Hi, first post! I hope I've done this correctly (I wasn't sure how to format links, if that's a thing) and I couldn't see any threads about this already. 🙂
I've recently been gifted my father's original 1978 model Rega Planar 2 and when replacing the motor suspension belt I stripped the head of one of the screws which hold the motor in place.
I'd read [1] that I should be replacing them nylon M3 screws, so I ordered some to find out they're too small - the threads don't bite properly and the screw head does not fully cover the hole in the platter. So I ordered a set of M4 screws to find they're much too large and wont even fit in the hole.
I've messed up twice so I do another Google search and find people saying it should be a M3.5 screw [2]. However as far as I know M3.5 isn't actually a standard and there for screw options are more limited. After an eBay glance it looks like I'll have to get white flat heads or white bolts instead of the original style black philips head screws. It would annoy me if they don't match the original style but as they wont actually be visible during normal operation (only when the platter is removed) it's not the end of the world.
So before I continued Goldilocks-ing with M3.5 I thought I'd ask more knowledgable folks if I'm doing something wrong?
Can anyone confirm I should be using M3.5 or could the M3 have had a manufacturing defect (like they're actually M2.5)?
I've included an image of all the screws in question - M3, Original, M4. The original screw is in the middle and 5mm long, the replacements are 6mm long as I wanted them to be a little easier to screw in. You can see the M3 seems quite small, it does have a tighter thread pitch. The M4 and the original might have the same thread pitch, I'm not certain.
(These screws are plastic/nylon in case anyone didn't notice, if you overtighten they're meant to fail before you do damage to the motor mount)
[1] '80s Rega Planar 3 motor suspension screws | pink fish media
[2] old planar 3 refurb - motor mount screws- Vinyl Engine
Thanks for any advice! 🙂
I've recently been gifted my father's original 1978 model Rega Planar 2 and when replacing the motor suspension belt I stripped the head of one of the screws which hold the motor in place.
I'd read [1] that I should be replacing them nylon M3 screws, so I ordered some to find out they're too small - the threads don't bite properly and the screw head does not fully cover the hole in the platter. So I ordered a set of M4 screws to find they're much too large and wont even fit in the hole.
I've messed up twice so I do another Google search and find people saying it should be a M3.5 screw [2]. However as far as I know M3.5 isn't actually a standard and there for screw options are more limited. After an eBay glance it looks like I'll have to get white flat heads or white bolts instead of the original style black philips head screws. It would annoy me if they don't match the original style but as they wont actually be visible during normal operation (only when the platter is removed) it's not the end of the world.
So before I continued Goldilocks-ing with M3.5 I thought I'd ask more knowledgable folks if I'm doing something wrong?
Can anyone confirm I should be using M3.5 or could the M3 have had a manufacturing defect (like they're actually M2.5)?
I've included an image of all the screws in question - M3, Original, M4. The original screw is in the middle and 5mm long, the replacements are 6mm long as I wanted them to be a little easier to screw in. You can see the M3 seems quite small, it does have a tighter thread pitch. The M4 and the original might have the same thread pitch, I'm not certain.
(These screws are plastic/nylon in case anyone didn't notice, if you overtighten they're meant to fail before you do damage to the motor mount)
[1] '80s Rega Planar 3 motor suspension screws | pink fish media
[2] old planar 3 refurb - motor mount screws- Vinyl Engine
Thanks for any advice! 🙂
Attachments
There is a M3.5 screw size.
Buy Socket Cap Head Screws | Socket Cap Screws | 500,000+ Components | Accu(R)
Buy Socket Cap Head Screws | Socket Cap Screws | 500,000+ Components | Accu(R)
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Wow, this response is really incredible guys! 😀
It looks like M3.5 will be "just right" then. Unfortunately it seems quite an unpopular size so I think I'm limited to white plastic and flat heads, but if it works it'll keep me going until a better match comes along.
I'll order them and update when I have more information.
Thanks for all this help!
It looks like M3.5 will be "just right" then. Unfortunately it seems quite an unpopular size so I think I'm limited to white plastic and flat heads, but if it works it'll keep me going until a better match comes along.
I'll order them and update when I have more information.
Thanks for all this help!
Good idea on the computer screws, I'd not tried them before as I thought they're imperial and the Planar was metric. #6-32 case screws are too big, both in thread and width, but the M3 screws used on CD drives are really close - just a little loose. So I feel that's in favour of M3.5 as well.
Unfortunately after I tested that I dropped the platter while I was putting everything back together. It landed on a screw driver and now has a nasty chip...
So I'm now in the market for a replacement platter. 😡
I'm not even sure the motor suspension belt needed replaced in the first place...
I just need to rant a bit, this has really gotten me down:
I can't say I'm regretting rescuing this turntable from "I should put it on Gumtree, but I'll probably just take it to the dump" but it really has been one thing after another.
I thought I'd just get my stereo out of storage, grab a fresh belt and I'd be good to go.
I'd not noticed the broken stylus, or that my amp was leaking capacitor goo over itself, or my speaker cables had gone missing, or one of my speaker cones was damaged, and that's literally not even half of it - hell even my Marantz CD-52's cogs have disintegrated...
So far I'm 3 months and £300 down* and I'm off to listen to an audiobook with my headphones on my phone. 🙁
*mainly on a Nagaoka MP-110 cart, Topping MX3 amp, cables to wire everything up, and a second hand Pro-Ject Phono Box. So it's not wasted (depending on your opinion of the Topping...), but given the source and speakers are still missing from the setup it doesn't feel like I've got very much for that money... 🙁
Anyway, enough wallowing, thanks again for your help everyone.
Unfortunately after I tested that I dropped the platter while I was putting everything back together. It landed on a screw driver and now has a nasty chip...
So I'm now in the market for a replacement platter. 😡
I'm not even sure the motor suspension belt needed replaced in the first place...
I just need to rant a bit, this has really gotten me down:
I can't say I'm regretting rescuing this turntable from "I should put it on Gumtree, but I'll probably just take it to the dump" but it really has been one thing after another.
I thought I'd just get my stereo out of storage, grab a fresh belt and I'd be good to go.
I'd not noticed the broken stylus, or that my amp was leaking capacitor goo over itself, or my speaker cables had gone missing, or one of my speaker cones was damaged, and that's literally not even half of it - hell even my Marantz CD-52's cogs have disintegrated...
So far I'm 3 months and £300 down* and I'm off to listen to an audiobook with my headphones on my phone. 🙁
*mainly on a Nagaoka MP-110 cart, Topping MX3 amp, cables to wire everything up, and a second hand Pro-Ject Phono Box. So it's not wasted (depending on your opinion of the Topping...), but given the source and speakers are still missing from the setup it doesn't feel like I've got very much for that money... 🙁
Anyway, enough wallowing, thanks again for your help everyone.
Attachments
Sounds like you've been having fun! I've been poking around in my elderly Planar 3 this afternoon as part of my efforts to replace the dying Rifa capacitor on the motor supply board, so I thought I'd have a look at the motor suspension plate while I was at it, on the assumption that it would probably be the same as yours (mine uses the 9904 111 04802 motor, which I think is one of the very early ones - I'm quite happy to tolerate correction from anyone that knows better, though!).
Of course, my assumptions of similarity proved completely incorrect, the screws on mine are a fair bit smaller than M3, so identifying those will be of no use to you whatsoever! It does lend some credence to the people over at vinylengine's suggestions that the motor plates may not have all been the same, though. From your photo, I'd hazard that M3.5 is probably a reasonable guess - M3.5 is actually quite a common size here in the UK, it's the screw size we use on mains sockets and light switches to hold them into the back boxes in the wall, so they're really not too hard to come by.
At some point, I will establish what the thread size is on the mounting plate on my Planar 3 and post that here, just to get the info out there in case it's any use to anyone else.
Of course, my assumptions of similarity proved completely incorrect, the screws on mine are a fair bit smaller than M3, so identifying those will be of no use to you whatsoever! It does lend some credence to the people over at vinylengine's suggestions that the motor plates may not have all been the same, though. From your photo, I'd hazard that M3.5 is probably a reasonable guess - M3.5 is actually quite a common size here in the UK, it's the screw size we use on mains sockets and light switches to hold them into the back boxes in the wall, so they're really not too hard to come by.
At some point, I will establish what the thread size is on the mounting plate on my Planar 3 and post that here, just to get the info out there in case it's any use to anyone else.
Success! The screws I've used are 8mm long M3.5 "Nylon Plastic Cheese Head Screws" 🙂
I recommend getting the 8mm long screws as they were much easier to screw in than the shorter ones.
Replying to DoctorJonJ, yes I've been having fun
I'm not sure of the motor model number (I'm not ready to take it apart just for information again quite yet!) I thought I took a picture of it, but I can't find it.
To my knowledge a lot of the early Regas differ in subtle ways so while I hope this is useful to someone else I fully expect there could be Planar out there with different screw sizes.
I calmed down about the platter after a good nights sleep and am now looking at an acrylic platter. I'm holding off on actually getting one while I read all about arm/stylus angles as I'm not sure mine is 100% correct (I have sibilance on Ella and Lous' "April in Paris", but I'm not sure if it's the Planar, the pressing, or a friend suggested it sounded like the issue could be in my second hand preamp).
Additionally I fitted these screws, aligned the motor as directed, put on The Blue Danube and it's played perfectly* for the first time and all is forgiven! 😀 I've ordered a strobe disk to narrow down the timings a bit more but for now I'm very happy that the strings finally sound on pitch!
*Well, as perfectly as my 1980s Mission 761 bookshelves with a hole in them can manage... (I've been reading all the hype here about open baffle and Betsy speakers in particular but wasn't wanting to start to a DIY project until I've had some hifi successes)
Again, thank you everyone for your help, both in this thread in particular but also for the enthusiasm in general on this site!
I recommend getting the 8mm long screws as they were much easier to screw in than the shorter ones.
Replying to DoctorJonJ, yes I've been having fun
I'm not sure of the motor model number (I'm not ready to take it apart just for information again quite yet!) I thought I took a picture of it, but I can't find it.To my knowledge a lot of the early Regas differ in subtle ways so while I hope this is useful to someone else I fully expect there could be Planar out there with different screw sizes.
I calmed down about the platter after a good nights sleep and am now looking at an acrylic platter. I'm holding off on actually getting one while I read all about arm/stylus angles as I'm not sure mine is 100% correct (I have sibilance on Ella and Lous' "April in Paris", but I'm not sure if it's the Planar, the pressing, or a friend suggested it sounded like the issue could be in my second hand preamp).
Additionally I fitted these screws, aligned the motor as directed, put on The Blue Danube and it's played perfectly* for the first time and all is forgiven! 😀 I've ordered a strobe disk to narrow down the timings a bit more but for now I'm very happy that the strings finally sound on pitch!
*Well, as perfectly as my 1980s Mission 761 bookshelves with a hole in them can manage... (I've been reading all the hype here about open baffle and Betsy speakers in particular but wasn't wanting to start to a DIY project until I've had some hifi successes)
Again, thank you everyone for your help, both in this thread in particular but also for the enthusiasm in general on this site!