Lenco L75 (950) has landed. HELP needed, will build, will share pictures

[sjohak]

Hi everyone.

Joined a couple of days ago. Name is Håkan, i live in Sundsvall Sweden, 56 years old. Have so far been in the other end of the record player-spectrum with my Audio-Note TTone, with Rega arm and Clearaudio PU. Linked to Audio Space tube-amp via clearaudio nano phono into Blumenhofer Fun 13 speakers.

While getting a "retro-stereo" for my daughter I happened to look att something for myself and whoops, a package landed today containing a Lenco 950. Thought i would cut it up and make something nice using the L75 mounted in it.

First Sight: Excelent optics. Looks like new apart from minor nags in the wood enclosure and a few minimal nags in the gray metal area. Tonearm straight and no oxidation. Happy place! Only things missing is antiskate weight and downforce-weight (?). Lid broken of course...

....and tonearm sagging a little to the left in V-blocks (noticeable when lifting tonearm from holder (?) Plate is totallystuck with no play at all in the bearing.

Must test! Turning tuner power switch - no explosion!  Connect cheap headphones and put no like-record on after roughly setting downforce to 2,5 grammes using only counterweight.   1) Terrible electrical Frankenstein-sound when I switched the record player on-switch on. Slow start and maybe a bit slow...? 2) When I set the needle down on the record it slid all the way in with an unpleasant scratching noise. After a little fiddeling with the counterweight I managed to get it to reasonably stay on track, but with scratchy sound as a result. Could not even tell if speed is correct or not....

So: HELP! I have read hundreds of posts but have not been able to find, or understand that I have, any explanation and cure to the noise. Tonearm is something that obviously needs new V-blocks, Allready on the way by mail.

P.S. I will try to learn how to upload pictures. Do You have to have them on Dropbox or can I do it from OneDrive?

Anyone?

//H

[sjohak]

To clarify: It is a humming sort of sound, not like sparks and lightning.....

//H

[Tobbe]

Hi Håkan!
Welcome to LH and congratulations to your purchase.
First of all I would advice to wait for those new v-blocks before doing more testing. If they are bad (which they most probably are) they can cause skipping and sliding and problems setting a good constant VTF.

With that said som thoughts about the noise:
Is it there all the time when the deck is turned on and the platter spins or does start when the stylus hits the vinyl? If the former, maybe something is up with the amplifier in the console or the headphones connector. Have you tried playing in speakers or another audio source?

If the latter maybe the stylus is broken or cartridge is bad. This is the cartridge that came with the deck? If so did you get any info from seller about age and wear?
Or maybe just a dirty stylus?

Don't know about the image upload issue. Should work to upload directly in the forum post when writing. No need to link to other image storage.

More experienced LH:ers will most certainly come to help soon.

Finally, great to see another member from Sundsvall

[sjohak]

Hi,

I have now ripped it appart..... Taken out the motor and tested it stand-alone, plugged directly to the wall (no grounding cable though  ) without the player´s electrical switch. Noice is in the motor when turned on. Electric noice that is - not mechanical - loud. Is it dying? 

Will take some pictures and download to the computer in order to share.

Have also taken out the tonearm , removed platter, removed top-plate from plinth and removed brake-plate. Unfortunately the grounding cable from the tonearm is soldered to the little tap in the bottom of the tonearm and from there soldered an extension. WHY! Makes it kind of difficult to dismantle further.....

Will now go paint some walls in my daughters apartement, to be able to create instead of taking appart. Hoping for help here!

[sjohak]

[itskeith]

Hi Hakan,

Agree with:

First of all I would advice to wait for those new v-blocks before doing more testing

Ref Uploading photo's. Pretty sure there used to be a guide how to do this. I've found the link which is no longer working, so have asked if someone could update this.

Suggest keeping an eye on here:
https://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=8530.0

Sorry, don't know about Noise in the motor!

Good luck and looks like your making good progress.
Keith

[Tobbe]

Looks like progress!
Regarding motor noise: I hade a fight against this on my L75 motor. It was electromechanic noise from the motor coils vibrating in the stator housing. I don't know if this is what's wrong with your motor but if so, It's fixable but a takes some work and disassembly. It's known as the "varnish method" and consists of trying to get thin varnish or glue to seep in between the coil and housing. When it dries it fixates the coils.

I tried to describe and document it in this thread (there are other threads about this too in this forum).


https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Elencoheaven%2Enet%2Fforum%2Findex%2Ephp%3Ftopic%3D33734%2E0&share_tid=33734&share_fid=41959&share_type=t&link_source=app

And while you're at this you can just as well clean and relubricate motor bearings and align the axle. There are good manuals for this in the guides section.

[analogadikt]

My suggestion would be to approach the noise problem one step at a time. First lubricate the motor and then center the coils, instructions are in the guides section. If that does not help then consider varnishing the coils.

Regards,

[Tobbe]

Agree with analogadikt. Start with lubrication and alignment. Hopefully will be enough. The varnish method is a bit messy (at least was for me).

[sjohak]

Thanks for all sugestions! 

Will try. I am concerned though about the noice being something like generator humming or the noice a lightbulb can make just before it breaks. Could it be some sort of short circuit in the motor itself?  To be continued!

[sjohak]

I listened to T68:s video and can, sadly enough, say that that is exactly my problem to .Good to know the diagnosis though..

Have to perform brain-surgery it seems. Will sleep now and process this. Might seem more possible tomorrow...

Will try to focus om nicer matters like how the plinth should be. Either a layerd MDF accordign to the standard template or maybe filling out the original 950-box, which I like......

[sjohak]

Motor taken apart. Have to figure out hos to get the varnish Into the right place without it leaking into the center hole where the rotor (?) goes. And: shall I fill the entire space inside the copper coil, or just cover the surface?? 

[sjohak]

[Tobbe]

When I did my motor I covered the inside of the rotor opening with masking tape. Also covered the screw holes.

Then I tried to get as much varnish as possible to seep in the spaces between the plastic coil fittings and stator housing.
I also tried to get varnish onto/into the yellow tape that covers the windings.
I also tried to get the stuff to seep in along the copper pieces.
To summarize: my tactics was to try to get as much varnish as possible into that thing but not into the rotor opening and screw holes.
I tried to seal the bottom side with modelling clay to keep the varnish from running out. This only partially succeeded so it got a bit messy.
Would I do another one I think I would try to seal with silicone and just leave in place afterwards.

If you just get varnish on the outside I don't think it will fixate enough to stop the buzzing.

I have just done one motor and not sure this is the best way but It worked for me.

[sjohak]

Have just received my new V-blocks, and a bottle of CaiClean rubber rejuvenator. It is intended for rollers, grommets and bushings and is supposed to restore original surface, texture and flexibility.

Anyone heard of it and/or used it. Thought of using it on the idler wheel and the rubber thing on the other side of the arm (grommet or bushing?). Good or bad idea?

Maybe I should try it on my face first....