Platter rubbing noise on Elac Mircord 50H

Johncan

Record collector
When the platter on my Elac Miracord 50H spins I hear a rubbing sound/noise coming from beneath the platter. It does not matter if I am spinning the platter by hand or the motor & idler wheel are spinning the platter. What should be my troubleshooting steps?

Thanks in advance.
John
 
^^^^^ That's what I would guess as well.
In case you don't what it is, it's the gray-ish felt button shown in the upper left hand of your pic.
I too have always just pushed it down.
 
I had the same issue several months ago on my 10H. It was the brake. 50H mechanism is largely the same. As mentioned, try pushing the brake pad down if it became unseated.

However, if that doesn't fix it, your brake may be set too high.

I noted in the picture below a screw I adjusted to set the correct brake height so it doesn't rub the platter during play. This fixed the issue for me. No issues since.

brake.jpg
 
I checked the brake and that is not it. It seems to be down. The platter spins really well by hand with little or no resistance when spinning. It almost sounds like the noise is coming from the spindle hole. Does that make any sense?

John
 
When did the problem start? Take off the metal decorative disc that sits on the platter mat and report back. Sometimes they rub against spindle. Other options include bad bearings or cementing grease.
 
Have you had the spindle out, and could something have fallen down there? But if it is down the spindle hole, why would it make noise when the platter is turning. Maybe you need to prop the table up so that you can look under it when you spin the platter, in case something below the top deck is making noise when the platter spins, and the sound is just coming up through the spindle hole.

I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that it could be bad bearings, but maybe the platter bearing is starting to get dry and needs some cleaning and relube.
 
When did the problem start? Take off the metal decorative disc that sits on the platter mat and report back. Sometimes they rub against spindle. Other options include bad bearings or cementing grease.

Problem was noticeable the last few months. The platter is currently nude (no platter matter or the decorative disc). Could it just need a little lube?
 
Have you had the spindle out, and could something have fallen down there? But if it is down the spindle hole, why would it make noise when the platter is turning. Maybe you need to prop the table up so that you can look under it when you spin the platter, in case something below the top deck is making noise when the platter spins, and the sound is just coming up through the spindle hole.

I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that it could be bad bearings, but maybe the platter bearing is starting to get dry and needs some cleaning and relube.

I will look under the deck tomorrow when I am back home. Hoping all it needs is some cleaning and relube.
 
As mentioned above, check a few lube points, in particular you can lift out the bearing assembly, and see if it's dry, grease it while it's out, reinstall, and then lube the shaft, try again!
 
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What lube is recommended for the Elac Miracord 50H?

I posted info and pictures here when I took my 10H apart (basically the same mechanism as the 50H) and lubricated it: http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....are-all-about-em.390203/page-31#post-10415624

For the idler spindle, use 3 in 1 SAE 20 (blue label). Same for lower ball bearing in Papst motor. For main platter bearings and cam wheel use white lithium grease (like Permatex from a tube -- not spray) or Super Lube with a couple of drops of 3 in 1.

Before you tear it apart, I would carefully study it and try to narrow down the location and cause of the noise.
 
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The labels on the top of the chassis look flat. Here is a picture.

View attachment 1117660

The off-white plastic (delrin?) bearing assembly can be easily removed with a piece of thin, stiff wire. Bend a small hook at the end and pull it out.

The bearings, 13 if I remember correctly, are captive within the 2 piece plastic housing. Place the assembly on a towel so that when you pull it apart, the bearing won't roll all over the place.

Clean the bearings and housing, in and out and lube as @monkboughtlunch suggested.

Apply grease on the bearings only, the long shaft should be coated with oil. Remember to clean everything before applying oil.
 
If that is an idler-drive turntable, check to make sure the idler wheel is parallel with the platter. I had the same symptoms with a BSR, and solved it by tweaking the spindle hole with a steel bar. It worked, but may not be the proper solution for your turntable.
 
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