Matthew Caulfield wrote:

> The motor now lopes badly, and I think that the problem is mostly
> due to slop in the crankshaft and the five connecting rods driving it.

You are probably right.  The bushings MUST be replaced.  Removal of the
arms from the crankshaft is tricky, but not difficult.  You must first
overcome your fear.  You WILL get them off, You WILL get them back on.
You will find the correct position that will allow you to slip past the
90 degree turns.  You just work each one off carefully and slowly.  They
go back on the same way.  Keep them in order.  If they have been oiled
by some [explative deleted], you must wash them in a degreaser before
you rebush them.  Clean all old glue off.

You push out the old bushings, unroll, and measure how long they are.
Cut a strip of bushing felt that wide and 8-10 inches long.  Mix
powdered graphite and alcohol and with a small brush paint it on one
side of the felt from the midpoint of its length to the  end.  This side
of the felt will be against the crankshaft.  Cut a point on the graphite
free end of the strip.  Poke the point through the arm hole and pull
almost the whole length through the hole.  Try the crankshaft in it and
make sure it is not too loose or too tight.  It is okay to be slightly
too tight.  Leave 1/2" of the felt yet to pull through and put a small
amount of hot glue on that felt.  Then pull the glued felt into the arm
hole. [NOT too much glue or too thin glue as it soaks through the felt
and is a bigger problem than the old bushings were]  You can now pull
each arm up near the first one and glue them so that they are all
threaded onto the felt strip and glued in the same way as described
above.  I usually have them all on the felt strip separated by a little
bit of felt.  When the hot glue has dried about an hour, you can take a
new razor blade and slice the felt off flat to the sides of the arms.
Let the glue dry overnight and you can begin threading them back onto
the crankshaft.

Once glue is dry, if the fit is slightly tight,  you can press it to fit
more loosely with a cone like a pipe toe tool or a ring sizer.  The
bushing is just tight enough when it will pass this test.  With the arm
anywhere on the crankshaft raise the arm so it is parallel to the
floor.  Now let go of the arm.  It should swing down, up the other side
and back down.  If it goes up the other side and stays it is too tight.
If it swings several times back and forth it is too loose.

Slowly, carefully work the arms back onto the crankshaft.  Don't fear
it.  What is the worst that can happen?   You could break it.  You have
wood glue and a clothes pin or small clamp, don't you?  So, why were you
worrying.  Be sure to bush all the slider valve wire holes as well.
They can also be causing problems.

I have used this technique on every player I have done.  I have not
broken any arms for at least 20 years, so I do not expect you to do so
either.

D.L. Bullock --Piano World  --St. Louis