#1 Rega R200 rebuild
Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2017 8:50 pm
In order to get my hands on a low mass arm, I sorted a deal out with mi old man. The Goldring cart he now has needs a higher mass arm than the formula 4, and my AT150sa needs a lower mass arm than my unipivots or the rb251. I need 2 arms, one for the Lenco and one for the JBE. The mayware formula 4 is destined for the JBE dd deck as the 251 needs to stay on the Lenco demonstrator.
So that left me needing another arm that will suit the Goldring to complete the deal.
Enter the Rega R200.
I picked this up off Ebay needing a new bias belt and a complete rewire. The arm came with an Incognito loom, more on that later....... First, the bias belt needed attention.
If you read t'internet, this is apparently a complete pig of a job that needs 3 hands and a degree in something to do it. Well it doesn't. What it needs is a quiet environment, a set of basic tools, and patience.
Firstly, you need a belt. They are no longer available, so you may need to scour the web for a suitable replacement. I got one from ebay from a very knowledgable chap who also provided a set of comprehensive instructions on fitting it. the belt was longer than the original, but the chap who sold the kit has had a small half moon shaped tensioner piece laser cut from acrylic to provide the correct tension. It is a very well thought out kit, so thanks need to be given to him for it.
In order to fit the new one you need to be able to get at the old one. Or the remains of it. This will be alot easier if you remove the arm wand first by taking the vertical bearing pins out. Secure the yoke in a vice so its upside down, its easier to get the retaining nuts off the bottom of the bearing shaft if you do this as it stops the yoke turning. Use your common sense and put something relatively soft either side of the yoke so the jaws of the vice don't make a mess of it. To get at it you need to remove the bottom lateral bearing from the arm which is retained with a pair of locking nuts in the base of the arm post. First, there is a screw in collar with 2 set screws in it that needs removing. A set of mole grips will get this off. Then take out the 2 retaining nuts. Do this carefully as these 2 nuts are what preloads the ball race underneath them.
Remove them and you will see a floating ball race which you need to remove with tweezers and under this the actual bearing cage. Again remove with tweezers. DO NOT force any of these parts, finesse is your friend.
When you have done this, remove the 2 retaining screws underneath the bias outrigger to remove the outer of the post and the cover which is a one piece casting.
You will then be able to remove the remains of the belt and fit the new one and its tensioner. You will need to reset the bias to 0 first. Set the dial to 0, then turn the collar that moves the moving ring magnet so that the magnet is set so it is as far away from the fixed magnet as possible.
Then fit the belt, pull it away from the bias outrigger casting wall, and fit the tensioner piece in so it sticks to the inside wall of the the casting.
Refit the outrigger cover/ arm post, and stop. This is where the patience comes in. Drop the bearing cage in. Look at it first and you will see that one side is different to the other. One side has the face of each ball proud of the metal cage, and the other doesn't. It needs to be put in so that the ball faces are facing out, as the race needs to run on them. Drop the bearing cage in and seat it properly by poking it into the recess with a cocktail stick. Then drop the bottom race in, the groove in it rides on the balls in the bearing cage so this needs to be dropped over the shaft and wiggled into position so it seats properly on top of the bearing cage.
Then screw the retaining nuts in. just do them up lightly as they set the bearing preload. don't worry if there is wobble in the lateral bearing at this point.
Then refit the arm wand. It needs to be back on for the preload to be set correctly. You will feel lateral and a little vertical movement at this point.
Turn the bottom nuts until the movement is gone. You can see when it it right as setting the bias to 0.5 should start to slowly move the arm back to the rest when the preload is correct. So when you cant feel any movement and the bias pulls the arm back at 0.5g, you've got it.
I then added a blob of nail varnish to stop any movement in the retaining nuts.
Job done.
So that left me needing another arm that will suit the Goldring to complete the deal.
Enter the Rega R200.
I picked this up off Ebay needing a new bias belt and a complete rewire. The arm came with an Incognito loom, more on that later....... First, the bias belt needed attention.
If you read t'internet, this is apparently a complete pig of a job that needs 3 hands and a degree in something to do it. Well it doesn't. What it needs is a quiet environment, a set of basic tools, and patience.
Firstly, you need a belt. They are no longer available, so you may need to scour the web for a suitable replacement. I got one from ebay from a very knowledgable chap who also provided a set of comprehensive instructions on fitting it. the belt was longer than the original, but the chap who sold the kit has had a small half moon shaped tensioner piece laser cut from acrylic to provide the correct tension. It is a very well thought out kit, so thanks need to be given to him for it.
In order to fit the new one you need to be able to get at the old one. Or the remains of it. This will be alot easier if you remove the arm wand first by taking the vertical bearing pins out. Secure the yoke in a vice so its upside down, its easier to get the retaining nuts off the bottom of the bearing shaft if you do this as it stops the yoke turning. Use your common sense and put something relatively soft either side of the yoke so the jaws of the vice don't make a mess of it. To get at it you need to remove the bottom lateral bearing from the arm which is retained with a pair of locking nuts in the base of the arm post. First, there is a screw in collar with 2 set screws in it that needs removing. A set of mole grips will get this off. Then take out the 2 retaining nuts. Do this carefully as these 2 nuts are what preloads the ball race underneath them.
Remove them and you will see a floating ball race which you need to remove with tweezers and under this the actual bearing cage. Again remove with tweezers. DO NOT force any of these parts, finesse is your friend.
When you have done this, remove the 2 retaining screws underneath the bias outrigger to remove the outer of the post and the cover which is a one piece casting.
You will then be able to remove the remains of the belt and fit the new one and its tensioner. You will need to reset the bias to 0 first. Set the dial to 0, then turn the collar that moves the moving ring magnet so that the magnet is set so it is as far away from the fixed magnet as possible.
Then fit the belt, pull it away from the bias outrigger casting wall, and fit the tensioner piece in so it sticks to the inside wall of the the casting.
Refit the outrigger cover/ arm post, and stop. This is where the patience comes in. Drop the bearing cage in. Look at it first and you will see that one side is different to the other. One side has the face of each ball proud of the metal cage, and the other doesn't. It needs to be put in so that the ball faces are facing out, as the race needs to run on them. Drop the bearing cage in and seat it properly by poking it into the recess with a cocktail stick. Then drop the bottom race in, the groove in it rides on the balls in the bearing cage so this needs to be dropped over the shaft and wiggled into position so it seats properly on top of the bearing cage.
Then screw the retaining nuts in. just do them up lightly as they set the bearing preload. don't worry if there is wobble in the lateral bearing at this point.
Then refit the arm wand. It needs to be back on for the preload to be set correctly. You will feel lateral and a little vertical movement at this point.
Turn the bottom nuts until the movement is gone. You can see when it it right as setting the bias to 0.5 should start to slowly move the arm back to the rest when the preload is correct. So when you cant feel any movement and the bias pulls the arm back at 0.5g, you've got it.
I then added a blob of nail varnish to stop any movement in the retaining nuts.
Job done.