Vinyl Asylum

Welcome Licorice Pizza (LP) lovers! Setup guides and Vinyl FAQ.

Return to Vinyl Asylum


Message Sort: Post Order or Asylum Reverse Threaded

Help, please. Which Rek-O-Kut motor is this and how do I oil it?

70.36.232.38

Posted on October 28, 2014 at 00:58:22
Mr Blue Sky
Audiophile

Posts: 909
Location: Central California
Joined: May 23, 2003



I have a Rek-O-Kut L-34 table. The motor is making some grinding/mechanical noise and I am trying to figure out how to lubricate it. All of the posts I've been able to find show the Hysteresis motor, which is not what is in my L-34, and another motor with oil spouts that are not present on mine. Here is a photo of the motor beneath my turntable. I'm hoping someone can identify it and inform me as to the correct way to lubricate it. Thank you. Also, if anyone has a spare rotating on/off switch that works, I will buy it. Mine is faulty.

 

Hide full thread outline!
    ...
RE: Help, please. Which Rek-O-Kut motor is this and how do I oil it? , posted on October 28, 2014 at 08:14:27
Cuernavaca
Audiophile

Posts: 878
Location: NW
Joined: December 23, 2011
I had one of the L34's with this type of motor, the only way I could get oil into it was with a plastic bottle that had a long thin tube. I used synthetic 20 weight oil, you will need to remove the motor to get good access to the top bearings. Send a message to tubesforever, he has extensive experience with the L34.

The switch has a small metal contact that can be bent slightly to make better/firmer contact, maybe the contact has oxidized which can be cleaned off with fine sandpaper.

TR
"I've never owned a firearm, but I do have an attack parrot!"

 

RE: Help, please. Which Rek-O-Kut motor is this and how do I oil it? , posted on October 28, 2014 at 08:32:18
coffee-phil
Audiophile

Posts: 1444
Location: Shingle Springs CA
Joined: January 7, 2010
Hi Mr. Blue Sky,

I think what you have is a shaded pole induction motor. First check to see if there is side play in the rotor shaft. If there is sufficient play the rotor may rub the stator and make noise. To lubricate the bearings you will have to dissemble the motor. If there is a pulley remove it. Remove the through bolts and separate the case. Keep track of all the the thrust washers on the rotor shaft so they can be returned to their original position. At each end you will find a sintered self aligning bearing retained with a stamped spring. The bearing should be surrounded by a felt wick. If things are reasonably clean saturate the wick with sewing machine oil. If is is nasty soak the end bells with the bearings in lacquer thinner. Do a couple of changes of solvent and then let it dry. Do this outside as that stuff is toxic. After drying soak the wicks in sewing machine oil.

If the holes in the sintered bearings are oval you may able to rotate the case of the motor to put the side thrust on a fresh part of the bearing.

If the bearing is gone, you might talk to the folks at Esoteric Sound. They are pretty much the R-O-K gurus. I don't think they will have new replacement motors but they sell a variable speed DC motor upgrade for R-O-K turntables. They may be able to put you in touch with a customer who has done the mod and has a usable AC motor. You may even score one of the very nice outer rotor hysteresis synchronous motors.

Phil

 

a couple helpful links, posted on October 30, 2014 at 16:27:39
texanater
Audiophile

Posts: 1513
Location: Houston, TX
Joined: December 16, 2002
Your motor look just like mine. I cleaned it a few years ago and the results were pretty dramatic, at least visually. Its a bit of a chore but not too hard. You have to totally disassemble the motor which may take some elbow grease considering it is probably 60-70 years old. They use a self lubricating core which is fine for the first 50 or 60 years but eventually the lubricant turns to varnish and must be removed with a cleaner.

Look at my post linked below and look at the link I referenced for better instructions on how to do it.

If it doesn't make sense then contact me or write another post here. Its not too big of a deal.

Nate
You can't cheat an honest man, never give a sucker an even break or smarten up a chump -- W.C. Fields

 

Page processed in 0.014 seconds.