Bell & Howell Filmsound 16mm projector replacing main drive worm gear

Step by step guide on how to replace the main drive worm gear

[@jayrudin6441]

Great. steady, helpful close-ups. Clear explanation. Just the right amount of humor and not a lot of extra talking. Refreshing to watch a well made tutorial.

[@tenfodaddy4351]

I'm totally amazed how these machines were designed; so intricate, all the screws, gears, belts, diameters, the mathematics needed to calculate alignments and so on. The cams, the solenoids that detected positioning. Just amazing. Thank you Mr. Scarfe for your absolute expertise- there's a beauty to it.

[@tenfodaddy4351]

The assembly you removed for repairing the worm gear reminds me of the intricate Antikythera mechanism!

[@montefullmer2091]

This is a great video though. I have a 552 where the nylon gear is loaded with cracks, and..getting ready to order the replacement gear. I've worked on tons of 35mm projectors with worn assemblies, yet this will be my first dive into 16mm rebuilding. Thx and good luck.

[@tenfodaddy4351]

You bench and shop are an adventure in their own- love all the gear.

[@Sunsetdrivein]

Larry Urbanski of Urbanski Films in ILLINOIS has now reproduced three of the special Bell & Howell tools: Sprocket Timing Plate, Loop Restorer Tool, and Soundhead Positioning Tool.

[@geoff5269]

Thanks for this excellent video, I have managed to replace the worm gear on my projector although it was a struggle to loosen it and the bearing off the shaft. I did find the 2 sprocket wheels needed alignment after I had reassembled, and I tested this buy winding film through by hand turning the wheel at the back of projector. I couldn't have tackled this without your video.

[@Dimension150]

...and attempt the repair myself now. I realize it's complicated, but I'm somewhat mechanically inclined. Thankyou for posting.

[@seeburg220]

Thanks so much for this ! I have two B&H's that I am getting ready to replace worm gears on. This video will guide me through it.

[@hansformat]

Superbly helpful step by step video. Thank you

[@Ampex196]

Thank you for your lovely video. They are (were) great machines when they actually work(ed)! I had a 'brand new' genuine B&H spare gear sitting on a shelf for many years. Nevertheless it started to split apart even though it had never been run. Lubrication (lack of) or other suggested causes were clearly total nonsense. Elf / Eiki mechs were a breath of fresh air (despite the laughable loop restorer). I'm happy to stay with my domestic 35mm installation; a very realistic proposition now that such equipment is being srcapped.

[@Trevtron24]

Thank you so much for this video I am now happy to try this myself Best wishes

[@construction884]

I have a 556 like this one had a great rebuilt done including a worm gear replacement using the black worm gear runs great now

[@phillefever1934]

Nicely done, thanks for taking the time to document and share the knowledge! 73, KB0NES

[@Dimension150]

This is a wonderful video. I have a 1575A with a bad gear. I'm very tempted to purchase the gear from Urbanski

[@Musicradio77Network]

I've recently got my Bell & Howell 16mm Filmosound projector over the weekend and it was a Specialist model 552, it had the same design as this one, and it was a tube type unit. When I first got it, I turned it on, it loks fine, except it has problems, the sprocket gear and the reels are frozen. I took it apart and it had the original grease all turned to stone. I removed all of the old grease which has been sittin' around for decades, and cleaned the worm gear, but the worm gear looks fine with no cracks or chips at all. After that, it works fine with the sprocket wheels and the reels moves very well. In addition, another problem is that the Autoload feature won't go there. It was stuck when I tried to fix it and get it running. So I tried the film manually instead of auto threading. After that, it works fine.

[@RobertScarfe]

Just as well the worm gear does not need changing in your projector. As you can see not an easy job. The model that I stripped down for the demo was a auto loader with valve audio. It's got loads of other faults so just keeping it for spares. That's why I did not replace the worm gear in that one used for the video.

[@livelongandprosper70]

ahhh. you did not explain that in the video..

[@montefullmer2091]

How was the claw assembly? When the pull down claw assembly was removed, did we check the claws for wear? The wear would be at the base of each tooth where each tooth is pulling down the film. After awhile, the base of the tooth would experience a groove where the film is being pulled down. The picture will not be steady on the screen and have vertical jittering movement due to this wear. The claw assembly will have to be replaced.

[@Sunsetdrivein]

Larry Urbanski of Urbanski Film, Richard Patchett, and International Cinema Equipment (Magna-Tech) all sell the replacement worm gear.

[@smartrain1]

A very good video! I wanted to ask are you using 2.5mm allen keys ( not any other size)? The cost of the 'bristol' set, the items that are meant to be used, are very expensive and difficult to obtain it seems.

[@conhawks]

would be nice to see the worm replaced and lined up. otherwise brilliant footage of the strip down and reassembly

[@gabrielsegura8384]

hola si me pudieras decir por que material lo remplasaste

[@blkcw2009]

Hi: What would be the good projectors out there to collect? Thanks.

[@infocusphotographyandvideo]

Excellent help. Thank you. I have one to do. Just need to find someone who has a replacement worm gear.

[@infocusphotographyandvideo]

Also I if I get a worm gear without the animation section on it. As I won't be using the animation section of the projector. Do I need to remove certain parts from the 655 Machine or can leave as is without any issues?

[@gordonhudson8784]

Thank you for your excellent video on how to replace the Main drive worm gear. I would like to buy the worm gear and the broken belt but I don't know where to get them from. Can you recommend which I can purchase them from?

[@opmmtvvideo8880]

thank you for sharing

[@edwardtagg]

Can I remove and clean all the white plastic gears along the top, without affecting any timing?

[@juanalba441]

Gracias por el tutorial ....aunque no sé si seré capaz de cambiar esta pieza..😅 se be complicado de montar y desmontar mi proyector es justo este modelo..

[@josephfaust1389]

though I have 2 different B&H models from this one, this video is extremely helpful, one question concerning the one I'm working on, the worm-gear completely split and popped off the gear assembly while running, so in a case like this, how important is the alignment of the 2 cog-gears on either side of the worm, and how would i go about correcting it, since they spun freely after the worm gear broke in half while running?

[@Sunsetdrivein]

Very important! Larry Urbanski of Urbanski Film has reproduced the special Bell & Howell Sprocket Timing & Alignment plate as called out in the service manuals. This is used to reset the sprocket timing so you won't lose loops or screw up the autoload functions or chew up film.

[@mp5802]

How different is this procedure for installing the worm gear specifically for B&H projectors with the "still function"?

[@eenoog]

My B&H TQII does not autoload. What the trouble be? Hoping to hear from you, Charles

[@raimundononatodesousa6511]

Tirei diversos defeitos também! Geralmente era a agulha de repuche.

[@saidaroun6392]

Bonjour, sur quel site je peux trouver un vis sans fin de 1695 . Bell et howell. Merci d'avance.je suis en France.😏

[@cjholmes4329]

Fantastic and very helpful video, thanks so much! I have a question regarding alignment of the upper and lower sprocket gears once the worm gear is replaced. Is the alignment of the gears really critical? And if so, how do I determine their exact alignment? My bad worm gear is SO badly cracked that I have no doubt one or more teeth on the sprocket gears have jumped because of the gap caused by the worm gear crack so marking their current positions may not give me an accurate representation of how they should go. Thanks again!

[@RobertScarfe]

I only did it that way and marked the gears was because it was the first time that I attempted the repair of one of these machines. In retrospect I suspect the alignment of the sprocket gears was non critical. Let me Know when you have a go at your machine!

[@cjholmes4329]

Well I tackled the project this weekend. I can see why the pros charge $250 - $400 for a rebuild on these beasts. Having said that I now have a supremely quiet and perfectly operating B&H model 2590 to add to my pile of film pushers. Thanks again for your extremely helpful video!

[@Sunsetdrivein]

Larry Urbanski of Urbanski Film has reproduced the special Sprocket Timing and Alignment Plate as mentioned in the service manuals. The timing plate is what you use to align/sync the sprockets so you're not losing loops and chewing up film. Larry also sells *complete* service/parts manuals. Highly recommended.

[@rudyflores8886]

Where can I order a worm gear for my Bell and Howell 2585 can anyone help me on this? Thank you

[@RubenMartinez-xb5ko]

Yo cambie el engranaje quedo bien pero lo que no puedo es la imajen se mueve y intente todo pero no pude solucionarlo alguin me pude decir que puedo hacer muchas gracias

[@antonioponcianowongwesche185]

Hello, My name is Antonio Wong, I'm from Iquitos - Peru. I have a projector 16mm Bell & Howell, 2592 AX model. It has broken the worm gear. Can you please explain how to change it. And where do I get the new worm gear (I have understood that sold the worm gear of a more resistant material that I lasted much longer). Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience. Sincerely, Antonio.

[@huixu7524]

Hello, I am an old movie machine lover. I have a KODAK projector and I can not see any sound now. Can you fix it for me? Thank you!

[@philipevans6172]

Hello Robert. My father has this problem with the worm drive on two machines. He has no access to watch the video. Could you put this video on to a disc for him?

[@kgsalvage6306]

I replaced my worm gear and it appears that the gate claw is going the opposite direction than it should. It actually will rip the holes that the claws go in. Any thoughts on what I did? Any help would be appreciate.

[@dwight48093]

If the gate claw goes backward, the cam is 180 degrees off. There is an indent at the back of the cam, be sure it's lined up!

[@MrFsandt]

By not using nylon parts, the Victor were more reliable using steel and ambatex gears in this main distribution system.

[@damientaylor806]

Hi Robert this is an amazing resource thank you very much. I am currently working on an almost identical TQ1 and when the time comes to remove the main mechanism it seems impossible to get it past the two rollers next to the sound drum even after loosening the sound block. Have you experienced this before? It's very frustrating being so close to being able to remove the mech.

[@RobertScarfe]

Hello Damien It's seems a long time since I repaired my BH. I know what you say about removal of the mech and I think it was a problem, but with a bit of getting it at the right angle it did eventually come out after removing the still frame bits. Sorry but I can''t think of any other reason why you can't get it out. Regards Robert

[@damientaylor806]

wow thanks for your really quick reply. I will give it another go soon, I did managed to strip out the animation stuff so my first attempt wasn't a total bust. Thanks again!

[@Sunsetdrivein]

I take off the flywheel.

[@hansdufourmont2627]

Great instructive video! I've recently got a Filmosound 655 that has the same problem: worm gear broken; with this video I'd probably be able to replace it, if only I knew where to buy a replacement worm gear. Any idea?

[@Sunsetdrivein]

Van Eck has reproduced both styles of worm gears. If your projector has a still picture function then use this gear: shop.van-eck.net/PP-0051.html If your projector does NOT have a still picture function then use this gear: shop.van-eck.net/PP-0050.html

[@jdavis460]

Brilliant stuff been looking for something like this for years just watched an American video of the subject and vastly more complicated than yours in fact it put me off. I have a B&H 644Q. One thing little confused about there was no further mention of how to line up the marks you put on the large side gears and is it important they are precisely lined up? Great info though Thanks.

[@rufinogomesdearaujo328]

mesmo com toda tecnologia digital, a facilidade.. o preço baixo .. mas a película é o cinema , o vídeo é outra coisa.. não pode ser chamado cinema. a imagem cinematográfica tem corpo .. tem contraste, é diferente. o cinema tradicional não morre só vai diminuir as salas... aguardemos.

[@kgsalvage6306]

Thanks Much , Almost dune with mine now. Do you not use any lubricant then?

[@Sunsetdrivein]

The worm gear *must* be greased lest it grind itself into a powder in short order. I use Dow-Corning 33 Light grease (pink in color).

[@kgsalvage6306]

@@Sunsetdrivein Boy, that was a while ago. I had got some grease from that projector guy. Can't remember his name now. It was working great and evidently still is.

[@kgsalvage6306]

@@Sunsetdrivein Larry Urbanski, that's it!

[@donaldnowicki1066]

Robert, that is an excellent video on servicing the worm gear. I have a projector with that problem. Do you have them available for sale? Or do you know I can purchase one. Thank you for your help. TNX

[@RobertScarfe]

Sorry no I don't. I'd help if I could but it was a one-off job. Robert

[@Sunsetdrivein]

Larry Urbanski of Urbanski Film in the state of ILLINOIS (in the USA) sells the reproduction worm gear.

[@transfersuperocho9434]

Hi Robert, I have a b&h 8D 644 and the framer button does not move in any direction, what can be the problem?thanks, regards.

[@Sunsetdrivein]

Gummed up lubrication on either the framing knob shaft or the framing plate.

[@cavs693]

I have the same model of 16 mm projector and the sound of films is not precise at all, we can hardly understand dialogs ,I've changed the sound lamp but it's still the same. Do you have any idea to fix that problem? Thanks for your help

[@Sunsetdrivein]

Bell & Howell uses the type "BAK" sound exciter lamp. If the wrong bulb is installed, muffled, weak sound will be the result. If the film is not threaded correctly around the sound drum, a gurgly underwater sound will result.

[@conhawks]

robert, did you notice those two tiny, tiny bearings on the end of the shuttle arms, where the sprocket teeth fit?

[@RobertScarfe]

I can't remember seeing them on either projector. Maybe they were still in the hardened grease on the shuttle arms, or dropped out! Have you got a photo of them?

[@Sunsetdrivein]

Don't lose those tiny bearings. They are important to hold the shuttle correctly.

[@indianajoe437]

Excellent video but I don't understand why installing the new gear was skipped over at 12:45. Kinda the point of the video, no?

[@livelongandprosper70]

yeah, that was weird..but turns out he *didnt* actually replace the worm gear in that PJ as it was a scrap parts machine..he was just showing the procedure, he had already done the job prior on the 1st pj in the vid.. he didnt explain that very well.

[@davids8449]

Very good video........my own feelings are a company that designs a part so poorly does not need a second look at....buy Bolex or Japanese

[@kgsalvage6306]

Sorry! done

[@livelongandprosper70]

weird you didnt show the *actual* worm gear bening replaced on the shaft.. good apart from that.

[@livelongandprosper70]

i now read you didnt actually replace the worm gear as it was a scrapper PJ, you didnt explain that in the video.. hence why everyone is perplexed as to why you didnt show the worm gear replacement .

[@antonioponcianowongwesche185]

Hello Robert, My name is Antonio Wong, I'm from Iquitos - Peru. I have a projector 16mm Bell & Howell, 2592 AX model. It has broken the worm gear. Can you please explain how to change it. I can not find how to do it, and I'm in a place where everything has changed, and I need an explanation to do it. And where do I get the new worm gear (I have understood that the new worm is a stronger material and hard and not broken). Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience. Sincerely, Antonio.

[@Sunsetdrivein]

Larry Urbanski of Urbanski Film in the Chicago, ILLINOIS area of the USA sells the reproduction worm gear and the tools needed to change it. He also sells complete service manuals.