VICTORIA 5 SHUTTER DRIVE REPLACEMENT

A knocking noise may mean a shutter drive is nearing the end of its life. The knocking is caused by wear on the teeth of the gears inside the shutter drive. From the time the knocking is first heard until serious damage occurs can be anywhere between three minutes to three months. For this reason, it's a good idea to change the shutter drive as soon as possible - or at least, to have a spare available.
Eventually, the teeth break, at which point ghosting will become visible on screen. If only one or two teeth have broken, it may be possible to re-phase the shutter to get through to the end of the show.

To change a shutter drive:
Tools required - a 3mm allen key, a small flat blade screwdriver, a 17mm spanner.

1. Turn the power off to the projector.
2. If the projector is already laced up, unlace it.
3. Remove rear cover and microswitch cover (held on by two 3mm allen screws).



4. Remove wires from microswitch and connector block (note positions for later replacement).
5. Remove lamp house cone (four 3mm allen screws). On a console projector this can be removed before the shutter cover. If you have a free standing Victoria 5 with a separate lamp house, then you will find that the cone has to be removed at the same time as the shutter cover. If the cone is jammed right against the fins on the back of the shutter cover, you may have to move the lamp house back to give more space.

   

6. Remove seven 3mm allen screws holding shutter cover in place, and lift cover carefully off over governer.
   If the projector is not already out of phase, then marking the position of the shutter at this point will save you time when putting it all back together. To do this turn the inching knob until both the red dots line up and draw a line against the shutter blade. Undo the two 3mm allen screws that hold the shutter blade in place, and remove it.



7. Using the 17mm spanner, loosen off the nut which holds the belt pulleys in place - this is often very tight. If necessary, squirt with some WD40.
8. Remove motor belt, drive belt and take-up belt (if fitted).
9. Remove nut and pulleys. Note that the outer pulley is slightly smaller in diameter. Make sure that you put them back the same way round.
10. In the casing behind the blade you will find 3 allen screws. These hold the shutter drive in position. Undo these and lift out the entire shutter drive assembly. It may take a bit of wiggling before it comes out!



11. If you have a reconditioned shutter drive to install, you will need to take the belt guide rollers off the old one and use these. Some reconditioned units don't have a red spot to assist in belt line up, and you will need to mark this when you have put everything back.
12. Fit the new shutter drive. Be careful not to cross thread screws, and tighten well. (You don’t want it coming loose while the machine is running.)
13. Replace pulleys in correct order, and tighten nut as far as possible.
14. Replace shutter blade. Line up red spot on new shutter drive, if this is present and line up shutter blade with the marks you made earlier. Tighten blade well.
15. Put belts back on.
16. Check the shutter is in phase by slowly inching the machine over and ensuring that the blade covers the aperture while the intermittent sprocket is moving. (Always check shutter phasing with the aperture plate in the scope position.) Adjust if necessary. If the reconditioned shutter drive has no red spots, it's a good idea to mark these now as this will aid belt changing in the future.
17. Test for ghosting. Use a piece of film with light titles on a dark background – a loop made from a trailer censor is good, or even a leader laced out of rack so you can see the clear lines. Always check with the aperture plate set for cinemascope.
18. Remember B.R.A.T. (Bottom Retard Top Advance). If a ghost appears at the bottom of the image, retard the shutter. If it is at the top, advance the shutter.

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