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If changing brains does not cure the problem (however you say removing the brain does cure the trouble) then mechanical adjustments and.or timing adjustments are in order.

This is a common trouble with fixed-brain AW3s.

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Turn off the power to the platter.

Remove the brain.

Remove the platter deck (it just pulls straight up, but it's easier if you pull the motor back from the edge of the deck first)

Remove the two screws holding the end cap of the arm on.

Remove the screw underneath the end of the arm, next to the platter work lamp. Notice that this will free up the led assembly inside. Now you can remove the led assembly completely by just unplugging it. (This will be obvious.)

Get a flashlight and look in there. While looking inside the arm, move the takeup arm back and forth and see if it isn't catching. This will be very obvious if it is.

At this point there are two ways for you to go. (Since you noted that removing the brain solves your problem, you can bet you need to go with the second option, but I offer it here for other viewers.) First if NOTHING is binding, odds are you have a motor speed control card that has gone crazy. Try swapping the card with another deck for verification (but put them back where they were when you finish troubleshooting or you will screw up the speed timing). If that doesn't work, which I doubt is the problem in your case, try swapping the led assembly with another known good one (I'll explain how in a minute). Now if you DO see two parts binding, read on.

Once you see where it is binding, remove the 4 bolts just above the end of the arm where the platter axle is and with a bit of careful maneuvering, you will be able to pull the entire assembly out of there. Do not force! You must angle it a little bit one way and then another for it to come out.

Now that you have the axle out of the platter's arm you can do whatever needs to be done. Sometimes I see the two little black flat posts that stop up against the screw (located on the underside of the axle) have been bent and simply bending them back straight will solve your problem. Sometimes the problem is more severe and you can wrap 1/2" masking tape around the second post (the one that comes into contact with the screw when the axle is at rest) to in essence "extend" that just enough so the arm will not bind. Other times you can loosen the allen screw that holds the light filter (clear plastic moon shaped piece with black marks on it) and raise or lower it just a touch so it will not bind.

Basically once you get in there the problem should be obvious and a few minutes of common sense will get you fixed. I've yet to actually see a situation where the part was physically broken, but as Jim points out I have heard of it. You can always compare another arm to this one to verify if anything is broken. Good luck.

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