Guys, I will post pictures later, but i am trying to get the tuning knob to work on a Philco 16. I did replace the two smaller o-rings with the danko 19 and danko 94 and i ordered a large o-ring to fit the back of the big dial, but i already had a pretty good belt around it, so i left that alone. inside the big dial is another o-ring that looks like its 75 years old, but i still dont see how this o-ring turns the tuning capacitor. it doesn't seem to touch it at all.

anyhow, i am thoroughly perplexed, any advice is welcome and i will post pics, thanks.

The mechanism is a two speed type. You change the speed of tuning by either pulling or pushing on the tuning knob to "shift gears" so to speak. The shaft should slide in and out and snap into place. This will engage the rubber wheel which you mention that doesn't seem to touch.

-Steve

Okay, here are some pics:

Tuning mechanism with nice fresh o-rings:



same pic, other side:



inside the back of the big dial, are there supposed to be belts or rings inside and outside this thing?



a different view, same subject:




so when i put the big dial on the shaft, nothing touches the two gear things that would turn the tuning capacititor.

here are a bunch of pics trying to illustrate that:









in my opinion, the only way this would work is if that inside gasket on the big dial was like a half inch or more wider and would stick out and catch that lower and up drive shaft..

maybe mine is missing a part?

any comments are appreciated, thanks

old pic of chassis:

man, those clearance pictures are crappy.... if you go to the first pic and see the fresh o-rings, you see kind of 3 shafts sticking out there... the top shaft and the little nub of a shaft at the bottom have to be connected with a belt in order to turn the tuning capacitor. the little nub and the top shaft really aren't anywhere close to those o-rings behind the big dial...

Will this help?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQV2f21FH-c

yeah i have watched that thing 10 times and not sure what he stretches over that nub thing... i don't see what he did at all.

great video though, great guy for making all those repair videos...

I edited an image from above and added a red arrow.

It has been a while since I have worked on one of these Philco dial drives, but doesn't that knurled shaft drive against the rubber ring on the dial hub?

-Steve

Steve, yes, if you look at this back of the big dial pick, u can see the back of the dial seems like it has an o-ring on the inside and outside:



The inside o-ring would have to fit over that shaft and the one on top of the 3 shafts to tune it. And that o-ring doesn't project out far enough to hit it, no matter if i move it on fine tuning or large tuning...

Crazy...

EUREKA!

Here's what i have been doing that is so dumb, I have been putting the big dial on the long shaft in the middle instead of the top shaft... Man I am a big dummy! Anyhow, looks like it will work now. So FYI for posterity, thanks

The 11th viewing of the video did it for me

the 2.5" by 1/8" o-ring doesnt work, too loose... will try to find another one manana.

okay, guys, here's the deal on this, just recording it for posterity really. in that video, the gentleman pulls that o-ring down and wraps it over that drive wheel, that did not work on mine, no matter how many times i tried it, with o-rings and oil-filter gaskets. how i think that is reall designed is that the o-ring is a thick one and it sits completely around that ring and turns the drive shaft from contact above it, not wrapped around it.

thats what i have going right now and it is the only thing that worked.

anyhow, 80 year old radio information, for those who need it