Hi Jim - it sounds very nice indeed. Usual 401 stuff - real grunt & grip at the bottom end, bags of drive and with lots of inner detail. It's taken an hour or so for the pitch to settle down - it tends to wander around a bit every so often but the deck will be off to Dom's place in the next few weeks for a good service/check over.
There's a definite rumble/motor hum issue but it's only really noticeable in very quiet music/between tracks.
One thing I'm slightly concerned about is that although Russ put the centre of the SME bed plate at bang on 215.4mm spindle to pivot (where it should be) I can't get the cartridge any further back in the headshell - it's still approx 2mm further forward than my trusty Polaris gauge says it should be.
Certainly sounds like a dirty motor and/or main bearing.
You can easily do some DIY cleaning. Cotton bud dipped in iso alcohol held on the motor spindle when running will clean a lot off. Also do the idler. I now regularly clean the inside of the platter, where the idler touches, at least monthly. It gets quite dirty and cleaning makes a surprising difference to the sound.
I noticed your fine speed control is slightly back behind the 12 o'clock position. How level are you? Getting the whole thing spot on should get the fine speed control bang in the middle. Also sounds better because, I reckon, the motor suspension is then hanging truly perpendicular - which will get the motor spindle addressing the idler correctly
Congratulations Gromit! Those early 401's do look the bizz. Try moving the arm back a bit at its base and move the cartridge forward a little. If you dont already have one, get a Geo disc to help with alignment. As Jim mentioned, clean the inner face of the platter. Use some very fine wet and dry WET, and re finish it. That will help with speed stability, But getting the motor well oiled will also help. There are a few areas to look at to get quick start up and speed spot on and stable. Dom
Dom - I've got the arm as far back in the slot as it will go (to maximise pivot - spindle) at the moment so can't really go any further unfortunately. I might have a go at gaining a few more mm by lengthening the slot in the plinth, certainly as far as I can with the bed plate still covering up the hole at the front.
I've got hold of a P1 spacer so that should be arriving early next week all being well. There's just about enough amr height available to make it work at the moment, although it's not ideal obviously as it's maxed out.
I've put the 401 away for a while now - it's not settling on-speed, in fact it's been wavering all over the place. Sometimes it'll run fast for a few seconds, then slow, then it'll stabilise only to go through the whole pattern again. Until I can get this sorted I won't be using it - just need to find the time to get it serviced.
Hope so Jim - I was slightly concerned that we may have poor mains quality here, and this might be affecting things but my TD150 runs steady as a rock.
Will do Dom - just need to find time to get it across to you; not overly keen to post it (although it was very nicely packed when I got it) but may have to do so to get it done fairly soon.
Well, couldn't resist it so put the 401 back on line for the day; I've only just turned it off and it's been playing since 10am.
Sure the pitch throws a little tantrum every few mins - I've noticed the motor gets a bit clattery every so often (is this the eddy brake doing its thing?) then settles. What I've also done is cannibalise our Ikea Corras table and used the top and bottom panels to make a table top for the Garrard to sit on - this then sits on the top of the Audiotech turntable table. Separating the 2 Ikea panels with half a squash ball in each corner it's worked surprisingly well - and hey presto, the rumble has diminished massively.
Glad it's working for you mate. Sounds like the motor needs a clean at least if not a strip and clean. Can you hear the motor getting clattery? Or do you realise because of the speed issue?
It may be worth using some light oil to lubricate the motor spindle bearing - sounds to me as if it might be a bit dry. Have you got a manual? It's online at Vinyl Engine IIRC. That'll show you where to put the oil.
Hi Jim - the motor clatter (more of a chatter really) doesn't really seem to affect the turntable's speed. The speed variation comes and goes, pretty much independantly of the motor noise. Removing the platter, turning the motor on, there's still the chatter but this also comes and goes so it doesn't seem to be load-dependant.
Pulling the idler away from the motor pulley, it does go slightly quiter (as one might expect) and after a while goes very quiet with just the slightest of whirring from the motor.
With the motor stationary, giving the top of the pulley a push side to side there is a very slight knock from within which does indicate to me slightly loose bearings. Twist the pulley between my fingers and it does run very smoothly however. Plenty of oil in the main spindle bearing, felt pad is nice and wet, and there's oil under the screw-in filler hole.
I've got the Garrard manual - the chap selling did me a full print out of it - and whilst I've put a couple of drops of oil (Loricraft say 3-in1 is ok, although they sell their own) where it says to, I can't quite see how it gets to the top of the motor shaft! Still, maybe the placebo of knowing I've done something will make it better.
3-in-1 is fine I reckon. Best way to get the oil in is through or along a drinking straw - unless your oil can has a very long nozzle. Rest the end of the straw on the oil point and let it drip along the straw. A few drops should be all that's needed.
How level are you? Mine can make a VERY faint noise if I haven't got it truly spot on.
Comments
There's a definite rumble/motor hum issue but it's only really noticeable in very quiet music/between tracks.
One thing I'm slightly concerned about is that although Russ put the centre of the SME bed plate at bang on 215.4mm spindle to pivot (where it should be) I can't get the cartridge any further back in the headshell - it's still approx 2mm further forward than my trusty Polaris gauge says it should be.
You can easily do some DIY cleaning. Cotton bud dipped in iso alcohol held on the motor spindle when running will clean a lot off. Also do the idler. I now regularly clean the inside of the platter, where the idler touches, at least monthly. It gets quite dirty and cleaning makes a surprising difference to the sound.
I noticed your fine speed control is slightly back behind the 12 o'clock position. How level are you? Getting the whole thing spot on should get the fine speed control bang in the middle. Also sounds better because, I reckon, the motor suspension is then hanging truly perpendicular - which will get the motor spindle addressing the idler correctly
Dom
Dom - I've got the arm as far back in the slot as it will go (to maximise pivot - spindle) at the moment so can't really go any further unfortunately. I might have a go at gaining a few more mm by lengthening the slot in the plinth, certainly as far as I can with the bed plate still covering up the hole at the front.
I've got hold of a P1 spacer so that should be arriving early next week all being well. There's just about enough amr height available to make it work at the moment, although it's not ideal obviously as it's maxed out.
Sure the pitch throws a little tantrum every few mins - I've noticed the motor gets a bit clattery every so often (is this the eddy brake doing its thing?) then settles. What I've also done is cannibalise our Ikea Corras table and used the top and bottom panels to make a table top for the Garrard to sit on - this then sits on the top of the Audiotech turntable table. Separating the 2 Ikea panels with half a squash ball in each corner it's worked surprisingly well - and hey presto, the rumble has diminished massively.
It may be worth using some light oil to lubricate the motor spindle bearing - sounds to me as if it might be a bit dry. Have you got a manual? It's online at Vinyl Engine IIRC. That'll show you where to put the oil.
Pulling the idler away from the motor pulley, it does go slightly quiter (as one might expect) and after a while goes very quiet with just the slightest of whirring from the motor.
With the motor stationary, giving the top of the pulley a push side to side there is a very slight knock from within which does indicate to me slightly loose bearings. Twist the pulley between my fingers and it does run very smoothly however. Plenty of oil in the main spindle bearing, felt pad is nice and wet, and there's oil under the screw-in filler hole.
I've got the Garrard manual - the chap selling did me a full print out of it - and whilst I've put a couple of drops of oil (Loricraft say 3-in1 is ok, although they sell their own) where it says to, I can't quite see how it gets to the top of the motor shaft! Still, maybe the placebo of knowing I've done something will make it better.
How level are you? Mine can make a VERY faint noise if I haven't got it truly spot on.