Help with a Thorens TD 160!

[ranf1970]

Hey AKers,

Hope this finds all of you well. I need help in getting the platter of my TD 160 balanced correctly. I'm wondering if something might be outta whack with the table. The pully looks fine (not cocked or wobbly). I even bought the motor pulley protection rod for the table since it didn't have one.

The biggest problem is the belt and guide arm at 45 rpm. Before anyone asks, it is a Thorens belt (purchased at Vinyl Nirvana). In order for the belt not to rub on the guide, the front of the platter (when you look directly at the table, this is what I consider the front) has to be up higher than the rest of the platter.

Currently, the spring on the back next to the tone arm and the one next to the pulley/motor is almost completely tightened. The spring in the front is only about an 1/4 of the way up, so not as tight as the others. It doesn't take much to raise the front of the platter as you can see, but the other two springs don't raise or lower the table as dramatically as the one in the front. I'm worried about the tension of the other two springs as being too tight.

If I tighten/loosen the springs so that the platter is level, then the belt rubs on the guide at 45 rpm. It is only in the current form that the belt doesn't rub.

The sub platter has been cleaned and so has the pulley and guide so that there is no belt residue.

Looking at other pictures of TD 160s, my platter is sitting way too high (especially the front) and obviously lopsided. If I put a bubble level left to right, then the bubble is more or less in the middle. But if I put it front to back, then bubble goes to the front due to the platter raised higher on this side.

II have spent days trying to get this thing leveled and not have the belt rub, but I'm at my wit's end.

I've looked at various sites explaining the process, but nothing seems to work. I'm now turning to the wisdom and experience of all AK Thorens/AR owners, or anyone with a suspended chassis, for help.

Thanks so much for any assistance you might be able to provide!

 

[JohnT123]

The bottom of the outer platter should be level all the way around and sit about 6mm above the top plate. That's factory for my TD-166 MKII. I would imagine yours should be similar to this. How high does it sit when you have issues?

 

[ranf1970]

Hey @JohnT123 , No matter what height the platter sits at when it is level, the belt rubs. It is only in its current configuration that it doesn't rub (at least for me).

Just to clarify, it is the bottom of the belt that rubs against the bottom of the guide and only at 45 rpm.

 

[JohnT123]

Is it possible to get some pics of the problem?

I don't have the service manual. I wonder if there's a wear issue that's preventing the belt from moving up the nylon drive shaft. It could also be because that metal guide isn't correctly positioned. Playing with the springs to get it playing is covering up the problem. I would set the springs to give the correct set-up and then see if it's belt travel or set-up of that guide fork.

 

[Ilikevinyl]

There's a pulley angle adjustment screw that will adjust the belt at the correct position on the pulley. It's the blue screw closest to the inner platter, in this photo.

 

[ranf1970]

Hey @Ilikevinyl , I have tried this but to little result.

 

[Ilikevinyl]

Hey @Ilikevinyl , I have tried this but to little result.

I'll help you tomorrow about proper spring placements. It's been a long day.

 

[ranf1970]

OK, hopefully this works. Sorry for the quality and size of the pics.

Here is the Thorens from the front:

and from the side:

This is what it looks like when the belt isn't rubbing on the guide.

 

[ranf1970]

This is what the springs looks like in this form:

and

 

[ranf1970]

Here is the belt at 33 RPM:

and here is is at 45 RPM at the above lopsided level:

 

[ranf1970]

Here it is at 45 RPM when (not perfectly) leveled:

Almost leveled, but did it quickly so that you can see what it does.

 

[ranf1970]

Here is the platter when it is leveled:

and

 

[ranf1970]

I'll help you tomorrow about proper spring placements. It's been a long day.

Thank you! I hope the pictures help.

 

[ranf1970]

These pictures were taken from Google Photos and when I'm logged in, I can see the photos here. However, when I log out, the links are broken. Not sure if you can see them or not. Please let me know,

 

[timmy.timmy]

First the turntable must be pefectly leveled. This is crucial to adjust the springs.

Then the platter must have a 4 to 6 mm gap between the platter and the top plate.

On your pictures the gap seems a tad too big and bigger at the rear.

Than at the front or is it the other way around...

Meaning that your turntable chassis is maybe not perfectly leveled and that the springs are too tight.

If that is the case, then you might need to reset it all step by step in this very order. Good luck

 

[ranf1970]

Thanks @timmy.timmy . Unfortunately, the last two pictures shows about as low as the front will go in its current configuration.

Could you advise on how I might get the platter lower? If I try to get the platter lower in the front, then the nut falls off and so does the spring.

I might be able to bring the rear lower, but the front is at its limit...

 

[timmy.timmy]

Cheers @ranf1970, from your pictures are those the original Thorens springs on your turntable ? If so that's easier to start with. Both the rear springs are rather tight while the fromt one not. That's weird. I can't understand how come you have such a difference in the mass distribution on the sub-chassis ?

Are you getting a proper bounce still with that ? Tweaking on my Thorens I ended up adding so much mass on the tonearm and platter that I had to change for longer bolts while going for longer TD150 springs indeed. Mind you most TD150 springs are not that different like the ones I manage to get...

 

[ranf1970]

That is my thought also. I thought that the tension of all three springs would be about the same, but the one on the front is the one that affects the height of the platter the most with the on near the tonearm the least.

Regarding the springs, the ones that were originally on it looked a little rusted and I didn't want to take any chances so I purchased a set of replacement springs from Vinyl Nirvana also and those are the ones that you see in the pictures. I have also tried to put the less stiff side towards the spindle as Dave recommends in his video about replacing and setting these up.

From what I've seen on videos, it looks like the Thorens bounce should have the platter go up and down. My "bounce" goes more to the sides.

 

[Ilikevinyl]

None of your photos are showing up for me.

 

[ranf1970]

Sorry about that @Ilikevinyl . Not sure why this seems to work for some and not others... I wonder if there might be another way to post them or send them to you.