>>I'm fairly confident from what I've read in the list archives and elsewhere that I can replace the upstop felts -- however I'm not so sure about the downstop felts...
are these accessable by just raising the manuals? Or would it require removing them altogether?>>
You just need to prop-up the manuals -- no need to remove them. Last year, I spent the better part of a day replacing the upstop and downstop felts on my B2. (Yeah, that's painfully slow, but I wasn't experienced in these things, and I just worked slowly and carefully.) The difference in the feel is incredible. So it was well worth the time.
The good news is that if a rookie like me could handle the job, then you can, too. The bad news is that this is a more difficult job on the 2 series organs than on the 3s. The reason is that on the 3 series organs, as I understand it, you can remove the black strip between the manuals from the outside with a screwdriver. On the B2/C2, the strip is attached with carriage bolts that must be removed from inside the strip. As the Trek II website advises, that requires "substantial disassembly of the keyboards."
Don't let that scare you. Basically, what you have to do is remove a couple of keys in the area of each of the bolts, so you can access those bolts. (You'll also have to remove some cheek blocks to reach other carriage bolts). You can remove the necessary keys by loosening the hex bolts that hold each key on the back of the manual assembly. But some of those hex bolts are hidden behind the preset panel, and to remove the preset panel, you'll first need to remove the cover of the matching transformer.
Here are some notes I made before I started this job.:
>>Use cardboard or something else to protect the sides of the case. Remove music rack. Take out four screws to raise drawbars. Remove screws from bottom to release manuals. (See Wiki instructions). Lift manuals, hold up with blocks. Loosen (but don’t remove hex nuts in the back on manuals) to lift off keys by carriage bolts. Remove screws under cheek blocks and remove them to get to bolts by them.
Front strip is held on by double stick tape. (doesn’t need to be replaced to reassemble).
Note how felt is lined up. Rip it off. Use Goof Off and steel wool to remove glue residue. Wipe with alcohol to make it really clean. Replace each felt.
Lift lower manual and repeat.
When front strips are removed , the keys pop up. To replace the strip, use a level to hold down half the keys. Replace the strip on one side. Then push down the keys on the other side and get the rest of the strip in place.
Replace keys, making sure that the tabs are locked in and the two pins near the hex nut are in place. After placing front tab under front strip, bend bottom of the back of the key slightly to fit it in.>>
While you've got the manuals disassembled, it's a great time to have at the interior with a shop vac (those mouse droppings really don't add anything to the sound of your organ), and maybe use a drop or two of oil on the latching mechanism of the preset keys.
Enjoy your handiwork -- and feel good that you won't have to repeat\this job for another few decades.
(By the way, much thanks to John Doyle, a great organ tech and member of this list, who showed me how to tackle this job.)
Alan
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