Jammed Hohner steering box

[Neoscan]

I’m trying to repair a jammed treble couple system. I’ve taken it all apart and it seems that the problem is actually that the steering box part seems to be jammed solid (the actually coupler part works)- see photo below. This issue seems to be the gearing in the yellow casing in pic is complexly jammed- has any one ever fixed one of these? Any tips? The instrument hadn’t been played since years.

I have seen that I could buy a whole new piece and try to fit that but would rather see if what’s there already is fixable.

Thanks

 

[Ventura]

that "steering box" is merely a simple transmission of movement
without compromising the air tightness between the inside and out

it is very simple and seldom is the problem

first, remove the 3 c clips, slip the arms off, and then see if the
3 can be moved with your fingertip
they should easily move back and forth

if they move, the problem is with the linkage under the shifts
above the keyboard

if they are immovable, the problem is inside and you will
need to open the bellows chamber and inspect the linkage
as well as the slides/shutters under/in the reedblocks

 

[Neoscan]

that "steering box" is merely a simple transmission of movement
without compromising the air tightness between the inside and out

it is very simple and seldom is the problem

first, remove the 3 c clips, slip the arms off, and then see if the
3 can be moved with your fingertip
they should easily move back and forth

if they move, the problem is with the linkage under the shifts
above the keyboard

if they are immovable, the problem is inside and you will
need to open the bellows chamber and inspect the linkage
as well as the slides/shutters under/in the reedblocks

Thanks for your reply- I’ll try that! I did think it was most likely to be a problem with the linkage but let’s see…

 

[Neoscan]

that "steering box" is merely a simple transmission of movement
without compromising the air tightness between the inside and out

it is very simple and seldom is the problem

first, remove the 3 c clips, slip the arms off, and then see if the
3 can be moved with your fingertip
they should easily move back and forth

if they move, the problem is with the linkage under the shifts
above the keyboard

if they are immovable, the problem is inside and you will
need to open the bellows chamber and inspect the linkage
as well as the slides/shutters under/in the reedblocks

So, it turns out that the box thing is the problem and not the coupler mechanism. It was completely jammed up. I’ve managed to take it off and get it to loosen up a bit but when I put it all back together it isn’t lose enough still and still has too much resistance to operate properly. The slides/shutters under the reeds are fine. The problem seems to be with the simple metal mechanism which I don’t really understand as it isn’t a complicated thing. Maybe I need to strip it all down and clean every part inside it? I’ve never come across and issue like this before. Alternate I could try to locate a replacement part

 

[jozz]

simply taking it all apart and reassembling could fix things
I had a similar issue recently where both bass and treble couplers were somewhat stuck and not moving freely
tried the obvious but couldn't fix it
on both sides it was a couple of minute adjustments that I could not have guessed, had I not taken it to my repairer

 

[Ventura]

the simple metal mechanism

you see now why they never
(oops.. almost)
never break.. so simple !

well finding a donor part from someone's
accordion graveyard is a possible.. they had
to make millions of them and gotta be common
between many hohner models

where could such a simple thing be jamming..
could they have gotten bopped on their heads
so the aluminum body is distorted right there
around each through shaft, then when the c-clip
is back in there is drag ?

i hope you can buff it up enough to make it
move easily again.. like a lot of things now made in China,
parts often are sized slightly differently based on the
measuring systems they use so a new part may not be an exact fit
(we have this problem in the USA with stuff like replacement
faucet inserts or lock tumblers for older USA-factory built stuff)

good luck

 

[Neoscan]

simply taking it all apart and reassembling could fix things
I had a similar issue recently where both bass and treble couplers were somewhat stuck and not moving freely
tried the obvious but couldn't fix it
on both sides it was a couple of minute adjustments that I could not have guessed, had I not taken it to my repairer

Yeah, I might give it another go and complete disassemble it and cross my fingers

 

[Neoscan]

you see now why they never
(oops.. almost)
never break.. so simple !

well finding a donor part from someone's
accordion graveyard is a possible.. they had
to make millions of them and gotta be common
between many hohner models

where could such a simple thing be jamming..
could they have gotten bopped on their heads
so the aluminum body is distorted right there
around each through shaft, then when the c-clip
is back in there is drag ?

i hope you can buff it up enough to make it
move easily again.. like a lot of things now made in China,
parts often are sized slightly differently based on the
measuring systems they use so a new part may not be an exact fit
(we have this problem in the USA with stuff like replacement
faucet inserts or lock tumblers for older USA-factory built stuff)

good luck

Yes, it’s strange that it is such a simple system yet it seems to have completely seized up. I’m thinking perhaps someone has put some kind of oil or lubricant in it in the past that has solidified over time.

 

[Glug]

I had a Scandalli steering box that somebody had made air tight by filling it with axle grease.
Unsurprisingly that wasn't the way it was supposed to work, now it works fine with no axle grease.