Cue Damping Gone, on Linn Basik LVX tonearm. Repaired successfully!

[Old Guy8]

Linn Basik LVX tonearm (made in Japan) cue drop has no damping.
Any experience with cue damping on this arm, or similar cue design? I belive Basik LVX Pluss ans ADC Alt-1 tonearms use same cue.

I've not worked on a similar cue. Is there a cylinder to apply silicone to, or just to shaft?

With magnifying glass still difficult to see set screw socket shape. Hex or torx?

I've searched vinylengine and Googled for LVX manual, without luck.

I have 200K cst silicone fluid I used on Thorens TD 165 cue shaft. Worked for it. I ordered 500k cst in a syringe.


Thanks in advance.
OG


(Just upgraded counterweight due to Counterweight gasket became mush.)

 

[Old Guy8]

Trying again for any experience on this or plus arm?

Anyone with a manual copy to share?

Cue looks to have a set screw on side holding cylinder in position. Clamping in keyway.
With a magnifying glass, It's a REALLY small set screw. With my old eyes, with astigmatism, difficult to be sure. Don't want to damage socket or arm. I know the smallest I have 1.5 mm hex key wrench doesn't quite fit. Do Torx drive sizes get this small?

Ideas?

 

[Old Guy8]

Resurrected my old thread. Going to try and remove Cue, to clean and re-grease:

I've not found a manual for this ADC made arm.

Going to try to get set screw out.
Ordered screw extractor set that may fit hex.
If plastic housing doesn't get damaged.

A Basik LVX Plus owner said his had a 1.5mm hex socket.

 

[Old Guy8]

Used a screw extractor to remove the locking set screw. Carefully turned by fingers, to not break PLASTIC body of arm. M3 x 3mm length flat point set screw, with 1.5mm hex.

This is screw extractor set I bought. 10 drills and 10 extractors. Smallest extractor is what I used. Fit the 1.5mm hex. Most extractor sets aren't going to go this small.

I ADVISE, BE VERY CAREFUL REMOVING AND REPLACING SET SCREW. I'VE SEEN A PIC OF A CRACKED PLASTIC HOUSING, AT THE SET SCREW. MAKE SURE NOT TO CROSS THREAD WHEN REPLACING.

Looks like end caps were pressed in, at assembly. No way to disassemble without damaging.
I'll try to get 500k cst silicone in it, around the shaft. Work up and down.
Maybe warming silicone syringe in hot water to help it flow?
Any ideas appreciated?

Edit: Bottom cover was glued on sheet plastic disc.

 

[stratokaster]

Perhaps try gently heating it? On my Fidelity Research FR-54, the plastic bottom cap looked like it was pressed in at the factory. When I heated the body of the cueing device, the cap simply fell off.

 

[Old Guy8]

Perhaps try gently heating it? On my Fidelity Research FR-54, the plastic bottom cap looked like it was pressed in at the factory. When I heated the body of the cueing device, the cap simply fell off.

How did you heat it?
I could try setting Cue base on a warm metal surface. See if it's metal cylinder expands and let's end cap drop out?
Thanks.

 

[RickB]

I seem to remember that if you have the lift lever in the right position that you can then extract the plunger...but, it's been years since I repaired one.

 

[Old Guy8]

I seem to remember that if you have the lift lever in the right position that you can then extract the plunger...but, it's been years since I repaired one.

Thanks Rick. I'll give that a try.
I did find a spot where the level can be turned straight down. And piston comes out a little farther. But top end cap hasn't budged so far.

All else fails, apply more force.
A No go!
Going to do more research.

 

[stratokaster]

How did you heat it?
I could try setting Cue base on a warm metal surface. See if it's metal cylinder expands and let's end cap drop out?
Thanks.

With a heat gun on the lowest setting.

 

[Old Guy8]

With a heat gun on the lowest setting.

Thanks.
Will try carefully.

 

[RickB]

OK, I just grabbed my Basik Plus and fiddled with the cuing mechanism...no joy...sorry, I couldn't get mine apart and didn't want to pop the cap on the bottom.

 

[Old Guy8]

OK, I just grabbed my Basik Plus and fiddled with the cuing mechanism...no joy...sorry, I couldn't get mine apart and didn't want to pop the cap on the bottom.

Thank for try.
I'll try Strato's heat gun, today.

 

[Old Guy8]

Heat gun loosened.
Edit: Heat gun not needed. Try lifting off with sharp knife.
I didn't expect bottom cover to be thin sheet sitting on a shallow counterbore. Maybe was glued in place. Heat deformed plastic cover. Will have to make replacement. Maybe an Exacto knife would remove with less damage than heat.

Still lever doesn't want to come out. So I could remove lever and piston. Even when I move lever straight down and piston seems past the cam of lever?
Guess could fill bottom with silicone, when it gets delivered? Warm it and work, to spread around. See how it works.

 

[jcidave]

Yikes! How complicated.

I have owned a Technics SL1200 MKI TT for several years with non damped cueing. Finally tired of this, I purchased some 500K cst silicone gear lube this year and put a small dab of it on the outside of the cueing platform plunger shaft. It didn't do much at first, but over several months, ( yes several months ) it worked its way down the shaft and now I have beautifully damped cueing. And there is no mess. Nothing was taken apart. The table was never moved and never taken off line. If any of my other machines malfunction, I'll try this method first.

 

[Old Guy8]

I bought a new semi-auto SL1400 MK2 back in late 70's. A nice deck. About as much as LP12, at time. It's cue linkage broke twice. Second time scraped it. That was complicated.

 

[nefertem7]

Hi I currently have a Sumiko FT3 on my AR Turntable but the Original AR Arm made buy the same company Jelco and remember having problems with the cueing . I wonder if the Linn Sondek Arm was made by Jelco also

 

[Old Guy8]

Hi I currently have a Sumiko FT3 on my AR Turntable but the Original AR Arm made buy the same company Jelco and remember having problems with the cueing . I wonder if the Linn Sondek Arm was made by Jelco also

I've read opinions that ADC, a Japanese company made it. Some shared components with ADC Alt-1 arm.

Jelco made other arms for Linn. Including an arm for Majik LP12, prior to thier closing.

After 40 years, might need some grease.

I found M3 x4mm length, cup point set screws, at Hobbytown store. They're a great source for small hardware, if can't find at hardware stores. Close enough to original M3 x3mm length flat point. I'll flatten cup point, to not damage Cue.

 

[mythless]

Yikes! How complicated.

I have owned a Technics SL1200 MKI TT for several years with non damped cueing. Finally tired of this, I purchased some 500K cst silicone gear lube this year and put a small dab of it on the outside of the cueing platform plunger shaft. It didn't do much at first, but over several months, ( yes several months ) it worked its way down the shaft and now I have beautifully damped cueing. And there is no mess. Nothing was taken apart. The table was never moved and never taken off line. If any of my other machines malfunction, I'll try this method first.
View attachment 2599620 View attachment 2599621

I've done the same with a SME 3009 S2 Improved but with 300k. It took awhile but, eventually it worked.

 

[Old Guy8]

I tried applying 200k cst to the exposed shaft some time ago. No noticable improvement afterwords. There's only about 3/16" of shaft thats ever exposed. That's why I disassembled this cue.

Thanks to all posters, for thier experiences.
Just waiting for 500k cst silicone to appear, to try.

I've tried to add detail to this thread. For the next Basik LVX owner.

 

[Old Guy8]

Hypodermic with 500k cst silicone fluid arrived. Bought on ebay.

Applied through bottom of Cue. Hypodermic steel tip was useful to get fluid beyond lever cam-shaft and near piston. I worked lever for a few minutes to spread silicone.
I couldn't get lever then piston out without damaging. So not ideal access.

Decided not to use a heat gun to warm silicone, to help spread it. Didn't want to risk damage on plastic top cap, and scrapping tonearm.

I used a 5/16" diameter hollow punch to cut out a new cover for bottom of Cue. Slightly smaller than ideal. But, 3/8" would have been too large. Made from bicycle inner tube. Used silicone sealant sparingly along shallow counterbore, to attach it.

Hypodermic with 500k cst silicone.

Linn back in operation. Damping looks great. It may slow more with use. Time will tell if 500k cst is best viscosity or try 300k?

I used the bare minimum torque on locking set screw. Just enough till it grips!!! It's a fragile plastic housing. Seen pics of housings that cracked. AGAIN, BE CAREFUL. No reason to be over tight.

Hope this thread helps next LVX owner with this issue.


EDIT, 7/11/22: Damping with 500k cst silicone is very slow to drop. I don't think stylus will drag on vinyl. It always goes down without stopping.
Could be 300k would be thick enough.

EDIT, 9/4/22: The 500k silicone fluid works fine. No hesitation coming down. Gives me time to find volume knob. So Don't mute start of records.