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Missing PL-41 Tonearm Nut

N

NightRaid

New Member
Recently purchased a PL-41 at auction and upon better inspection of the turntable, and looking at the manual, it seems like the nut at the rear of the tonearm is missing. A few things I am hoping you could help with:

  • Are there any spares of this part out there?
  • If not, I am hoping to purchase a nut that is as close to the original as possible. Could someone post a picture of their nut with the overall diameter and threading diameter, if it is not too much trouble? That way I can search for some similar nuts
  • How big of a deal is having this part missing?
Thanks for your help!

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Sorry for the blurry pic but my phone camera wouldn’t focus. I wouldn’t worry about it unless you want to restore the arm to its condition in 1969. It’s back there and has no purpose I can see.
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I wish I could help. I’ve got a spare pl41 tone arm, but it’s missing the nut as well! If you ever figure out a replacement, let me know.

EDIT - I’ll try and grab the diameter from my good tonearm and post it here. Not sure how I’d find the thread pitch though.

Edit2 - And of course the battery on my digital caliper is dead. Once I replace the battery, I’ll post up specs. Here are some pics of it. Manual rough check on the caliper is 70mm outer diameter, 66mm inner. It’s smooth on the inner surface, except the very end where it screws into the end of the arm


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lokerola said:
I wish I could help. I’ve got a spare pl41 tone arm, but it’s missing the nut as well! If you ever figure out a replacement, let me know.

EDIT - I’ll try and grab the diameter from my good tonearm and post it here. Not sure how I’d find the thread pitch though.

Edit2 - And of course the battery on my digital caliper is dead. Once I replace the battery, I’ll post up specs. Here are some pics of it. Manual rough check on the caliper is 70mm outer diameter, 66mm inner. It’s smooth on the inner surface, except the very end where it screws into the end of the arm


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Really appreciate you taking the time to post. I found this, which I think may be close but not long enough: https://www.mcmaster.com/90441A113/
 
It just weighs a gram or two but I believe Pioneer offered, and possibly included a heavier version. I just explored this issue several weeks ago but didn’t commit it to memory.
 
lokerola said:
I wish I could help. I’ve got a spare pl41 tone arm, but it’s missing the nut as well! If you ever figure out a replacement, let me know.

EDIT - I’ll try and grab the diameter from my good tonearm and post it here. Not sure how I’d find the thread pitch though.

Edit2 - And of course the battery on my digital caliper is dead. Once I replace the battery, I’ll post up specs. Here are some pics of it. Manual rough check on the caliper is 70mm outer diameter, 66mm inner. It’s smooth on the inner surface, except the very end where it screws into the end of the arm


View attachment 3137173


View attachment 3137174

View attachment 3137175View attachment 3137177
Click to expand...
Really appreciate you taking the time to post this. My plan is to create a CAD based on DIN 546 (https://www.mcmaster.com/90441A113/) and get it made. There are probably a bunch of PL-41 owners who no longer have this nut so this might be a geat project for us all. If you get a chance, do you mind sharing the dimentions of the following parts of the nut; happy to send you on in the mail once it is made.

Pioneer PL-41 Counterweight Nut.jpg

Thanks!
 
So, I ended up following the advice of @Blackdog61 and trying to get a custom nut made. Called a few hardware stores in my area but none had that kind of service. After some googling I found a couple of companies who can make custome parts based on CAD, so I have been working on that. Here is what I have far:


Screenshot 2024-03-05 211401.pngScreenshot 2024-03-05 211341.pngScreenshot 2024-03-05 211322.png

The dimensions are based on what I can collect from the counterweight itself but the more accurate the better, so I would appreciate any help with this.
 
NightRaid said:
Really appreciate you taking the time to post this. My plan is to create a CAD based on DIN 546 (https://www.mcmaster.com/90441A113/) and get it made. There are probably a bunch of PL-41 owners who no longer have this nut so this might be a geat project for us all. If you get a chance, do you mind sharing the dimentions of the following parts of the nut; happy to send you on in the mail once it is made.

View attachment 3138610

Thanks! Yep, will do. I had to order LR44 batteries for my calipers. They should be here tomorrow, so by tomorrow evening I'll get you measurements.
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NightRaid said:
Really appreciate you taking the time to post this. My plan is to create a CAD based on DIN 546 (https://www.mcmaster.com/90441A113/) and get it made. There are probably a bunch of PL-41 owners who no longer have this nut so this might be a geat project for us all. If you get a chance, do you mind sharing the dimentions of the following parts of the nut; happy to send you on in the mail once it is made.

View attachment 3138610

Thanks!
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I also wonder if someone can 3d print it?
 
NightRaid said:
Nice. Kinda jumped the gun based on my estimates due to being impatient :D But it was a relatively cheap quote from a machinist, so if it doesn't work, I'll try with your measurements.
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If you have access to a machinist, i would suggest to just remove the tonearm and make him/her create a cut for mounting an upgraded tonearm, like a SME, or perhaps a good model Rega, Jelco, etc etc. The Pioneer tonearm is good, but the PL-41 can be elevated even higher. I have a SME 3009 II mounted on mine.
 
flavio81 said:
If you have access to a machinist, i would suggest to just remove the tonearm and make him/her create a cut for mounting an upgraded tonearm, like a SME, or perhaps a good model Rega, Jelco, etc etc. The Pioneer tonearm is good, but the PL-41 can be elevated even higher. I have a SME 3009 II mounted on mine.
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I was thinking about this since I got it for such a great price, and had read about upgrading the tonearm but wasn't sure about how much of an upgrade it would be (I'm a relative noob to the intricate workings of turntables). I might reconsider. Thanks for the thought.
 
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