes, the faucet washer did the trick. As I recall in needed a couple layers of heat shrink over the bare shaft to build up the OD such that the washer would press on.
Jerry

[Jamie]

I'll swing by the hardware store this weekend and grab an assortment of grommets and rubber washers. The leather is working fine, I'm just afraid it won't last long.

It's a real nice radio. Everything seems solid and designed to last. I had to search high and low to find a schematic. Delco went by United Motors, and that's where schematics are in the Riders. It was seriously out of alignment at first. It barely got one station in two places on the dial and that was it. Once it was aligned, it sure started to sing.

That's the original finish, with one coat of clear Mohawk applied. I also repainted the dark brown trim. Just flipped the grill cloth around. I wish I'd photographed it before I began to work on it. I thought for sure it would need to be stripped. There was white paint on the top, and 70 years of black grunge covering everything else. I think it may have been a shop radio in a garage. It always amazes me how well some of these clean up.

Thanks to everyone for the rubber grommet/washer ideas.

[codefox1]

ORing shaved down would also be OK. Whatever.

[jerryhawthorne]

Those faucet washers have a very close shape to the drive wheel. As I recall I did have to do a little shaping on the tip to "dull" it a little with the washer on an electric drill and spinning with a little sandpaper.
Jerry