Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?

Luis, As you noted, my finding of the shims under the motor was for the Victor TT101, not for the PD444. I don’t own a PD444. Did you find a similar system for mounting its motor?
As Pindac either said or implied, what you have to do most of the time in order to inspect the bearing and replace the lubricant (which is always a good idea for a turntable more than 40 years old, unless you know it has recently been serviced) is to figure out how to remove the spindle from the bearing well. (Maybe Dave or Chak can instruct you as regards the PD444.) Then you will be able to see what you have there. See if there is a lot of residue from the old original lubricant, and if there is, you can clean it out with a mild solvent; I use photographic lens paper soaked in the solvent, because that type of paper does not leave fragments of itself behind. You definitely do not want the bearing well to get contaminated with any foreign particulate material. So I don’t use a Q-tip or any conventional tissue. For lubricant, there are many opinions. The L07D group to which I belong recommends synthetic motor oil, single-weight; I think it’s 20W Redball. I now use it in all my vintage DD turntables.

Hey Lew, not really, there are 4 screws attaching the motor to the plinth and 1 single washer between the motor and such plinth but the trick to align the motor is to handle the motor from below, you get a better grip and there is some tolerances to wiggle it and adjust it any way you want, very simple system.The spindle removal seems to be challenging, I opened the motor and there is a board but I can't see how to access the spindle, there are some wires going into that area and looks complex to manage and get in there.Per some other member recommendations I am using this oil as multipurpose for everything " ROYAL PURPLE SYNTHETIC" looks to be appropriate.Here are some pictures how the board look, this TT either had almost no use or it was serviced and I am inclined to think it was serviced indeed, it is very clean inside
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/e6zkpkdj0jf83mo/AADJGfDYFFKoj5o6m5ZKdZjMa?dl=0

I can’t recall if I dismantled and lubed the bearing. I replaced all original electrolytic capacitors and recalibrated the two speed pots. Vinyl Engine has a Luxman service note on this simple procedure, which requires only a voltmeter.

Your photos confirm that all original electrolytics are in place. If you want to recap(a good idea) feel free to PM me for a Digikey BOM of the appropriate Panasonic substitutions. It’s around $25 in parts.

Royal Purple Synthetic is a perfectly good alternative lubricant to the Redball. Preferably you want single weight, between 0 and 20W. I keep meaning to check my container of Redball so I can quote the weight exactly, and I keep forgetting. The PCB and wiring you see in the PD444, apparently blocking access to the spindle, of course has nothing to do with the spindle and its bearing. I failed to look at your photo but it might be a simple matter of removing a few screws that must hold the PCB in place in order to see what you need to do to remove the spindle, if you want to go in that direction. Like Dave, I am a big proponent of replacing all OEM electrolytic capacitors empirically. Some others prefer to check the OEM ones and replace only those that test poorly. This assumes you own a capacitor tester. If your unit has been sitting in storage for years, that may contribute to outstanding cosmetic appearance but it does not bode well for the condition of electrolytic capacitors. They go bad on the shelf perhaps faster than when subject to frequent use in circuit.

I just did look at your photos.  First of all, you have turned the chassis upside down; we are looking at the bottom of the bearing well, are we not? Typically the spindle is removed from above, by pulling it up out of the bearing well.  As an aside, the wiring harness is as much of a rat's nest as what one finds inside a TT101.