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Acos Lustre GST-801: TONEARM LIFT FIXED (early model).

Acos Lustre GST-801: TONEARM LIFT FIXED (early model).

I read that many have problems with the 801 lift, so I am posting this separately.

I screwed up my tonearm lift, figured it out, FIXED it. Love the arm, love the lift.

I assumed the fluid was bad, but no, it was me who messed with the physics of the thing.
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chackster tells us: " It was an earlier version of the armlift construction, Lustre completely changed it in the later version to conventional armlift without that long thin strip of metal."
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A suggestion on AudioKarma mentioned looking underneath, verifying a set screw was snug. That may be the simple problem for other’s.
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I found my problem, and suspect/hope it could be a common problem for others, as it is easily fixed. I had my arm un-installed, see the bottom easily, but, with a mirror, it could be seen/fixed while mounted, perhaps easier when steady.

1. Lever flexes a long thin strip of metal (visible when upside down). The end of the metal activates the rise/lower action when flexed by the lever.

2. The lift raises/lowers ’by itself’ after you ’start’ it, by moving the lever up or down. (IOW, once started, the action is not controlled by the lever, it’s controlled by fluid moving). It starts up and continues to rise like a cake.

3. There is a small gap at the end of the metal strip below the cylinder. There is a small projecting rod/pin on the bottom of the cylinder. The cylinder has to be rotated so that the pin moves out of sight, above the end of the flexible metal strip.

4. My cylinder had been rotated (by me), the rod/pin was in that gap, no metal strip below it. So, when the metal strip flexed, it did not contact the pin. I simply rotated the cylinder so that the pin moved out of sight, now above the metal strip.

Fixed, but not height adjusted.

5. The top curved rail rotates, for proper positioning for the full sweep of the tonearm. The curved rail has it’s own set screw. Loosen set screw, position/rotate the curved rail for full arm sweep, tighten.

6. I think mine, and probably others, people loosen the cylinder set screw and like me, rotate the cylinder to position the attached curved rail. Inadvertently moving the cylinder’s lower pin to the gap where there is no contact with the flexible metal strip, thus no action.
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My re-assembly procedure.

First, get arm height, arm balance, general VTA angle set. Adjusting the height/clearance of the lift’s top curved rail (below the tonearm when playing) is relative to the tonearm’s downward angle.

1. loosen and lightly snug both set screws (cylinder and top curved rail) (so no real force needed when making final adjustment, avoiding one part moving the other).

2. loosen cylinder’s set screw and rotate cylinder (view from bottom) so the pin is out of sight above the metal strip. slight tighten.

**** Note: never rotate the cylinder later when adjusting it’s height, or positioning the top curved rail ****

3. loosen cylinder’s set screw, make general height adjustment, slight tighten. (to get the top curved rail close to the bottom of the tonearm prior to next step).

4. loosen top curved rail’s set screw, rotate to position it for the full sweep of the tonearm, tighten. it’s done.

5. final height of cylinder will need to be coordinated with arm height. Patience, adjust bit by bit, avoiding rotating it, to keep it’s lower pin above the flexible metal strip.

Elliott
elliottbnewcombjr

Showing 3 responses by elliottbnewcombjr

elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,887 posts
 
I don't know what the later models look like.

The Victor Arms, UA-7045 and UA-7082 original lift can be replaced by a Jelco JL-45 (seems many arms used Jelco Lifts).

This source includes 19% VAT, which I could have subtracted.

http://www.acrylteller.com/JELCO-JL-45-CUEING-DEVICE
elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,887 posts
 

you make the initial height adjustment with two allen head set screws that fixes the arm to the rotating height mechanism. the weight of the arm is fixed by these.

here is a photo with measurements of the short lever screw with a plastic tip that locks the rotational movement after you adjust the arm height up or down

You can take the rotating mechanism to a store and find a bolt or screw with the correct size and pitch threads, and you could epoxy a plastic tip onto the end if you wanted to prevent marking the post within. It just has to be tight enough to prevent sideways movement of the mechanism, it is not bearing the weight of the arm.

elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,887 posts
 

the arm lift handle flexes a long thin metal strip. That strip will push the lifter mechanism's innards up ONLY IF the pin that protrudes from the side of the bottom of the lifter mechanism is properly positioned above the metal strip (out of sight).

Here’s two photos from below the GST801 lifter

this shows the lifter too low, the pin protruding from the side of the bottom of the lifter is visible.

 

raise the lifter so the pin is above the long narrow metal strip, then rotate so the pin is just above the metal strip (now properly out of sight). when the metal strip flexes, it pushes the pin, raising the lifter innards.

 

 

 

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