Fast Eddie's Thorens TD 124 rebuild - lots of pics!

Fast_Eddie · Nov 25, 2011

Hey Gang,

Yesterday I had T Day dinner with a friend who picked up a Thorens TD 124 MkI and offered to sell it to me for a very fair price. You can see the "before" pics here.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=406416

Well, after reading through a couple of threads, I decided to tear it down today. I was actually surprised how straightforward it is. It's not a difficult turntable to work on. I went very slowly so I didn't break anything. The lubricant had turned to glue (glubricant?) and some of the parts were very difficult to work lose. Going to take a good bit of cleaning to get them working well again. But working slowly and carefully I was able to get everything apart and bagged up. I took about 30 pictures along the way so I can get it back together.

For now, sub parts like the motor and the main bearing carrier are still together. I'll leave them in one piece until I rebuild them.

Getting started...

Fast_Eddie · Nov 25, 2011

So far so good.

Fast_Eddie · Nov 25, 2011

Getting all the electronics out. Have to unsolder two wires to get it all lose.

Fast_Eddie · Nov 25, 2011

I chose to unsolder from the "main" board rather than the switch board. I left the strobe attached and removed it all as one unit. That arm in the last pic here- it was the WORST. Did NOT want to come off. Had to go very slowly, working it back and forth and pulling. It did finally come, but it fought all the way.

Fast_Eddie · Nov 25, 2011

Fast_Eddie · Nov 25, 2011

Getting gooey parts worked off of shafts was by far the hardest part. They did *not* want to budge. That's what causes the speed selector knob to be frozen in place. Once it's all clean and lubed it should work just fine.

So what do people use for lube for these parts? I'm tempted to use wheel bearing grease, but I'm guessing that's frowned upon.

Fast_Eddie · Nov 25, 2011

So that's it for now. I have baggies full of parts all stowed in a box. Now to order some parts.

Bigerik · Nov 25, 2011

Nice pics! I was gonna undertake that job myself a few years back, but the deal fell through.

Fast_Eddie · Nov 25, 2011

Bigerik said:
Nice pics! I was gonna undertake that job myself a few years back, but the deal fell through.

Thanks. I took it pretty much all the way down. I was a little nervous about pulling the magnet for the Eddy brake thinking I'd never get it adjusted right again, but I found a site with proper clearances and instructions on how to do it with a feeler gauge. So I think I'll be okay. Otherwise, it was surprisingly straightforward. And I didn't shoot even one E clip across the room! I did drop one of the bearings in the selector knob, but fortunately it was quickly spotted and bagged.

http://www.theanalogdept.com/eddybrake.htm

I figured I'd get the base as bare as I could get it so I can clean it well. It's dirty and the paint is dull. I'm thinking some automotive polishing compound might work. I'll do a test spot under the platter area to see how it goes.

KentTeffeteller · Nov 25, 2011

Congrats, you are well along to a beautiful rebuild of your beautiful Thorens. TD-124 spoken here. Love these decks.

Dandy · Nov 25, 2011

Nice job. My TD135 Mk 1 needs a teardown and rebuild, so that I can remove all the rust from the chassis and levers, strip it and give it a respray.

I've been reluctant to do this for fear that I'll either break something or won't get it readjusted again, but these aren't that complicated mechanically. So, thanks for your example which is giving me the push I need.

The value of your approach is you know you have got it all clean and you'll understand how it works. I'm sure you won't forget servicing the motor itself.

Fast_Eddie · Nov 25, 2011

The motor barely turns, so that's the first order of business. Once I get it done I'll look at main bearing upgrade options.

totem · Nov 25, 2011

Was there an arm that came with the TT?

Fast_Eddie · Nov 25, 2011

Yes, an Ortofon - I thought it was an SMG 212. And a Shure M44-7 cart. AKer Mech986 said it's an Ortofon RMG 212. Not sure. When I google it, the RMG looks longer, but has the fully enclosed bearing. The SMG is open on top. So I think he's right. Maybe there was a longer and shorter variant.

SMG
http://soundslikefunaudio.com/?attachment_id=452

RMG
http://www.vinylengine.com/library/ortofon/rmg-212.shtml

(edit) Ah, I just looked on ebay and there is an RMG 212 listed that looks exactly like mine.

Fast_Eddie · Nov 25, 2011

Sure does look like the RMG 212T

Sandy G · Nov 25, 2011

Dah-Yum, Me Olde Sonne...Ya done good.

Fast_Eddie · Nov 25, 2011

Heya Sandy, good to see you. Yeah, I'm pretty happy and can't wait to hear it. May have to drag out my 1200 so I can give the cart a go.

bhamham · Nov 26, 2011

Lovely Thorens. Good luck on your rebuild!

Dandy · Nov 26, 2011

That Ortofon tonearm looks tasty too. Is it 12"? (I know that the number implies this, but I get confused by these arms, because some numbered 12 are 9", e.g. AS-212S and RS-212D. And the RMG-309 is 12", or is it 16"?!)

I thought yours looks like the RMG-series as the RS-2312 seems to have a square counterweight here: http://www.ortofon.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=349&Itemid=380

Fast_Eddie · Nov 26, 2011

Dandy said:
That Ortofon tonearm looks tasty too. Is it 12"? (I know that the number implies this, but I get confused by these arms, because some numbered 12 are 9", e.g. AS-212S and RS-212D. And the RMG-309 is 12", or is it 16"?!)

I'm really not sure either. I *think* it is a 9" arm. From the pivot to the stylus is 9", but I'm not sure if that's how you measure it or not.

What I do know is some time with some automotive polishing compound made an enormous difference in the finish. It's almost flawless. I think I need to wax it, and I have left the clutch in place, but may need to pull it to polish under that area. It's hard to tell because there is so much discoloration under the platter, but it really shined up nicely in the areas you will see when it's together. There were several marks I thought were defects in the paint, but they polished off and the finish seems to be 100% in tact. Amazing. Pictures don't really capture this well. When I get some good "after" pics you'll see that the finish is really good. And the speed indicator plate is perfect as well. Unbelievable. It looked a little junky when I got it.

I've attached before and after pics. If you look at areas like the strobe cover you can see how much it cleaned up. Right near the clutch lever are a couple of black spots in the before that I thought were scratches or something, but they are completely gone now. In the before picture, you can see one small area near the speed indicator where I did a test patch. It probably shows the difference better than anything else. It really looks almost new now and once I get some wax on it I think it will be outstanding.

Oh, and I got the Thorens sticker that goes under the platter area off in one piece, so it can go back on when I'm finished.

I ordered parts to rebuild the motor last night. So I think I'll store everything away for now and get back at it when the parts get here.

Fast Eddie's Thorens TD 124 rebuild - lots of pics!

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