SME table owners - ever have a motor go out?

First, I would e-mail SME directly and ask their opinion. They are very helpful. It certainly is rare that an SME motor needs repair or replacement. My understanding, from direct conversation with SME, is that too much oil can be as harmful as too little. I understood one drop a year. However, your problem may not be related to the oil at all. Please let us know what you learn from them.

I agree with Rgurney. Contact SME via e-mail. They are good about responding. I have an SME Model 10 and its manual recommends 1 drop once a year for the motor. The spindle should get one drop every 1000 hours. My table is about 4 years old and I listen about 500 hours per year. Very reliable. The very slight sound a get from the motor is I think the belt rubbing against the motor pulley. My ear has to be one inch away for me to hear anything. Good Luck.
Peter

Hi, I sent a email to SME-nothing just yet. Then I called Sumiko. Norbert was EXTREMELY helpful.

He thought it might be a belt slipping, so clean the belt (maybe some oil got on the belt), pulley, and platter rim (where belt rides). Also thought it might be the pulley slipping on the spindle or maybe the band holding the motor wasn't holding enough.

So, I checked the pulley and spindle, the set screws were tight tight. Cleaned the belt, spindle pulley and platter rim. Pulley and platter the q tip was pretty clean. The belt got me a several very black q tips. So maybe the belt was slipping?

So it's holding speed, (using the SME speed disc). No noise. I'll give it a few days and see what happens...Norbert did say he doesn't ever know of a motor failing...hopefully it was just a lil oil on the belt..a new motor is approx $1500 ouch !

Dear Jfrech: Good and good to know too: +++++ say he doesn't ever know of a motor failing ++++++

That's quality!!

regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Thanks Raul, he also said never say never :)

I think I got to the final issue just now. The O-ring that holds the motor had "lost it's tension" over the years. So when the tt starts up, motor moves b/c the worn o-ring wouldn't hold just right it on start up. So then the belt rode around on the pulley picking up some stray oil on the motor housing...so then the rubbing sound was the belt slipping on the pulley, which is hard to hold the speed - duh.

Simple. I stole a o-ring off a suspension tower. It holds the motor firmly on start up...the worn o-ring is now on the suspension tower...which is fine until I get a replacement...

Problem solved. Killer tunes again :) !!

Dear Jfrech: Sometimes when things/trouble like this appear in our systems and then we fixed it seems/remember to me like ( when we were younger a lot younger ) when we broke with our beloved girl friend and two days latter we reconcile: " a wonderful interior peace "!!!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

John - Nice diagnosis and treatment! Cost effective too.
You've helped all those of us with SME tables
who might run into that problem in the future.
Thanks for sharing your info.
Regards.