Our Garrard 301 restoration reaches its conclusion as we complete the mechanical work – and make a vital decision about the plinth. Huw Price rumbles on…

Part 3

Huw Price

Last time in our turntable restoration project, we cleaned up the cadmiumplated linkages, then refurbished the main bearing and the idler wheel bearings, but there’s still some vital work to be done on the motor itself.

To gain access, the motor must be removed from the chassis – and the process begins with disconnecting the mains cable and desoldering the switch suppressor wires from the connection box on the side of the motor. The speed-change linkage also has to be disconnected from its control knob.

Six springs suspend the motor from a frame that is held to the chassis by three screws. With these removed, the frame detaches from the chassis. Each spring hooks onto a pin, which is secured by circlips. These circlips are removed, allowing the pins to be pushed out. Now the freed motor can be worked on.

By undoing two nuts on the bottom of the motor, the outer casing splits in half. Each half contains felt oil-retaining washers and sintered bushings for the motor spindle. To ensure correct running, these parts of the motor need lubricating, but only the top bushing is accessible without dismantling the motor. Even dismantled, access to the bottom bushing remains limited and the bottom metal plate must be removed by drilling out the rivets.

The felt washers are often stiff and non-absorbent. Ours is clean and soft, however – it’s bone dry, because the motor hasn’t seen fresh oil in decades. Since I bought replacements, I replace it anyway. The new felt is soaked in oil, and Perfect Sound’s motor bearing refurb kit includes fresh rivets to reattach the metal plate. Some use screws instead, which makes future servicing easier; however, others prefer rivets, in order to maintain that coveted vintage-correct appearance.