Papst motor noise level

[Garlando]

Hi,

I recently purchased an Empire 208 turntable and am finding the Papst motor fairly noisy with a soft tu tu tu tu tu sound audible from 4 ft away in a quiet room with no music playing. This is not objectionable with music playing but I'm concerned that the vibration may be affecting the overall performance of the turntable.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Garland

[Nanook]

Hi,
You should determine if the noise is the motor itself, or if the pulley/belt/drive system has a mechanical issue. I'd suggest that it may be a mechanical issue, but to check remove the belt and power the motor up. If no appreciable noise is heard, it will be the mechanical bits. Maybe the belt or pulleys are damaged, or even the platter bearing may need to be cleaned and re-lubed.

If it is the motor, most can be serviced or rebuilt as required or a NOS replacement sourced. If not, a modern equivalent may be need to be researched and replaced if you have no local electric motor repair shop.

I've always wanted an old Empire 208. I'd try to reproduce the Atma-sphere 208.

[Holger Barske]

I don't know what type of Papst motor you have in your TT, so the following isn't necessarily valid for you:
I have run a lot of the Papst classics over the years, and none of them was really quiet. I have three of the famous disc motors on my trusty Transrotor Fat Bob, and they aren't noise free at all. What helps a lot is correct lubrication, serviced now and then.
Judging from the age of your TT, this might bei the key for your problem.

[Garlando]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'd heard that these motors have sealed bearings and are therefor not servicable. I'm afraid it might be the motor and not other mechanical parts since the motor makes some of the noise with the belt removed. I'll report any success I have in troubleshooting.

Thanks again!

Garland

[Straight Tracker]

Do you know the RPM of the motor? Can you count the number of "tu's" per minute? If the tu's occur once per revolution, that is known as a "once around" noise. Turn the rotor by hand and see if you can feel if it is hitting something inside the stator housing. Maybe a wire is projecting into the path of the rotor. If the motor is a so-called "inside out motor" which many Papsts are, what I wrote may still be valid. Try to remove the rotor and spin it by hand, holding it by the bearings. your fingers should be able to feel any
"tu's" in the bearings. Lastly, just because bearings are sealed, does not mean that the motor is not serviceable. Just replace them. I hope this helps a little.

Sincerely,

Ralf

(They thought I was crazy but they didn't know I'm Dieckmann)

[sq225917]

Yu can pop the seals on most bearings with an Exacto or a pin, only metal sealed cartridge bearings tend not to give access.

[fmena]

Hi, if you can upload a photo or find another photo of the papst motor on the web it might help us out a little more. Take a look at the motor while it is off and if it has "slots" or "openings" in the metal cover (casing) that rotates while the motor is running, then what you are hearing is the air flowing in and out of the slots in the casing and giving you the "soft sound" you are hearing.

[stratus46]

Originally Posted by Garlando

Hi,

I recently purchased an Empire 208 turntable and am finding the Papst motor fairly noisy with a soft tu tu tu tu tu sound audible from 4 ft away in a quiet room with no music playing. This is not objectionable with music playing but I'm concerned that the vibration may be affecting the overall performance of the turntable.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Garland

I'm a broadcast electronics repair guy by trade and work with lots of old equipment. The best thing you can do for the turntable is to disassemble the platter bearings, the motor and any other rotating parts. Personally I insist on synthetic lubricants because they're more stable and I won't need to revisit it for a long time. I use Nye Oil II as a light machine oil, Nye Rheolube 368AX heavy grease for metal on metal and Rheolube 363F medium weight grease for plastic on plastic or plastic on metal. It's much easier to clean and lube and keep it running well than to re-manufacture scored shafts and bushings.

Whatever you do do NOT use WD-40 or Lubriplate.

G²

[Garlando]

Thanks for all the tips, especially Straight Trackers idea about the wire hitting the motor! I finally got the TT down in the cellar for a check-up and pulled the wiring away from the motor's proximity and now no noise, just a low airy whirr. I also added some rope caulk (Mortite) to the outer chamber in the platter and thoroughly cleaned out the main bearing and relubed with some 10W synthetic motor oil. ....sounds real nice!

Thanks again!

Garland