[Tim Schwartz]

Serge Auckland wrote:
On Christmas Eve I was given a Marantz CD63 on Freecycle. This is the
original 1983 champagne-gold top-loader in visually pristine condition.

Sonically it works really well, and it brought back to mind the
incredible reaction to CD many of us had in 1983. The sheer convenience,
the lack of background noise or distortions, the ability to skip or
include tracks, it was then a revelation, and the slogan "pure, perfect
sound forever" had meaning.

However, the CD63 has a very noisy spindle motor, and I'd very much like
to quieten it so I could use it in a second system. From looking at the
CDM1 service manual, it doesn't look like the motor is able to be
serviced. It says that the bearings are sealed and shouldn't be
lubricated. I'm reluctant to try and dismantle the motor as that could
well stop the CD player working at all. Does anybody here know of a
source for CDM1 mechanism motors, or indeed whole mechanisms?
Alternatively, I'd be happy to buy a complete faulty CD player that has
the same mechanism, provided obviously, the motor isn't at fault.

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

Happy New Year to all

S.


Serge,

The CDM 1 uses a 'brushless and slotless' type motor as I recall, and
they almost never get noisy. Take a look at the platter clamp, and see
if it might be rubbing. Also, look around the motor for any foreign
debris that might be there. On the CDM 1 mk II, you can CAREFULLY
remove the bottom bearing from the motor with the 2 T10 screws that
secure it, clean off the old lubrication, and add a drop of (synthetic)
motor oil to the bearing and reassemble. I do not know if the original
version can be oiled in this manner. It's been quite a while since I've
worked on that mechanism.

Regards, Happy New Year, and enjoy your CD player,
Tim Schwartz
Bristol Electronics