Rotel RCD970BX: CDM9 lubrication/replacement to cue skipping

[timestwo]

Hi There
I've a Rotel RCD970BX with CDM9 transport that skips on tracks near the end of discs. I've cleaned laser optic (and mirror?? -underneath). Is it worth having a go at lubing the bearing I've seen on some previous threads this can be effective, -- the laser pickup currently seems to swing along its arc without any undue friction -- or could there be some other problem.

How do I get the CMD9 laser unit out of the loading tray mech? I've just replaced the CMD9 gear wheel (stripped) but couldn't get the loading drawer off the rest of the mech. Sarion says there is any easy way (Replacing a CDM9/65 laser unit) of getting the loading drawer off the rest of the mech to access the laser unit but doesn't elaborate exactly what it is and I can't figure it out and I don't want to break anything

I'm prepared to have a go at lubing the bearing or replacing the laser unit, I just need to get it out-- alternatively could this skipping problem be caused by anyhting else?
Thanks very much for any help anyone can provide
Cheers

[stephensank]

Usually it would happen anywhere on the disc, not just the end, but the only CDM9 skipping problems I've ever seen have been caused by the ball bearing wearing a divot in the plastic disc clamper thrust bearing plate. If you pop the clamper out, and clean the grease a bit off the middle of the bearing plate that pushes it down toward the platter, you'll be able to see if there is a visible hole starting. Probably is, though it may not yet be the problem. Sand the plate flat again, then make it as smooth as possible & apply some fairly thick grease.

[timestwo]

Thanks for that I'll investigate as you suggest -- I might have been a bit quick with the symptoms -- further testing has identified other couple of discs it doesn't read at all -- i.e straight to ERR without listing the contents. These discs all play fine on other players around the house/car so it seems this rotel is very sensitive to any sort of disc problem and I'm assuming this isn't a general feature of the model. i'd like to improve it if possible it is by far the best sounding of them.

[Thomo]

Hi.

I have just serviced a friends rcd970 and luckily his laser was fine. I did try to source a replacement but couldn't find one.

I read on the forum somewhere about people salvaging parts from other cdm9 models and adding the parts into their cdm9/65's.

Just thought it may be something to look out for if you do need to replace it.

Good luck, 'cos it's one hell of a nice player. My mate replaced his £900 quad cd player with one!

All the best,

Lee.

[timestwo]

Dear Stephensank. I've looked at what i think you mean by the plastic disc clamper -- can you please explain what you mean by pop it out -- do the two halves come apart? I assume I'm looking at the right thing; the white plastic reel like thing that sandwichs the disc down onto the CD mech magnetically -- the part in the dashed box on the attached PDF. I should credit the nice people at Rotel Europe who sent me this file

[Thomo]

Originally posted by timestwo
r -- can you please explain what you mean by pop it out -- do the two halves come apart?

Hi, the puck does not come apart, but if you push it to the right, you can (carefully) pull the left side up through the gap where it sits. The white plastic on mine was quite flexible, and it just popped out.

Hope this helps.

Lee.

[tubenut]

Are you guys all sure you are talking about a CDM9 with a pivot pressure plate? My CDM9 and others I have seen use a magnetic puck, a lot like CDM/VAM12....... Once the disc is lifted it just magnetically clamps to the spindle holding the disc and its two flanges clear the overhead support. CDM4 and before used sprung hinged clamps AFAIK.

Though I have seen a pic of a Rotel of what seemed like a CDM9 bolted into a modified CDM4 loader.....

[stephensank]

Sorry, you are quite right. It's been so long since I'd worked on an RCD970 that I forgot it had the magnetic disc clamper. In that case, the next thing I would be looking for is some mechanical interference with the motion of the laser. Possibly the ribbon cable is displaced or kinked coming from the pickup, or there is a problem with the pivoting bearings. Can you feel any tiny bit of friction or interference when you manually swing the laser through it's full range quite slowly? Could conceivably be the laser current being slightly out of range, since the servos all reference everything from proper laser current adjustment, but I doubt that. Nothing else comes to mind at the moment.

[tubenut]

Does the player in question have a plastic or alloy spindle? If plastic, these sometimes slowly but surely get pushed down the spindle motor shaft according to a thread here, affecting focus. There are posts on the thread on how to fix that.

Seach for CDM9 etc, maybe Arcam as well.....

[Thomo]

Originally posted by tubenut
Are you guys all sure you are talking about a CDM9 with a pivot pressure plate?

Oops, yeah my mistake. My mates player was RCD975.... Different mech.

Lee.