Garrard Zero 100 In The House

[Pete B]

I was a young teen when the Z100 came out and I thought that it was overly complex and I really didn't like it.
Now that I've seen a linear tracker that didn't work very well and how bad inner groove distortion can be, not
that I think it will solve IGD, I got very curious to try one. One came up nearby at a good price that looked to
be in good condition and I bought it. I probably should have gotten the SB version but I'll just give this away
if it doesn't work well enough for a second system.
It is very clean, just a minor layer of dirt dust on it, the dust cover is decent with some scuffing that I hope will
rub out. It is a changer and says Zero 100 without any letters.






A friend referred me to this changer repair manual:
https://worldradiohistory.com/BOOKS...-59-Servicing-Record-Changers-Mileaf-1956.pdf

It came with an LRE Phase 44 cartridge which is a Pickering (XV-15) sold under a house brand and the stylus
is white without any identification on it.

None of the grease had hardened, it might have been worked on in the past, who knows.

Several have suggested to replace the motor mounts but they look so good that I'm going to leave them for
now. The idler looks good but is glazed over, tried to clean it up a bit with sandpaper but not much better, it
probably needs a new one from VOM.

REPAIRS:
There's a rubber o-ring at the bottom of the platter spindle bearing that I've seen on other Garrards and is
always disintegrated as is this one. My friend tells me there's another one below the spindle bearing race.
I'll have to look into how to replace these.

I watched this YouTube series which mainly says to remove the old grease and apply new, oil where needed:

TESTING:
On the first test it ran in manual mode but the speed was not steady and changing the speed from 33 to 45
seemed to help, then the speed would hold for a bit.
Tried automatic mode and it didn't engage, then after a few tries it did but the rotation stalled. Checked the
idler and it seems to be too hard to grip and run it in auto mode - probably need a new one.

 

[T68]

Congratulations on getting a not only cool but also really good turntable!

Looks like you already figured out that you got to get your hands dirty and clean and CAREFULLY (too much grease will be bad) relube the auto mechanics to get it working. That "Garrard glue" (hardened grease) is not a myth...

Stalling during auto is a tell tale sign of the cam wheel turning bad due to the above mentioned "glue".

Just be careful with disassembly and reassembly. Take lots of pics and keep all bits and bobs in order to get it back together in the right way.

Not sure about the lower o-ring under the platter bearing you mentioned. No such on my z100 if memory serves me right... May be differences between the production batches...

The o-ring around the platter spindle under the cogs helps auto function run more quietly.

Once serviced the auto functions on the Z100 are really reliable and sturdy.

If you get rumble, motor mounts of silicone can help (did the trick for me).

Good luck!

 

[Pete B]

Anyone have a favorite rubber conditioner that actually works on these idlers?

Otherwise I know VOM rebuilds them.

 

[T68]

I tried leaving a Z100 idler in DOT4 break fluid for a couple of days. Not sure it did any improvement in my case. But it did nothing bad to the idler either . I think the rubber was good enough before. My rumble problem came from the motor mounts.

 

[Pete B]

I'm going to try that, it has helped with other rubber parts.
But I'm going to start with 1-2 hours, then try again if needed.

 

[Xavier7]

I waded into a project when I decided that I was going to refurbish my garrard zero 92. It has taken considerable time to get the record changer, noisy motor, speed and size selector working properly, but I am making headway. I like the vintage look and mechanics of the machine. All that linkage can be daunting at first, but after removing and reinstalling a dozen times, I am now very comfortable with the mechanism. Haven't tackled the noise from the platter spindle or the idler pulley, that is coming up next.


Here's my advice to get the changer working

• Make a stand to set it on upside down. A piece of plywood with 3 or 4 legs of a length that gets it high enough to see easily as you rotate the cam(CW) by hand to watch the mechanism movement.
  
• All the linkage for the record changer has to move smoothly and very easily. If you think it not easy enough, it isn't. Just take a thousand pictures from every angle before you start and while disassembling. I soaked everything in a gallon of carburetor cleaner over nite. Overkill, but effective.
• Use a soldering iron to heat up stuck parts with penetrate oil in between attempts. Some of those pivot arms were real bears.
  
• Don't forget the linkage under the platter on top, it gets sticky too.
• Takes a lot of patience, but it's an enjoyable winter project

 

[lokerola]

That is a great looking table.

 

[NoTransistors]

Look on ebay. There is a Canadian who makes some wonderful idler wheels for Dual and Garrard.
AUDIOVAULT
I have been using their Dual wheels and they are superb.
Do not even bother with brake fluid
And WTF is BREAK FLUID????????????????
Perhaps T68 can enlighten us.

 

[flavio81]

I was a young teen when the Z100 came out and I thought that it was overly complex and I really didn't like it.
Now that I've seen a linear tracker that didn't work very well and how bad inner groove distortion can be, not
that I think it will solve IGD, I got very curious to try one.
.

You can overcome IGD without the need for tangential tracking...

That being said, the Zero 100 is really cool, i'd love to have one.

 

[flavio81]

Anyone have a favorite rubber conditioner that actually works on these idlers?

Otherwise I know VOM rebuilds them.

You need to replace it. No shortcuts!!

Turntableneedles.com has a large variety of idler wheels.

 

[stereofisher]

I may have a wheel

Eric

 

[OBMG74]

And WTF is BREAK FLUID????????????????

Having owned British sports cars where anything but Girling brake fluid would take out the seals in the breaking and hydraulic clutch systems, I'd be careful.

Makes great paint remover on the wings (fenders), though.

 

[Bruno Primas]

Dot 3 brake fluid and heat will soften the idler wheel. I put mine in a small glass container and wrap with a heating pad. 3 to 4 days makes a huge difference.

 

[jimbofish]

IME the issue is more likely to be hardened grease than a hardened idler. The grease that looks ok isn't the problem, it's the grease you can't see that's gumming up the works. Until the auto mechanism is operating freely with just manual spinning of the platter, fussing with the idler is wasting time and effort.


BTW I have a Zero 100S and a PE 2040 and both are still working with the original idler wheels.

 

[Bruno Primas]

IME the issue is more likely to be hardened grease than a hardened idler. The grease that looks ok isn't the problem, it's the grease you can't see that's gumming up the works. Until the auto mechanism is operating freely with just manual spinning of the platter, fussing with the idler is wasting time and effort.


BTW I have a Zero 100S and a PE 2040 and both are still working with the original idler wheels.

Agree. The softened idler wheel will transfer less rumble through the sound and have more torque on the platter.

Cleaning the old grease off is the only thing that will get this era of Garrards running correctly.

The good thing is, is that once running, they are really robust tables. Very low maintenance.

 

[HamboneF18]

I’ve got 4 Z100 tables presently. 3 with the walnut bases, 1 NIB. None have hardened idler wheels. I’ve been able to clean all of them, and relubricate without disassembling them, mechanical linkages, etc. I of course did have to disassemble the spindle bearing. All of my motor mounts are good. I did remove the motors and disassemble them and relubricate them. I made molds of the motor mounts and molded my own. 12 of them. I’ll replace 1 set this weekend, just to see if it improves anything.

Soaking the idler in DOT3 brake fluid can work completely to return the rubber to new condition. It depends on the rubber composition. I’ve soaked 2 Garrard Model 50 idlers, and 2 AT6 idlers, returning them to new condition.


Garrard Model 50:





This idler was like slate rock:



Soaked 7 days at room temperature in DOT3:



Like brand new!

 

[stereofisher]

Never had to completely disassemble a Zero. Still kicking myself for letting one go.

 

[T68]

I partly had to disassemble my z100 to get it right. Had to clean and relube the platter bearing and motor. Then that pivoting shutoff thingy (it kept repeating when it was jammed by hardened grease).
Also took off the big top sliding part in the auto mechanics and cleaned/relubed. This made tonearm move smoother.

Most tricky was to get the main cam wheel out to clean and relube the shaft to make it rotate with less resistance.
There's a washer between the cam wheel and chassis that's a b**ch to get back when reassembling ...

 

[flavio81]

I’ve got 4 Z100 tables presently. 3 with the walnut bases, 1 NIB. None have hardened idler wheels. I’ve been able to clean all of them, and relubricate without disassembling them, mechanical linkages, etc. I of course did have to disassemble the spindle bearing. All of my motor mounts are good. I did remove the motors and disassemble them and relubricate them. I made molds of the motor mounts and molded my own. 12 of them. I’ll replace 1 set this weekend, just to see if it improves anything.

Soaking the idler in DOT3 brake fluid can work completely to return the rubber to new condition. It depends on the rubber composition. I’ve soaked 2 Garrard Model 50 idlers, and 2 AT6 idlers, returning them to new condition.


Garrard Model 50:
View attachment 2786883




This idler was like slate rock:
View attachment 2786874


Soaked 7 days at room temperature in DOT3:
View attachment 2786876


Like brand new!
View attachment 2786879

Amazing!! I didn't know this trick. Thanks!

 

[T68]

I must add that Garrard seems to have gotten their idlers right back then. Neither the idler on the Zero100 nor a couple of sp25 was in any way bad. They just needed a light sanding and cleaning to be good for the job again.
Maybe the cool climate here in Sweden is kind to them?

As I said I chased a rumble problem on my Z100 and actually sent the idler for a refurb. It didn't improve rumble. Neither did the soak in break fluid.

Problem was the motor mount grommets. They looked and felt ok but obviously had hardened over the years.

New ones made of silicone solved the rumble!
Same solution worked on a SP25.