8mm Forum: Need a wormgear replacement for a bell and howell filmosound 644

This is topic Need a wormgear replacement for a bell and howell filmosound 644 in forum 16mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Pablo Alvarez Roth (Member # 655) on August 25, 2007, 08:57 PM:

hello guys,

I was just given a bell and howell filmosound 644, but it came with a broken plastic worm gear.

were can I get one and how much would this gear cost?

thanks

pablo.

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on August 26, 2007, 01:41 AM:

Pablo, you should contact Phil at Classic Home Cinema as I think he's got replacement for this part.

Posted by Jeff Taylor (Member # 442) on August 29, 2007, 09:47 AM:

Frankly, the issue isn't so much finding a new gear (the new black ones are what you want--the original white ones crack), the problem is that the machine must be totally disassembled to replace the gear, and to do a proper job you need the Bell & Howell alignment jigs to get everything reassembled and timed properly. In the states this is around a $250 repair job, and few feel the machines are worth it with so many clean Eiki's and Elmo's going for far less.

Posted by Mark Todd (Member # 96) on September 01, 2007, 10:02 AM:

Isn`t there a problem with some of the black ones swelling with heat after about 30 mins and the grey ones are best.
Also a company in canada is making origional like ones with a better metal core and better quality and more depth and strength to the nylon.
Thats what an interesting chap in the know was telling me.
best Mark.

Posted by Simon McConway (Member # 219) on September 01, 2007, 04:54 PM:

Phil's worm gears are good; they are one solid piece of material, which in my experience, does not and cannot expand. Pretty good, once run-in. The changing, as has been said, is the complex bit. I have done quite a few of these, after being trained up by an ex-B & H engineer; some take only 2 hours to change, others take a day or more, if problems are run into. The whole mechanism must be reset and re-timed. And no, before you ask, I can't offer this service at the moment, but could recommend someone who could offer it. In the past of course, we relied on Hugh Bell at Sound & Screen Services in West Wickham (remember them?) but he sadly passed away in 2003. A lot has been said about worm gear changing here on the forum, but I wonder how many people who offer advice have actually worked on these machines? Not that many!

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