Someone posted an 18 minute video on how to replace a worm gear; interesting, but not something I would want to try while there are still professionals out there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znCTbFE2bgI

Totally agree there Robert, best to leave that kind of job to someone who knows what they're doing.

thats very interesting. might have a go at that myself, being mechanically minded.

I would use a camera and record everything you do when taking the projector apart so you can go back and watch each part you took off and where it go's back.. theres so many parts you have to remove that it would be easy to get lost after tearing the projector down.

yes thanks steve i was going to do that, now i know the procedure, i'm looking forward to it. trial and error with shuttle adjustments, but i've done this before with good results.

It's something we might be forced into doing in the future.

A job not for the faint hearted or of a nervous state !

ok new worm gear in the post. i have one of my tq3's that has a couple of small cracks, think i'll do this one and let you guys know how i get on, nothing to lose.

Good luck and tell us if the video helped

Good Luck Clyde. I am shure that you will make it. I know a former photo store owner who replaced a couple of wormgears, without earlier experience. He is just a handy man. Myself I have a bunch of untested B&H, so this can be very interesting.

i love these sort of videos, very well done,clear and easy to follow, more more

Good luck Clyde and let us know how it goes.I have a Bell & Howell 2585 that needs a worm gear replacement as well.

You see a lot of worm gears for sale, Ebay and other places. Just one thing you need to know. Kevin Brown told me some of these worm gears sold on the internet can be 10,000th of an inch too large; it may not sound much, but he says they swell, and when showing a 1600ft reel, they could seize up. He has a supply of animation wormgears, I haven't used the animation facility, but he said he won't use non animation wormgears while he still has stock. I think Gordon Ogbourne has wormgears made from metal.

I recently picked up a Bell & Howell 2585 projector but it has the dreaded worm gear issue that most of these machines tend to suffer from.A shame considering that overall it's in very nice condition.

It's worth the money to get it serviced Douglas, you will then have a great machine that will give you years of service. I know of someone who can do that job in the States.

Seriously, these videos etc make it sound easy, They fail to mention the special tools and tolerances of springs etc on
various parts, I doubt very much that the aspiring amateur has half of what is needed, a stout heart and a set
of screw drivers may not be enough. Rather than take a chance, I would put the job into the hands of someone versed in these
"seemingly simple" repairs, as Robert rightly states, a projector that's repaired properly will last for years. No offence intended, but
I would hate to see it go wrong Clyde.

When I had my Worm Gear replaced the servicer said there were a few other issues to sort out, the fast film rewind button didn't engage properly, he said the auto threading mechanism needed adjustment, and there was a dry joint connected to the amplifier. The service may cost you more than you paid for the projector Douglas, but you have a modern machine, with lamps easily available.

ok, worm gear replaced this morning. took me about six hours. all unknown territory, but now i've done it and now the procedure, i am confident to do more when the need arises. encountered no real problems stripping and rebuilding, she now runs nice and quiet and purrs like a cat. ran projector for an hour with no film, then ran an hour and half feature with no problems. i am a very happy man!

Well done Clyde!!

There is no greater feeling than knowing you have the ability to keep your valued machines running just as they should.

I hope your post has inspired many others to take the plunge as and when necessary.

That's brilliant Clyde; probably the biggest job you could undertake on a projector. This will give you the confidence to tackle anything else that arises yourself. Well done, it took a brave man to do that.

Congratulations Clyde. You deserve an Oscar for sheer courage and engineering skills.

thank you all, got a tq2 to do next.

Clyde,
What make of projector did you do the worm gear replacement on?

bell and howell tq3 model 1695

Thanks Clyde,as I was curious which model number it was.Hopefully I can get my Bell and Howell 2585 fixed due to its own worm gear issue.