My old record player motor finally died after 15 years of use

My Technics turntable started slowing down on me last Thursday night during a spin of my old Fleetwood Mac record. I figured it was just the belt, but after I opened it up I saw the motor was actually seized up and wouldn't turn at all. A guy on the audio repair forum walked me through swapping in a replacement motor from a parts unit I found on Facebook Marketplace for $40. It took about 2 hours and a lot of tiny screws, but now it's spinning at 33 again. Has anyone else tried rebuilding a direct-drive motor instead of just trashing the whole table?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaretshah8d ago

Man, you're braver than me tackling a direct drive rebuild. Last time I tried fixing a motor I ended up with a pile of what looked like a very expensive paperweight and a new appreciation for my local repair guy's rates.

the_jordan8d ago

I rebuilt the motor on my old Pioneer PL-50 last year. The bearings were shot and it was grinding like crazy. Found a rebuild guide online that had me pull the rotor, clean out the old grease, and repack it with synthetic oil. Cost me about $8 and a couple of evenings, been running smooth ever since. Did you check if your issue was the hall sensors or just a stuck bearing on the direct drive?