Replacement Motor for a Vintage Thorens TD 160 Turntable

Many motors use a cap for the extra voltage required to get going. The value is often printed right on them. Pull the cap, measure capacitance, if it is out of spec you get off cheap. This totally fits the observation. Fingers crossed!

I had  a 160 that either would not start and/or it would start in reverse direction.

I was told it was one of the caps by a friend, but I simply gave the platter as spin in the right direction when powering it on and used it that way for 3-4 years without a problem.

I don't recall which cap it was only that one was tiny like .1 or .047 and the other one was in the 30-50 range.

To this day (I sold that particular 160 in 1986) I still have a habit of giving the platter a little nudge, even though it's not needed.

Currently have a TD125II.

DeKay

"A motor capacitor such as a start capacitor or run capacitor is an electrical capacitor that alters the current to one or more windings of a single phase AC induction motor to create a rotating magnetic field. There are two common types of motor capacitors, run capacitors and start capacitors.

Some single-phase AC electric motors require a "run capacitor" to energize the second-phase winding (auxiliary coil) to create a rotating magnetic field while the motor is running.

Start capacitors briefly increase motor starting torque and allow a motor to be cycled on and off rapidly. A start capacitor stays in the circuit long enough to rapidly bring the motor up to a predetermined speed, which is usually about 75% of the full speed, and is then taken out of the circuit, often by a centrifugal switch that releases at that speed. Afterward the motor works more efficiently with a run capacitor."

If this is the capacitor in question, it is usually physically large and is mounted outside the motor housing proper.  Is the TD160 motor "single-phase induction type".  If so, then it would have such a capacitor. This helpful reference says the motor is a 16-pole, 2-phase type:

https://www.theanalogdept.com/thorens_td_160_dept_.htm

Here's a replacement kit that gives some info...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/202981727505?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3AAQAFAAACQBaobrjLl8XobRIiIM...

Tried searching the gear forums, but kept coming up with different values.

DeKay

If there is an existing run or start capacitor mounted external to the motor, its value (in microfarads) and voltage rating will be written on the can.  That should be no mystery.