GE Portable record player - end of record tonearm issue

Working on an early 70's GE portable player (not a Wildcat but similar). Got everything working with the exception of one thing. At the end of the record, the tonearm swings back onto the record (scratching it in the process) and then proceeds to lift up and return to the correct tonearm rest spot. Any ideas?

PhonoBrit wrote:Working on an early 70's GE portable player (not a Wildcat but similar). Got everything working with the exception of one thing. At the end of the record, the tonearm swings back onto the record (scratching it in the process) and then proceeds to lift up and return to the correct tonearm rest spot. Any ideas?

I'm NOT experienced in phonograph mechanisms, but it sounds like a timing issue? There must be a relationship between "lift" and "swing", and I assume that the timing is set by a gear set? Can you pull the turntable out, rotate the platter manually, activate the "return" mechanism and see if the "lift" function is delayed past the point where the "swing" function starts?

A lot of those changers used white grease, which has a natural problem of gumming up. Sounds like that's the problem. Watch the mechanism to see where the shut off mechanism is.
At any rate , I'm sure the mechanism needs a good cleaning, and, re lubricating...