Kawai damper tray blocks and flanges

[Don Mannino]

Avery,

To change the blocks and flanges, do the following:

1. Raise the upstop rails all the way.
2. Remove the sostenuto rod
3. Drop the pedal rod out of the pedal so that everything drops down and you
can remove the pitman dowel
4. Mark the location of the damper flange rail on the cross block
5. Remove the screws which hold the flange rail to the cross block.
6. Lift up on the damper tray to raise the dampers off the strings, then
carefully pull the entire damper action out towards you.
7. Use a long screwdriver between the strings to remove the damper tray
block screws from the tray.
8. Remove the block flanges from the flange rail
9. Repair the block / flange etc.
10. Reassemble in reverse order.

The entire job usually takes 15 to 20 minutes, and it is not necessary to
disconnect the damper wires.  Kawai has a technical service bulletin which
describes and illustrates this job.

Don Mannino RPT
Kawai America


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Avery Todd [mailto:atodd@UH.EDU]
> Sent: Friday, February 26, 1999 9:42 AM
> To: DMannino@kawaius.com
> Subject: GE-3 Damper Rail Problem
> 
> 
> Hi Don,
> 
>    I was told you'd be back in your office by about 1 PM, so 
> I'm going to
> stall a little before starting on this repair, hoping you 
> know of an easy
> way to do it.
>    It's on a GE-3  #2244269, one of our "2 year old" lease pianos. I'm
> not sure of the exact terminology, but here goes.
>    Two of the three 'wooden blocks' which hold the damper 
> tray in position
> are totally loose from the back rail where the flanges are 
> screwed in. It
> looks as though the blocks were attached to a flange by the 
> center pin,
> holding it in place but which has now come out allowing the 
> tray to "swing
> in the breeze" and clatter, and all sorts of things. The bass 
> end one is
> the only one still attached.
>    My question is this: Is there a way to get the tray out 
> and reattach the
> flanges to the wooden blocks without removing all the dampers. Maybe I
> overlooked something, but I couldn't see any other way to do 
> it and I sure
> would prefer not to have to do a complete damper regulation.
>    Hopefully, I'm overlooking something that will make this 
> an easier fix
> than I "think" it's going to be. Any quick help would be appreciated.
> 
> Avery
> 
> ___________________________
> Avery Todd, RPT
> Moores School of Music
> University of Houston
> Houston, TX 77204-4893
> 713-743-3226
> http://www.music.uh.edu/
> 
>