Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?

I can’t recall if I dismantled and lubed the bearing. I replaced all original electrolytic capacitors and recalibrated the two speed pots. Vinyl Engine has a Luxman service note on this simple procedure, which requires only a voltmeter.

Your photos confirm that all original electrolytics are in place. If you want to recap(a good idea) feel free to PM me for a Digikey BOM of the appropriate Panasonic substitutions. It’s around $25 in parts.

Royal Purple Synthetic is a perfectly good alternative lubricant to the Redball. Preferably you want single weight, between 0 and 20W. I keep meaning to check my container of Redball so I can quote the weight exactly, and I keep forgetting. The PCB and wiring you see in the PD444, apparently blocking access to the spindle, of course has nothing to do with the spindle and its bearing. I failed to look at your photo but it might be a simple matter of removing a few screws that must hold the PCB in place in order to see what you need to do to remove the spindle, if you want to go in that direction. Like Dave, I am a big proponent of replacing all OEM electrolytic capacitors empirically. Some others prefer to check the OEM ones and replace only those that test poorly. This assumes you own a capacitor tester. If your unit has been sitting in storage for years, that may contribute to outstanding cosmetic appearance but it does not bode well for the condition of electrolytic capacitors. They go bad on the shelf perhaps faster than when subject to frequent use in circuit.

I just did look at your photos.  First of all, you have turned the chassis upside down; we are looking at the bottom of the bearing well, are we not? Typically the spindle is removed from above, by pulling it up out of the bearing well.  As an aside, the wiring harness is as much of a rat's nest as what one finds inside a TT101.

feel free to PM me for a Digikey BOM of the appropriate Panasonic substitutions

@dgarretson Thank you so much, I will PM you, it is indeed a good idea, my soldering skills are not that good but a friend of mine could do it, and I will pay him so he will be happy.

a simple matter of removing a few screws that must hold the PCB

@lewm It looks simple to remove the screws but my concern is the wires, if I go replacing the caps I can do it at that time

They go bad on the shelf perhaps faster than when subject to frequent use in circuit

Yeah I agree, it is a good idea.

As an aside, the wiring harness is as much of a rat's nest as what one finds inside a TT101

:)