Technics 1500 - take 'er down

[stellavox]

OK, I finally decided to take my 1500 apart as the "squealing" reappeared and was affecting the breaking action in rewind - like there wasn't any.

So I started talking it apart today to also install some other parts I got from ironbutt. 

Took off the takeup motor assembly.  unscrewed the three screws at the back of that assembly which seems to "position" the back end of the table shaft. First (working forward from the back) came the metal backplate (with an adjustment screw in the center), then what appears to be some spring-steel thingy which I can only describe as a large washer assembly, and then a "three-armed" plastic spacer. This spacer appears to be some kind of bearing surface; that the ball-bearing, force fit into the back end of the table shaft, seemed to ride against and use as a bearing surface.  Instead of it being one piece, it was broken into three pieces or "arms" - undoubtedly "broken" by many years of the ball-bearing-end of the reel table riding/pressing on it.  Took off the backplate securing the (other) spooling motor shaft and found the same broken "spacer".  I'll bet that they're ALL broken - yours too??

OK - anyone observed this and what did you do about it???  Looks to me like I should fashion a new spacer assembly out of, say, Teflon???

By the way, the brake pad was all "gummed up" with plastic residue from the spinning "collar" on the table assembly.  A crefull application of acetone seemed to clean and even rejuvenate it.  Will this stop the squealing and restore proper braking action - will find out.

Charles       

     

[stellavox]

From the first post:

To replace the broken "spacer" it looks like I need a piece of teflon a little over 1 millimeter thick and about 1- 1/2" square - or better yet, triangular.  Any suggestions where I can get some - Home Depot????

Then on to replacing the cue lever which had a broken operating tong.  Took the Capstan motor out.  Now I could get to the cue lever mechanism.  Removed the Phillips screw holding the bracket that secured the lever; removed and replaced it.

Final problem was a burnt out VU meter light.  VU meters are held in by a "T" shaped bar, secured by a retaining ring on each end.  Removed the retaining ring closest to the capstan shaft, and the bar pulled right out.  Lifted up the VU meters and removed their clear plastic overs.  The lights are little assemblies that are about the diameter of an old 1/2 watt resistor, maybe half again as long, and are soldered in below the meter movement.  ANYONE KNOW WHERE TO GET THESE???  Otherwise I'll just remove both,  as both dark will raise less questions than one dark (Don't tell anyone) - besides I'm using the deck as reproduce only with the heads wired out, so the meters aren't working anyway.  O yeah, each meter was pressed into place by a strip of foam taped to the back of the T bar.  the foam left town except for the residue which was all over the place.  Removed and cleaned the bar as well as possible and put some new foam tape in place of the old.

 

       

[docb]

Hi Charles,

Try Mcmaster-Carr for Teflon. They have all sorts. I see a 6"x 6" x 1mm sheet for about $4, PN  8545K12. There's also glass filled Teflon in roughly the same dimensions, which should be more wear resistant.

[stellavox]

Thanks Doc,

Put things back together temporarily and it works.

After a while thinking about this, I guess I'd like to know what the function is of the "three armed plastic spacer" at the end of each table shaft? I left it out (was broken anyway), and just put back in the metal springy thing, against which the bearing in the end of the shaft now rests.  Is the spacers purpose just to provide a surface for the bearing to ride on? - if so then maybe replacing it with teflon or some other hard plastic would seem to be better than having the ball rest on a metallic surface.  Thoughts please>>>>>

Charles

[ironbut]

Hey Charles,

Moving from the outermost part (the metal triangle that the screws that attach the adjustment pieces to the back of the motor and the reel height adjust screw is in), the next part is a Y shaped black metal (?) rigid part. The next part is the black plastic part that the end of the motor axle rests against. That's the thrust bearing. On the couple of reel motors I've disassembled, that's all I've seen. I've never seen a broken black plastic part but I can imagine that it could become brittle and break. I don't thing there's any reason for that part to be as fancy as the original. Maybe just a round piece of teflon with holes drilled for the screws?
The reel tables have about a millimeter of play when you pull out on them from the front. The motor magnet pulls it in against the thrust washer so I don't believe there's any need for any kind of spring action to the reel table adjustments. If there's another part in there, maybe it was added to increase table height? I would think that moving the reel table too far might effect the motor torque as the magnet/armature alignment is altered. Of course, that little amount of difference might not matter but it could be that someone who didn't have the height adjustment spacers tried to keep aluminum reels from flanging. Just a WAG.

[stellavox]

Thanks Steve,

From your info I see that I am actually talking about the thrust bearing- HEY I'm trying to either italicize or underline these words and the function doesn't appear to be working - and both of mine are broken.  Per Doc's suggestion I'm going to get a piece of Teflon, "cut out" and install two new ones.  Hey do you have another reel table - could use one.

On another topic - I'm probably going to make up some kind of simple infrared remote control for the deck.  4 function: stop-play-fast fwd-rewind.

Charles

[ironbut]

You know, Doc already makes a remote for the Technics. It's pretty slick with matching cosmetics etc. You can see one on the TP home page. If I know Doc, he's probably not making a huge profit on those so even though I don't doubt that you could build one yourself, once you added up the time and materials,.. well, you get the idea.

Unfortunately, the other spare reel table I have is pretty trashed. The spindle in bent and the plastic hold down is broken. I need to sit down and figure out how to pull out that spindle. I've actually got a couple of new OEM spindles (the metal center part that the hold down slides over). Once I get one apart, I there should be a couple of options on making new hold downs and getting more of the spindles machined from stainless shouldn't be too $$$ (actually, the guy that sold me the ones I have kinda killed me at $20 a pop!). I think these two items are on the "endangered species list" for the 1500's.