turntable running sloooow (and I got vinyl for xmas)

[damian.duffy]

Hi

I got vinyl for Christmas and have just taken myself to my music room to listen.  Fired up the turntable (Rega Planar 2, 25 years old) and it seems to be dying.  Platter turning at maybe 20 rpm.

I don't really use it much but it was ok maybe 6 months ago.  I googled to see what I could do but what I found online didn't match what I can see.  Everything on mine seems to be sealed underneath and I can't see what can move up top.  There doesn't appear to be any rubbing noises - it is just slow

Anyone any ideas at what I could look at to get it going again?  Is it likely to be dead?  If so and I want a few-times-a-year turntable what do I look at?  I escaped redundancy a few weeks ago but expect to be caught in the next round, in a year or two, so trying to save pennies.

Any thoughts would be most welcomed

Oh - Nick Cave's 'Skeleton Tree' and David Bowie 'Blackstar' btw

Damian

 

[Audio Al]

Is the belt slipping ?

 

[Lurch]

Yeah reckon belt needs changing, also clearout and re-lube spindle bearing housing, as may be some resistance from old oil/ dry bearing.

 

[mickbald]

I does sound like a mechanical problem. Try turning the belt over and freeing off the bearing spindle as much as you can to get you going.

 

[bandit pilot]

Another old trick to try is to dip the belt in a cup of boiling water for a few seconds and let it air dry. Not guaranteed to work but you might get lucky and it might keep you going until a replacement arrives.

 

[MJ.]

Yep, belt issues too I reckon.

2 cracking Albums btw

 

[stylesound]

Probably the belt but also check that the adhesive that holds the belt pulley onto the motor drive spindle has not failed, as this is a common fault.

 

[damian.duffy]

Thanks for the replies guys

I had a new belt (although it wasn't a proper Rega one) but it didn't seem to make any difference.

Maybe if I try cleaning the edge of the sub-platter?  I did something stupid and lifted it up.  Found that when I put if back it doesn't really go all the way down until I put the platter on.  I hope that that is ok.  I was a couple of bottle of wine in, so hopefully it 1) is  forgivable 2)  hasn't made it worse

@Lurch - I know I'm showing total ignorance but how do I clear out the spindle housing?  Don't want to tug too hard at anything!  I'm off to my sister's for Boxing Day food but maybe if I post some pictures later someone can keep me right 

The albums came with digital downloads, so have managed to listen.  Skeleton Tree is so far the better of the two imho

 

[Lurch]

Not a major job.

Pull spindle and give it a good wipe, poss use wd40 to clean, then dry with kitchen towel. use a couple of cotton buds to clean out spindle housing, again wash with drop of wd40, then use cotton buds to dry out. refill  spindle house with bearing oil, probably only 4-6 drops 8 max. re-insert spindle and away you go.

 

[orbscure]

Don't forget that you need a small ball bearing to be sat at the bottom of the shaft... you can pick up metal or ceramic bearing on eBay for peanuts. I had a Rega ACOS tt and managed to inadvertently lose the bearing and it took lots of head scratching to work out what the problem was...   

 

[dudywoxer]

If you clean and re oil the bearing, when you reassemble, let it sink slowly. First under its own weight, then with the platter. If you have overfilled the surplus will seep out onto the plinth, so you may have to remove it all to clean up.

 

[Audio Al]

Sounds like you may have lost the small ball bearing when you lifted the platter out

 

[It Cost How Much!?!]

Never ever, ever use WD40 on any bearing.  It contains all sorts of crap that will damage the bearing.  Wash the gearing with either sewing machine oil or high quality motor oil and then dry with a lint free cloth, then apply the suitable lubricant.

 

[BD Audio]

Probably the belt but also check that the adhesive that holds the belt pulley onto the motor drive spindle has not failed, as this is a common fault.

Indeed, check this and if needed a little strong superglue to repair.

 

[BD Audio]

Never ever, ever use WD40 on any bearing.  It contains all sorts of crap that will damage the bearing.  Wash the gearing with either sewing machine oil or high quality motor oil and then dry with a lint free cloth, then apply the suitable lubricant.

Definitely this, WD40 is good for unsticking locks and seized bolts etc but it's not very useful as a long term lubricant. 

 

[uzzy]

Never ever, ever use WD40 on any bearing.  It contains all sorts of crap that will damage the bearing.  Wash the gearing with either sewing machine oil or high quality motor oil and then dry with a lint free cloth, then apply the suitable lubricant.

WD40 made of fish oil and will not clean out the old oil.  

Ideal stuff for cleaning out is engine flush stuff which is made to clean the oil out of engines and gearboxes so will do the job beautifully .. for years most manufacturers (Systemdek and LInn and Ariston) used Hypoid 90 gear oil for bearings (that is what the nice man from Thorens told me to use in 1974 at the Earls Court HiFi show) - of course in recent years they may have moved to fully synthetic.  

Gearboxes would now use Synthetic 75W90 so that would seem a good bet to me.  However, if the tolerance has improved on bearings (and somehow I doubt it , the Thorens TD160 bearing was as well engineered as any Linn one back in 1974) then ordinary engine oil 5/40 fully synthetic will probably do the job.  Linn it is said used to use Mobile velocete No 6 (Linn white bearing and called it Linn Gold Oil) http://www.rhrtools.co.uk/shop2/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=400  .. Mobil Velocite No6 is a spindle oil for bearings in machine tools and equipment where high speeds and fine clearances are involved.  Of course whilst clearances may be fine the speed operation is very slow so don't get too worked up.

I still have about three quarters of a bottle of hypoid 90 I bought many years ago which seems to do ok for me - but hey ho I may get some fully synthetic for a spring clean of the bearing in my Systemdek IV (the helical bearing) in 2017.... perhaps we can then do a thread on the difference in sound with different oils ..

 

[JamieMcC]

If your other half has some nail varnish remover you can put a drop or two on the end of a Q-tip stick and give it a work round it should do a nice job of cleaning your bearing.