If the OP has been tugging on his platter for the 14 years since he posted, he ought to be quite muscular by now or else ridden with stress fractures.
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This is quite old but I just acquired one from an old customer who passed away. I'm posting in case, like me, anyone else new has the issue and there is some misinformation here. You do insert two screws into the holes on the platter. They are M3 and you should be able to do it with 4" or longer. You can fashion handles or use vise grips to pull them up. When they screw all the way down they hit the steel plinth - there's nothing there to damage. Mine would lift about 1/8" and then stop. I worked three wooden shims around the edges and with a friend would slowly work them in as we pulled up. This applied even pressure. At about another 1'8" up it released. The spindle remains in the bearing shaft in the table. It is sealed and basically inaccessible. Mine is in great shape and sounds terrific. |
Apparently there was a handle that one could use - see this link: Micro-Seiki RX-5000 Platter Pull Handle resfreq.com |
This is an excellent TT -- but the screw suggestion is likely to mar the gun-metal of the platter -- this is a pressure fit only. The trick is to heat the platter. Put a towel on the platter an pour boiling hot water on the towel. It should (maybe with WD-40) lift right off. A note on the bearing -- Micro-Seiki used lead (Pb) "powder" in their oil -- it is very toxic, and should be handled with care. Before you go through the exercise of removing the oil and changing it, you should listen to bearing housing base with a stethoscope -- if the bearing moves freely,and is not noisy, just use it as is. Otherwise you will need to replicate the same original treatment - and use powdered lead (Pb) [available here - www.testbourne.com/materials/metals-details/3523-640/Lead-powder/ ] in your replacement oil. This is due to the spacing in the bearing, and I am not sure if graphite powder would be a good substitute, as graphite might etch or corrode the stainless steel -- whatever you do, use a "high molecular weight" oil -- or an impregnated one. These are best driven with an aramid (Kevlar) string -- you can buy a 600yd spool at Edmund Scientific [scientificsonline.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_3034863] Enjoy -- I would also invest in this record weight -- TRITIUM POLISHED BRASS COPPER RECORD Clamp -- look on ebay fo it -- it REALLY makes a huge difference. cfp www.resfreq.com |
Many thanks to your helps. I think is one is not the air bearing I can't see any privided hole for air line underneath, and the platter and bearing spin OK. Hsindo, I don't know the size of the screw, it's just metric ones. The unit came with Thorens mat but I removed it and it now looks disgusting like this, so I really need to split them to clean to aviod backache. Can anyone also tell me how to remove that 15 years double sided adhesive tape, particularly on Micro platter? http://img61.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0317pu5.jpg http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0018bt4.jpg |
Ritchiepok: First, what size of screw did you find that fits those 2 holes on the platter? I took my platter to a hardware store once but did not find any available screws that fit. If you tried to lift the platter with inserted screws and the base came up with it, it likely means that there is corrosion in the copper center hole that made it stick to the spindle. See if some WD-40 around the spindle can loosen it. On the RX-5000, there is nothing holding the platter to the base other than gravity. I had similar problem with my other DDX-1000. For years the platter refuses to be separated from the base until I gave it a bit brute force after other owners told me that the platter separated easily on their units. On the other hand, there is nothing to lubricate in the bearing. It is a sealed unit and I do not recommend you open it up. You should try to get the platter loose however just so that the weight is more manageable if you need to relocate it. Lastly, remember to connect a ground wire to the bottom of the base before you set up the rest. It will prevent static charge being transferred to the phono stage. |
Don't worry, that one is without air bearing. I think, those have the "SX ...." model name I found some pics RX5000 RX5000 Bearing 1 RX5000 Bearing 2 RX5000 Bearing 3 |
Here's a quote from the manual at Vinyl Engine: The bearing side which comes into contact with the shaft front employs a special alloy bearing, and new materials are used for an extremely smooth rotation while the lead molecules in the oil film are extracted uniformly as the shaft rotates. The result is a quantum improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio. A ceramic ball, which is harder than the metal and extremely wear-proof, is used at the end of the shaft and the whole design makes for superior mechanical strength and precision as the fulcrum. An oil bath system is featured between the shaft and bearing and since this is full with oil, there is no fear that the oil will run out.I could be wrong, but after you remove the platter, I doubt you'll be able to take apart the shaft housing without special tools. See the picture in the manual. It looks sealed. If you want reassurance that everything is working well, take it to a professional as Rloggie suggests. Or contact Audiogon members who have this table and ask how (or if) the oil needs to be changed. http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vaslt&1168603113 http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vdone&1148436151 http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vdone&1118570565 http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vdone&1115433273 http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vevol&1029432809 I'd trust Rauliruegas to give you an excellent answer. |
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