#1 Garrard 301/401 Motor Bearings
Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:23 am
Some thoughts on Garrard Motor Bearings.
There are some extreme examples of taking the motor back to its component parts, including drilling out rivets, on the net.
Unless the motor has been submerged in water, or is filthy, or the bearings rattle, all that’s required is to follow the Garrard instructions.
Sintered Bronze is usually 20% porous, so it absorbs oil. Thus the top bearing is oiled by filling the gallery round the bearing, through the holes in the rotor. The oil is they “wicked” through the bearing.
About 1970 I went on an apprentice visit to Garrard, and saw them making bearings.
The bronze powder was first pressed into shape, and then baked in ovens, before the bearing surface was machined. They were proud of their automated OBI presses, but they looked like toys compared with the presses we used in the car industry.
At the time I had no interest in Hifi, a dismantled Feranti valve radiogram with a new Garrard auto changer made all the noise I required.
The radiogram originally had a 1950s Garrard laboratory autochanger, a bit like a 201 but auto, with plug in cartridges for 78 and 33. The needles were bits of stainless steel about 10mm long with a diamond mounted in the end. This then went vertically into the cartridge and was held in place by magnetism. They must have been rare, I’ve not seen a picture of one on the net.
Regards Richard H
There are some extreme examples of taking the motor back to its component parts, including drilling out rivets, on the net.
Unless the motor has been submerged in water, or is filthy, or the bearings rattle, all that’s required is to follow the Garrard instructions.
Sintered Bronze is usually 20% porous, so it absorbs oil. Thus the top bearing is oiled by filling the gallery round the bearing, through the holes in the rotor. The oil is they “wicked” through the bearing.
About 1970 I went on an apprentice visit to Garrard, and saw them making bearings.
The bronze powder was first pressed into shape, and then baked in ovens, before the bearing surface was machined. They were proud of their automated OBI presses, but they looked like toys compared with the presses we used in the car industry.
At the time I had no interest in Hifi, a dismantled Feranti valve radiogram with a new Garrard auto changer made all the noise I required.
The radiogram originally had a 1950s Garrard laboratory autochanger, a bit like a 201 but auto, with plug in cartridges for 78 and 33. The needles were bits of stainless steel about 10mm long with a diamond mounted in the end. This then went vertically into the cartridge and was held in place by magnetism. They must have been rare, I’ve not seen a picture of one on the net.
Regards Richard H