I have a HP-610A Stereo Music System that I bought new back in the early 70s. It has been in a closet for several years and I decided to take it out and dust it off to see if still worked. Everything checked out ok except turntable. All ok when playing manually with the short spindle but when I try to use the long spindle the records will not drop onto the turntable. Also, when playing manually with the short spindle, the tonearm will not automatically go to the desired position when I release the start lever.
Any ideas on what i need to do to get this unit back in working condition?
Not many ideas on a forty year old "music system".
Grease and lubricants have hardened. Could be some dried out rubber parts too. They need to be removed, cleaned and replaced. Possibly, the long spindle needs to be replaced since rebuilding is all but impossible. That's assuming there are no serious physical problems with the mechanics of the turntable.
Stylus placement may be adjustable but this too is likey a matter of cleaning and replacing. Stylus suspensions are rubber and they dry out over time. A new cartridge/ stylus assembly is called for.
No tech will touch this component. You have little to lose if you go at it yourself.
That's not to be taken as advice saying you should go at this yourself.
If you cannot identify why this unit has problems, you probably have no business sticking your hands inside an electronic component. They are dangerous and they can kill you.
Quite often when a component has been pulled out of long term storage, they will seem to be OK at first. After a week or so of use, the caps will begin to fail. Then the unit stops working all together. This is a normal pattern if all you did was slam the unit with a full 120VAC at power up.
Why not just buy something new? Save yourself a lot of time, money and frustration.
The reason a tech will not come near this system is the very real possibility it has numerous problems that will occur over the next few weeks/months if you continue to use it. Not using an electrical component of this type is actually much, much worse than using it 24/7.
No tech wants to be tied to fixing a problem which occurs unrelated to what they already fixed. And any unit which has sat in storage for years is the next technician's nightmare waiting to show up on their doorstep.
Vintage audio is fine. There are certain components which, due to the quality level when they were new, deserve to be restored and kept running. The difference being similar to the difference between a '63 split-window Corvette and a 63 Ford Falcon sedan.
If you want vintage, buy vintage from a reputable dealer who will stand behind what they sell. There aren't many dealers who want to get involved in that business due to its inherent risks but you can find them. They've taken in products they then check out and return to working status before they put a price tag on them.
Sorry to say, your system isn't really vintage, it's simply old. And it has been in storage for years. That makes it a perfect candidate for becoming the next albatross around someone's neck until you/they simply give up and decide the best course of action is to recycle this one and go buy a new one - with a warranty.