Amuseb, I checked the on-line manual. As an owner of the ARC CD-8, a $10,000 piece of gear, I would need to have my head examined if I fiddled with the Phillips transport -- or anything else in the CDP innards for that matter. Maybe for someone with experience and training, repairing the CD-7 is a "no brainer." But for me -- if I had concerns, back to the factory the CDP goes. I'm not even sure the problem with your CDP is a job for an ARC service center.
Amuseb, I rarely if ever have posted negative comments on A'gon, but I can't help but being surprised this OP has gone on so long. Unless you have experience and training, and after having checked the Phillips manual, I am puzzled why you want to fiddle with the CD-7. It's an expensive piece of gear that still commands respect in the audio world. I gather that Euro repair costs are expensive. Sorry to hear that. But there's an expression used in the States that goes, "cheap can be expensive."
Sorry to harp here, but I realize that I answered your OP about dropping a 6550 tube into the CD-7 power supply. Again, I am surprised. As I said in your other OP, I used to own the upgraded CD-7. The upgrade calls for a 5881 tube in the power supply. Why would you drop the wrong tube into the player unless you checked first with the factory??? Maybe the Euro upgrade is different if your country line current is 220v???? Or maybe the fcatory said ok. If so, my apologies in advance.
I have an idea. If the Phillips transport can be easily pulled without messing with mechanical or electronic connections, perhaps it would make sense to either order a new transport and drop it in, or if that is too expensive, just send the transport back to the ARC factory in the States or maybe the Phillips factory in Europe.
Sorry to wax on and on here, but I have great respect and pride for the American workmanship that goes into making ARC products. As I said above, it's a shame to fiddle with a fine instrument like the CD-7 if you are not trained and experienced.
I sincerely apologize if I am coming off judgmental and negative. I mean no disrespect. I just love ARC gear -- that's all.
Cheers