I now have a better understanding of how the Aeolian vacuum pump system
works after reading the MMD posts, emails and info on the Player-Care
web site ("Thank You" Johns Tuttle and Sampson).  I would like to run
a plan by you and see what you think:

I will remove the valve block from the top of the box and remove the
slide valve, and fill all of the oblong ports so that full vacuum is
going only to the main reservoir (leaving flap valve intact) and rewind
ports.  Re-install the block and then replace the vacuum motor and add
an electronic speed control.   Please let me know if that sounds like
a good plan.

While I agree that the pneumatics and valves are probably the main
problem, the customer would like to get it working before Christmas.
Therefore, I needed to find a quicker/ cheaper solution.  I can then
try to sell them on rebuilding the stack next year.

Thanks again, Rich Ingram