Thorens users - help with TP60 tonearm

[DavidTT]

I have a TD-145 that is new to me. Weird question, but I want to know how far I can go by way of removing and taking apart the tonearm without having to get into anything approaching soldering.

I want to give myself some room to straighten the counterweight stub and I want to explore an apparently non-functioning anti skate. I've searched the web and can find images of a TP16 in pieces but no walk throughs or videos on dealing with the TP16 in depth.

I've adjusted bearings and the tonearm, even without anti skate, is making beautiful sound, so I'd like to keep the arm but make it fully correct by straightening the stub and fixing anti skate, if possible.

Thanks for any info in advance.

 

[tnsilver]

You do not need to take the tonearm apart so far as worrying about soldering in order to fix the sagging CW. The blue rectangle section is accessible without even getting the tonearm off it's vertical bearings.
The AS is magnetic and it's not only none-linear, it also exerts minute forces that are hard to notice. You can zero balance the tonearm and fiddle with the knob to notice the miniscule effect. If you don't
notice it, the top horizontal bearing (located under the silvery cap at the top) is probably too tight. You can easily free it a quarter of a turn with the right tool and recheck the AS forces. Unless it's been futzed with
before, that AS mechanism never ever breaks. Make sure there's a problem - or you may inadvertently create one.

The AS mechanism in this tonearm is extremely sensitive to the polarity of the ceramic ring magnet under the gimbals. It is locked in place by a toothed metal plate (yellow circle) and I think that piece of
magnet was originally glued to it from the inside. That glue never holds though. Once freed from the lock plate without marking the factory orientation on that disk, it would take a nuclear physicist to get
it back to the correct polarity.

There's no walk through manual that I'm aware of but there's tons of pictures around the www and many AKer's that's been there before.

It isn't too hard but you will have to deal with soldering sooner than later.

 

[Blue Shadow]

Kinda knew we would see one of those exploded views. that pretty much shows how far you can go.

 

[tnsilver]

Hey Keith, how's it going? If you like exploded views, the Analog Department got tons of them. Come to think of it, they do come close to a walk through in this regard. I wasn't aware. It turns out that web site is actually alive and kicking. Very good pics too.

 

[DavidTT]

Thanks @tnsilver. Another possibly inane question. When releasing the two bits at the base of the tonearm to adjust tonearm height, how much adjustment is available? Getting enough height will allow for much better adjustment and fixing of the CW stub, for which the screw is on the bottom and difficult to access at this point.

I've avoided going hands on today because I'm getting such nice sound out of it and I'm loathe to jam it up. I'll get in there tomorrow.

 

[tnsilver]

I think there's less than 3/4" but I'd desolder the connections and just pull the TA completely out. You could carefully pull the TA out and lay it on it's side to access that flat screw on the back. I hope there's some slack with the wiring.

Dang David! You have to learn to solder. Trust me, ironing laundry is way more difficult.

 

[DavidTT]

I'm damned good with an iron, from my Marine Corps days! Same with shining shoes. If soldering is not too difficult it's my next step in my hobby journey. Thanks for the push. Now I'll have to find some tutorials and starter gear.

I think there's less than 3/4" but I'd desolder the connections and just pull the TA completely out. You could carefully pull the TA out and lay it on it's side to access that flat screw on the back. I hope there's some slack with the wiring.

Dang David! You have to learn to solder. Trust me, ironing laundry is way more difficult.