Empire 598/698 Turntable Spindle Thrust pad Bearing replacement?

[Omegaman]

I am trying to perfect my Empire "Audio jewelry" turntables. I got them working very well but I would like to do the thrust pad bearing

How do I remove the existing thrust pad bearing on my Empire 598 and 698 turntables?

Is it possible to just flip the existing pad over or should a new one be installed?

I see them on that auction site and the material offered is acetal (Delrin)

 

[OldSch00l]

At the back of the bearing well there should be a circlip holding the thrust pad in place, after that is removed you should be able to push the thrust pad out. A lot of people seem to just flip the disc over, and that should be fine if it hasn't been done before (very unlikely). And as you mention, there are places to get new replacements which is probably worth the small investment if you are spending the time to completely redo the bearing.

I re-did the bearing on my 208 and instead of Delrin I used a Lignostone disc that another AKer was kind enough to send me. It is an interesting material and I can't say definitively whether it has worked better than the original Delrin thrust pad, and I would not make that claim without further investigation, all I know is after I reassembled everything the platter spun for minutes.

I would also look into polishing the ball at the end of the spindle, there are threads/posts detailing the process using increasingly finer grits of polishing paper. I used this set from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Zona-37-948-Polishing-11-Inch-Assortment/dp/B001BHGC7G

Spending time refurbishing the bearing goes a long way in eliminating noise and returning the turntable to it's former glory after 50+ years of use.

 

[Omegaman]

At the back of the bearing well there should be a circlip holding the thrust pad in place, after that is removed you should be able to push the thrust pad out. A lot of people seem to just flip the disc over, and that should be fine if it hasn't been done before (very unlikely). And as you mention, there are places to get new replacements which is probably worth the small investment if you are spending the time to completely redo the bearing.

I re-did the bearing on my 208 and instead of Delrin I used a Lignostone disc that another AKer was kind enough to send me. It is an interesting material and I can't say definitively whether it has worked better than the original Delrin thrust pad, and I would not make that claim without further investigation, all I know is after I reassembled everything the platter spun for minutes.

I would also look into polishing the ball at the end of the spindle, there are threads/posts detailing the process using increasingly finer grits of polishing paper. I used this set from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Zona-37-948-Polishing-11-Inch-Assortment/dp/B001BHGC7G

Spending time refurbishing the bearing goes a long way in eliminating noise and returning the turntable to it's former glory after 50+ years of use.

Okay, Thanks. I'll do that