Dear MMDer's:  My Duo-Art motor(*) is showing some serious signs of
trouble.  It is making a pretty consistent noise during operation.
It's hard to describe the noise, other than to say the motor sounds
like it's working hard, sort of like loud static.  The noise is
lessened somewhat when there is no load on the pulley, but does not go
away completely.  More troubling still is that the motor sometimes will
not "start" or turn, but just "whrrrrrs" [hums] while dimming the
lights!

My restorer, who did a first class job, took the motor apart and
cleaned it in the process of restoration.  It was working fine, with
very little 'hum' or noise, for the last 9 months.  My restorer has
already offered to trade me a replacement he has lying around.
However, this problem will presumably happen again someday, so some
questions:

(1)  There are several shops here in Atlanta who advertise rebuilds of
electric motors, including re-wrapping the wiring, etc.  This does not
seem like a complicated piece of machinery.  Couldn't someone like this
recondition the ailing motor?

(2)  Would heavy use cause the motor to fail?  I play it 3 hours a day,
minimum.

(3) Are there quieter, more modern options?

(4)  Assuming a new motor had sufficient strength, wouldn't it need to
run at the same RPM (or, if the pulley was slightly bigger or smaller,
at the proper RPM to turn the pump at the same RPM).

The pump remains delightfully quiet, and the piano (a Steinway XR)
remains the focus of my recreational life.

Thanks for any input you can give,

Tim Baxter

(*) From a 1924 Steinway XR, Holtzer-Cabot Electric Co.,
110 VAC 3.7 A, 1 phase, 1150 RPM

 [ Tim, I believe the new noises which you hear are the result of a 
 [ malfunctioning centrifugal starting switch.  Hopefully it can be 
 [ fixed by cleaning the centrifugal switch mechanism and replacing 
 [ the contact points which connect the starting winding.  If either 
 [ of the two motor windings is damaged I recommend that you find 
 [ a repair shop which specializes in repairing antique fractional 
 [ horsepower AC motors.  Not all shops will appreciate the special 
 [ feature of the antique player piano motor: it's silent -- there 
 [ should be no audible sound when running.  I don't know of any 
 [ replacement motor in current production which has all the features 
 [ needed for service in a player piano.  -- Robbie