Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

Not real up to speed on this blog.  Can't figure out where your "runner" is to get to the manifold picture to which you refer.  

In my years with this terrific arm I never experienced any symptoms that made me feel I needed to clean the manifold.  That said, about 6 months ago while in a real obsessive/compulsive state I scrubbed it out with alcohol and a small tooth brush.  I did not detect any dirt or debris on the tooth brush and noticed no difference in performance.  I did not, however, remove the manifold for cleaning.  I just took the tube off and scrubbed the inside of the manifold with the brush and alcohol.   About every couple years I do swab the tube with alcohol and a cotton swab.  The arm has never mistracked except on the few occasions when I was stupid and forgot to turn the pump on; the tube has never dragged in the manifold and I'm not reading what I would consider excessive pressure on the gauge which would indicate a clogged manifold. The Medo pump I'm using says it is rated at 7.11 PSI and I'm reading a little over 8 PSI on the gauge.
Nice hearing from you,
Harry

Hi Chris,
I finally figured out how to get  your VS page and saw the manifold.  

Hi frogman,
Thanks for the tip on house cleaning.  I am, however, a little intimidated by the process of removing the manifold.  I've read some places you can simply press the manifold out with your thumb and other places that say I might have to tap it with a mallet.  I don't really want to take a hammer to my beloved ET II!

I don't really want to take a hammer to my beloved ET II!

Harry, its takes more than a hammer to destroy the ET 2.

8^0



@Frogman

"unseasonably warm"

yes........ until today !

we went from 17 c (60 f) to -5 c (23 f) overnight. where else do get swings like that in temps ?

I can't believe I was getting visions of doing gelcoat repair on one of the boats :^(

Good to hear from you Frogman :^)  

Ah yes, the ole ......pour some rubbing alcohol down the air tube like a scientist........turn the pump on ........and listen to the fluid come out of the manifold pores onto the spindle. Extra cool when you manually move the spindle in and out as you do this.

Quite a satisfying slurping sucking sound ....no ?

And all those mineral deposits in the manifold get dislodged, moved, and deposited where exactly ?

I think I'll try my thumb first.  I've never tried pouring alcohol down the tube and firing up the pump for the very reasons you describe.  

BTW I live in very rural Western North Carolina.  Earlier this week I woke up to 24 deg. F and the day topped out at 75 F.

I'm running a Lyra Delos on the ET with original arm wand.  Any opinions on whether I'd hear an improvement with the magnesium or carbon fiber wand?

here is a direct link to that manifold pic and it shows the correct cleaning
procedure that Frogman mentioned earlier, as a well as another pic grabbed from the internet showing the manifold parts.

https://goo.gl/photos/J7XD4gevCJrRN5CD8

Note the set screws in the manifold. The screws are set differently for
different PSI settings. One can see if you send isopropanol down the airline, this manifold surface and the set screws is what the fluid comes into contact with.

What can’t be seen is the inside of the black manifold housing.The inside of it should be scrubbed out too.

Harry - my no.1 passion is running. My wife asks me where I am running to and I can’t answer. I guess this make me a running fool. Anyway...because of the running I think; I am very biased about air quality...and I believe that it is this mindset, that set me on my I will call it "abnormal" pump journeys, with the ET 2.0- 2.5. The air compressor I am using the Timeter, builds pressure heats up the air, condenses it, drains the moisture down a tube (like your car’s ac system ) into a tray, then sends it down the main air line to my ET 2.5. I have never seen a drop in the regulator bowl next to the turntable. Well... one time when the tube in the Timeter pump got plugged with mineral deposits. Its design means moisture and and particulate traps are not required.

****************

I’m running a Lyra Delos on the ET with original arm wand.

Any opinions on whether I’d hear an improvement with the magnesium or carbon fiber wand?

http://www.needledoctor.com/Lyra-Delos-Phono-Cartridge

The Lyra Delos is

Compliance : Approx. 12 x 10 cm/dyne at 100Hz

I would run that cart with a CF or Mag armwand and the double leaf spring.

As you know the ET2 first came out with its original aluminum arm wand, when high compliance MM’s were really popular. I am using in my second room the original aluminum wand with the high compliance Acutex 420str and single leaf spring.

The Acutex is 36 x 10-6 cm./dyne at 100 Hz.