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Official AR Turntable Owners Thread

Trasky said:
I have 0w-20 and 5w-40 at home but happy to go out and get any old 5w-20 to be safe
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I personally would not use a multi-viscosity, detergent motor oil in this application. If you want a 10 weight or 30 weight or whatever, look for SAE10 or SAE30, non-detergent (which is what's recommended for lawn mowers, for example).

Else, I would seek out specialty oils, unless sewing machine or gun oil is the weight you need.

The model train company, Bachmann, sells a line of varying weight oils that might fit the bill.
 
I've been using Hoppe's gun bore oil for 20-some years now. Probably lighter than what some are recommending.
 
I've been using the blue 3 in 1 since saw it recommended several times, but after a year, I think I detect a little stiction when first picked up from the rest. after that first move it seems fine. So continue the recommendations, I could use some more.
 
Notdoc said:
I've been using the blue 3 in 1 since saw it recommended several times, but after a year, I think I detect a little stiction when first picked up from the rest. after that first move it seems fine. So continue the recommendations, I could use some more.
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Somewhere I think I saw people recommending to not use any 3 in 1 oil or detergent oil.
Granted there are tons of opinions. The sewing machine oil, the oil that cam with an AR table and the full synthetic oil as previously mentioned seems to be the most consistently recommended. I just go by what Marc recommended.
 
The tube of oil included with original ARs was for the spindle and arm wells. Do not put that or any other other oil in the motor. For motor problems, min amount of Deoxit F5 on the top of the spindle and let it chill. Repeat if necessary.
 
Jalousie said:
The tube of oil included with original ARs was for the spindle and arm wells. Do not put that or any other other oil in the motor. For motor problems, min amount of Deoxit F5 on the top of the spindle and let it chill. Repeat if necessary.
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interesting
 
Somewhere I'm sure I saw the blue 3 in 1 SAE 20 electric motor oil was recommended by someone. But now onto belts. I bought an ebay belt that was listed as PRB FRY23.6 that was WAY too short. As in, it will never break in because it can't run with the chassis yanked so far out of alignment. It only measured ~11" flattened and I don't believe it could possibly stretch that much. I'm sure that's what I bought way back last time. The old one fits, it's just old.new and old.jpg
 
Hello and apologies for just jumping in!

I have just bought my first ever turntable (to be fair, it's my second in a week. The first being a Dual CS 505-3, for £30?, but then I saw this one...), an extremely pretty AR 'The Turntable' I believe (XE serial number?), which has a Linn Basik LVX arm, for £150? The budget being what it is, I have ordered an AT VM95E to pop on there, but this is where my research has ground to a halt.

I am hoping to get hold of the instruction manual, service/maintenance guide etc., and as I am sure you are aware, I am unable to download them from VinylEngine.

Any help would be very much appreciated, along side any tips or tricks, overhang measurements (What?! Standard measurement from my new cartridge alignment protractor thingy?), head weight balance (1.8-2.2g on my new mini scale?) I should be aware of, especially as a vinyl nobody!

Best wishes and a hopeful thanks.
 
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Today I went out to see what I could find locally for appropriate oil and found super lube multi-use synthetic lightweight oil iso68. Seems to foot the bill there. Thanks. I was getting ready to put a vm95c in an identical headshell as my Grado. For some older records. As it turned out, with the vtf for the Grado at 1.6. the A-T was at 21.1. Swapping between different length screws and readjusting the vtf on the Grado got me 2.0 on the A-T with no more fiddling. So far, so good.
 
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Now that I've got the oil & belt pretty much sorted for my AR XB, I have one more question for now.

What's everyone rocking and/or recommend for a decent cartridge? I'm looking for something in the Ortofon 2M Blue price/perf range, thought I've heard some folks here state they're not preferred.

I do have a Grace F-8l'10 mm mounted on the headshell that came with the table, but the cantilever/styli is pretty buggered beyond repair. I did ask in a local vinyl group if anyone would know how to replace it with a modern counterpart but essentially got the reply of "once the cantilever is stuffed, the whole magnet mechanism is out of whack". I'm not sure how true this is & regardless, I would absolutely struggle to install a new one myself if it was possible.
 
Trasky said:
Now that I've got the oil & belt pretty much sorted for my AR XB, I have one more question for now.

What's everyone rocking and/or recommend for a decent cartridge? I'm looking for something in the Ortofon 2M Blue price/perf range, thought I've heard some folks here state they're not preferred.

I do have a Grace F-8l'10 mm mounted on the headshell that came with the table, but the cantilever/styli is pretty buggered beyond repair. I did ask in a local vinyl group if anyone would know how to replace it with a modern counterpart but essentially got the reply of "once the cantilever is stuffed, the whole magnet mechanism is out of whack". I'm not sure how true this is & regardless, I would absolutely struggle to install a new one myself if it was possible.
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Got an AR XB a few months ago that came with an Ortofon Omega. Just replaced that with a Shure M55E cartridge and N-44-7 stylus. Sounds great (to me).
 
Trasky said:
Now that I've got the oil & belt pretty much sorted for my AR XB, I have one more question for now.

What's everyone rocking and/or recommend for a decent cartridge? I'm looking for something in the Ortofon 2M Blue price/perf range, thought I've heard some folks here state they're not preferred.

I do have a Grace F-8l'10 mm mounted on the headshell that came with the table, but the cantilever/styli is pretty buggered beyond repair. I did ask in a local vinyl group if anyone would know how to replace it with a modern counterpart but essentially got the reply of "once the cantilever is stuffed, the whole magnet mechanism is out of whack". I'm not sure how true this is & regardless, I would absolutely struggle to install a new one myself if it was possible.
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Grace cartridges are really nice, I have an F8 and 2 F9. Might check around to see if anyone is still fixing them. I know of Soundsmith but there have been posts about health issues. Worth researching
Edit: I could be wrong about Soundsmith. and there may be others that can repair them. Still worth looking into it. Just my opinion
 
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Trasky said:
Now that I've got the oil & belt pretty much sorted for my AR XB, I have one more question for now.

What's everyone rocking and/or recommend for a decent cartridge? I'm looking for something in the Ortofon 2M Blue price/perf range, thought I've heard some folks here state they're not preferred.

I do have a Grace F-8l'10 mm mounted on the headshell that came with the table, but the cantilever/styli is pretty buggered beyond repair. I did ask in a local vinyl group if anyone would know how to replace it with a modern counterpart but essentially got the reply of "once the cantilever is stuffed, the whole magnet mechanism is out of whack". I'm not sure how true this is & regardless, I would absolutely struggle to install a new one myself if it was possible.
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Have the Grace retipped, since your in NZ the closest guy would be AK member cafe latte who I believe is in Australia

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I have a stock AR XA from 1969. I bought this turntable for my father in Sep 1969. After he passed in 2007, I retrieved the turntable. I installed a new cartridge (was originally an M75E, now an AT95E), bought a new belt, and bought a couple of reproduction headshells. I've also bought a couple of replacement arm rests. My recollection is that when this turntable was new, it was very, very quiet. Now it produces some low-level noise, which I reluctantly call "rumble." I think some motor noise is finding its way to the stylus. There's not much to adjust or play with on these turntables, and I'm wondering if replacement of suspension parts would cure the noise. Opinions, please.
 
Have you oiled the bearings wells?
Clean out the platter and tonearm bearing wells with alcohol and q-tips, flip the thrust pads over if dented and use a light oil like sewing machine oil just to the top of the ball bearing and or the top of the thrust pad. A couple of drops or oil on each spindle and the "rumble" should get better. You can also drip oil from a pin or paper clip into the top of the motor where the motor spindle is, and let it run. As the oil disappears, keep adding until it pools. The suspension should be level, other than that I would try oiling it first and address suspension later.

Edit: I would also shake the new belt in talcum power. A little slippage at startup is perfectly normal.
 
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noisefreq said:
Have you oiled the bearings wells?
Clean out the platter and tonearm bearing wells with alcohol and q-tips, flip the thrust pads over if dented and use a light oil like sewing machine oil just to the top of the ball bearing and or the top of the thrust pad. A couple of drops or oil on each spindle and the "rumble" should get better. You can also drip oil from a pin or paper clip into the top of the motor where the motor spindle is, and let it run. As the oil disappears, keep adding until it pools. The suspension should be level, other than that I would try oiling it first and address suspension later.

Edit: I would also shake the new belt in talcum power. A little slippage at startup is perfectly normal.
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Let me ask this: how important is the foam washer at the top of the bearing well?
 
If you fill the bearings with just the right amount of oil, i.e. what I suggested in the previous post, there should be a "crown" of oil at the top of the bearing.
The original foam washer would have held this oil in reserve.
If you add too much (we all have) it will run down the side and pool on top of the T-bar. No big deal, just soak it up.
The foam washer would help this from happening.
 
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