Esoteric P02 Belt Replacments. Proper Size Question. Any Tips or Suggestions?
Hello all:
The drive tray in my Esoteric P02 gets stuck occasionally and needs new belts. I am going to attempt changing these myself. I realize it’s an involved process to swap these out for a VRDS drive mechanism—especially the second belt that props the tray—but I am feeling confident. I have three questions for anyone on this forum who may know:
1. What size belts does this unit need? Will these VRDS 10 belts work or is it just your standard O-Ring? Link to the belts below:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/391179755363?hash=item5b14215f63:g:jaoAAOSwCTlgojGJ
2. I have seen some videos where techs place a little lube on the cogs and rails. I am hesitant to grease the insides, but it seems like many of the techs dab a drip or two. What type works best if I decided to do this? I have seen some recommend sewing machine oil.
3. Any tips or cautions, especially for the impossible-to-reach belt?
Thank you so much!
Jeremy
Hello Christine, You seek a 2.5 square-cut belt. MarVac has them. Here is the link: https://marvac.com/products/scb2-5?_pos=1&_sid=09740e28b&_ss=r Just a warning, though, before you start: You are going to be in for a battle changing the belts on that big rig. I am not sure if you are a tech., but let me give you some pointers. 1. VRDS has three belts. Two square rubber belts, one at the top, the other underneath. A large orange belt that triggers the open and shut process. This belt is plastic. The one in my P02 was made by BANDO. They are not easy to find in the wild. Most likely this belt will still be good and since it is plastic, will have a long life. Still, it might be a part you want to investigate just in case. 2. First belt is a cinch. Remove the four screws of the press-like mechanism to get to the tray. Be sure not to eject the tray before disassembly. (Do not remove any part of the rear panel where the XLR or line cables go. The top cover will slide off but will require a little persuasion, a gentle but firm pull should work). Remove the tray, and you will see where the first belt goes. Again, easy-peasy. 3. Now comes the hard part. Turn the unit upside down to get to second belt. The bottom panel should be made of wood, so be careful. (You will have screws galore of varying lengths. If you have pets or kids, make sure they vacate the premises. Get some trays and label them to match the designated parts of the unit. It will make reassembly easier). 4. You will find a cover, black, if I remember correctly. Remove it, and your nightmare will begin.Underneath is a PCB board with wires going everywhere, and ribbon cables, too.Take a picture and remove the wires and the board. If memory serves, there is one more obstacle before you get the belt. 5. It gets worse! Two parts to the belt, obviously. However, you have remove the wheel to attach the new belt. Unless you have go-go Gadget arms and fingers, it is the only way. The part, if memory serves is also attached to the Bando belt. You have to put on a new belt and realign the wheel with the Bando belt on the other side. Not a big deal if the unit did not weigh 70lbs! I did manage to get it, but it was a fight. 6. Reassembling the PCB board is a nightmare. The connecting wires are not so bad, but the ribbon cables do not want go back. I mean, they should change the name from Esoteric to Frustoeric. And this is a $25k unit! I was shocked by how janky it was underneath. Disappointing. I mean, from engineering perspective, I guess there's nowhere else for the board to go, but, man, it's the top part is much more impressive than what drives the unit. Anyway, I did get it to work, but the ribbon cable fell out. I had to take the entire unit apart again. In the process I damaged the leads on one of the ribbon cables and broke a piece of plastic on the PCB board. I sent an inquiry to a famous tech. He indicated it probably could be repaired, but he had no interest in taking me on, and concluded with, "Who would want to." The P02 sits in my closet. I may sell it one day for parts, but I have not gotten around to it. In the end, I sold the DAC and Cybershaft clock and invested in Accuphase. Never going back. Way better in my opinion. I am off the merry-go-round after switching. In the end, as soul crushing as it was, it worked out for the better. It's a shame, though, because Esoteric makes some impressive spinners. That drive mechanism is like a car engine. It is impressive top side. Underneath, meh. Obviously, the design does not have service in mind. Moreover, they do not seem to be made to last beyond their product life cycle. So, Christine, I wish you the best of luck. I hope this information helps you if you need or decide to do surgery on your P01. (It may be easier to work with since the power supplies are separate, but I do not know. You'll find out when feel the urge to be a hero and slay the dragon, lol!). If there is anything I can do, feel free to reach out. Best of luck to you. Jeremy |
Hello Jeremy, many thanks for your information. A few years ago, a technician my local Teac Esoteric dealer came to my home to replace the two rubber belts in my P-01. The first one was easy. The second one was a pain in the neck, and the technician patiently used two pliers simultaneously to manoeuvre out the old one and in the new one. He must have done that many times. However, he took back the two old belts, and I did not have the chance to measure them. |
Once confirmed by you, I can go to the some local shops to get rubber belts of the same spec. |
Hello Christine, You seek a 2.5 square-cut belt. MarVac has them. Here is the link: https://marvac.com/products/scb2-5?_pos=1&_sid=09740e28b&_ss=r Just a warning, though, before you start: You are going to be in for a battle changing the belts on that big rig. I am not sure if you are a tech., but let me give you some pointers. 1. VRDS has three belts. Two square rubber belts, one at the top, the other underneath. A large orange belt that triggers the open and shut process. This belt is plastic. The one in my P02 was made by BANDO. They are not easy to find in the wild. Most likely this belt will still be good and since it is plastic, will have a long life. Still, it might be a part you want to investigate just in case. 2. First belt is a cinch. Remove the four screws of the press-like mechanism to get to the tray. Be sure not to eject the tray before disassembly. (Do not remove any part of the rear panel where the XLR or line cables go. The top cover will slide off but will require a little persuasion, a gentle but firm pull should work). Remove the tray, and you will see where the first belt goes. Again, easy-peasy. 3. Now comes the hard part. Turn the unit upside down to get to second belt. The bottom panel should be made of wood, so be careful. (You will have screws galore of varying lengths. If you have pets or kids, make sure they vacate the premises. Get some trays and label them to match the designated parts of the unit. It will make reassembly easier). 4. You will find a cover, black, if I remember correctly. Remove it, and your nightmare will begin.Underneath is a PCB board with wires going everywhere, and ribbon cables, too.Take a picture and remove the wires and the board. If memory serves, there is one more obstacle before you get the belt. 5. It gets worse! Two parts to the belt, obviously. However, you have remove the wheel to attach the new belt. Unless you have go-go Gadget arms and fingers, it is the only way. The part, if memory serves is also attached to the Bando belt. You have to put on a new belt and realign the wheel with the Bando belt on the other side. Not a big deal if the unit did not weigh 70lbs! I did manage to get it, but it was a fight. 6. Reassembling the PCB board is a nightmare. The connecting wires are not so bad, but the ribbon cables do not want go back. I mean, they should change the name from Esoteric to Frustoeric. And this is a $25k unit! I was shocked by how janky it was underneath. Disappointing. I mean, from engineering perspective, I guess there's nowhere else for the board to go, but, man, it's the top part is much more impressive than what drives the unit. Anyway, I did get it to work, but the ribbon cable fell out. I had to take the entire unit apart again. In the process I damaged the leads on one of the ribbon cables and broke a piece of plastic on the PCB board. I sent an inquiry to a famous tech. He indicated it probably could be repaired, but he had no interest in taking me on, and concluded with, "Who would want to." The P02 sits in my closet. I may sell it one day for parts, but I have not gotten around to it. In the end, I sold the DAC and Cybershaft clock and invested in Accuphase. Never going back. Way better in my opinion. I am off the merry-go-round after switching. In the end, as soul crushing as it was, it worked out for the better. It's a shame, though, because Esoteric makes some impressive spinners. That drive mechanism is like a car engine. It is impressive top side. Underneath, meh. Obviously, the design does not have service in mind. Moreover, they do not seem to be made to last beyond their product life cycle. So, Christine, I wish you the best of luck. I hope this information helps you if you need or decide to do surgery on your P01. (It may be easier to work with since the power supplies are separate, but I do not know. You'll find out when feel the urge to be a hero and slay the dragon, lol!). If there is anything I can do, feel free to reach out. Best of luck to you. Jeremy |
Hi Christine, Yes, those belts worked perfectly. The size is a perfect fit. Again, I did plug it in and it opened and closed perfectly. My caution to you is that PCB board. Be careful. That's everything. Here is a link to the third belt, Bando Timing Belt. I am not sure of the size. That belt should probably be good, but you just never know. |
