Does Your Linn Sondek Lp12 Motor and Pulley Get Very Warm After Extended Use?


Recently, I noticed the motor and pulley of my Linn LP12 were quite warm to the touch after extended use. I was concerned the belt might deform under such conditions. Has anyone experienced this motor and heat problem? Is it normal for an LP12?

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You make an excellent point! I’ve been running without a load and after an hour or so checking temperature. I’m waiting on a vial of Linn Black Oil (sub chassis, bearing and inner platter have been upgraded). When that arrives, I’ll install inner and outer platters and check motor temperature again.

In your opening post, you said the motor and pulley were heating up after extended use. In your most recent post you say the motor and pulley are heating up when the belt is not on the turntable. Do you mean to say that the motor is heating up regardless of whether it is driving the platter, or only when it is not driving the platter? Because if the latter is true, then maybe the motor is heating up because it has no load on it. The motor is designed to drive a load. If you run it with no load, that might stress it as well as if you retarded its rotation. I am guessing that you mean to say the motor heats up regardless of whether it is driving the platter or not. Which makes my possible explanation moot.

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Yes, bearings are well oiled and when not on, motor spins very freely when spun by hand. Let me add that the serial number of my LP12 is in the low 12,000’s and it has the basic power supply consisting  of 3 film capacitors. The motor is a 250 rpm 50 Hz Premotec 9904 111 32311 with 17mm diameter pulley turning at 300 rpm.