Here's a revised list of things to do, original courtesy of Munkie_NL, additions, revisions and comments mostly by Johnnantais from the original Home Despot thread. Sorry for the length but it's still much faster than reading 3700 posts :-)
The Lenco thread on Audiogon has grown into a 3700+ post monster which would take a lot of free time to read entirely. Free time you could use to turn your old fleamarket Lenco into a monster TT! So here is a simple to-do list. Usual disclaimer: "The management won’t be held responsible...", etc. But DO try this at home!
1. Take your L75/78 apart, the chassis off the plinth, remove the springs. Remove the tonearm. If your new tonearm has its own armlift, remove the Lenco armlift as well. IMHO the original Lenco arm is not worth putting time and effort into. Make your own unipivot arm if you want to. Or order a Decca International while you still can...
2. Take out the main bearing by removing the 3 screws around it, unscrew the little security screw at the side of the bearing house and take out the bearing. Take care not to loose the little ball at the bottom. Clean it and put some new fat on it. Possibilities include Mobil 1 grease, “rifle oil” or Mobil 10W30.
Jean Nantais writes: "for lubricant, I polish the bearing proper with metal polish, making sure all vestiges of older lubricant are washed away, I wash out the sleeve with engine cleaner (mineral spirits are good too) and make sure all is clean and dry, and then top up with Mobil 1 synthetic oil (or other synthetic), and find the platter can easily spin for close to a minute and a half (sometimes two) with but a push!"
Re: polisher, Jean Nantais writes: "Stop the Presses! I just used THE most effective metal polisher I've ever tried, superior and quicker than resorting to a cocktail of sandpaper and steel wool! I always steer clear of expensive "AMAZING" substances, and in this case paid $2 for a simple metal polisher called "Cameo", meant for scrubbing/bringing back the shine from pots, pans and sinks. Couldn't resist. Just tried it for the first time on a Lenco platter, and this is the best result I've ever gotten, actually shiny, and it only took five minutes!!! I should market this and sell it to audiophools for $25 a can. It's called "Cameo", an "Anti-Tarnish Cleaner for stainless steel, copper, brass & aluminum", and is apparently made here in Canada. Pure no-Bullshit results, I can't believe it (I was hoping of course, but doubtful). Looks just like Comet, and contains "sulfamic acid and surfactant", so if you can't find Bullshit-Free Cameo, then look for a cheap Bullshit-Free substitute with sulfamic acid and surfactant. Don't get it in your eyes, if you do you're supposed to rinse them for 15 minutes!!! Yee-hah!!"
3. Remove the 4 screws at the back of the motor and gently pull the back out. The motor axis turns on 2 little spindles, 1 at the front and 1 at the back, in little bronze bushings. Clean the bushings from the inside with a rolled up paper handkerchief with alcohol. Clean and relube the spindles with Mobil 1 synthetic grease or molybdenum grease. Carefully reassemble the motor. Clean the big spindle with a paper towel and alcohol. Bornin50 took the whole motor assembly apart, I didn’t. It’s up to you.
Jean Nantais writes: " Cleaning and optimizing the motor was as effective in increasing clarity and focus as marrying the plinth to the top-plate. I would consider this mandatory, and it has no negatives and causes no shifts in balance. To do this you have to go all the way (I compared a motor with the ends simply oiled, to a motor with the ass-end completely flushed and re-packed with new grease and oiled but the nose simply oiled, to a motor with both ends flushed and re-packed with grease and oiled; and the order of noise was, respectively: noisiest, middling noisy, quietest), even if it means buying a fairly expensive tool ($15-$20 US) for only this job: Snap Ring Pliers, to remove the snap ring which holds the workings in place at the nose of the motor. [You can also use small needle nose pliers] When disassembling the works at either end, keep a piece of paper handy and make a diagram of how the workings go, in what order and what orientation. At both ends of the motor casing there are brass balls drilled through to make the bearing bushing: I used a piece of string soaked in solvent (paint thinner, motor cleaner, etc.) to remove any baked-on grease from the inside of the little bushings, and then ran dry string to remove what was left. I re-packed the workings with new grease (molybdenum or Mobil 1, placed wherever metal meets metal, and packing all empty spaces to damp resonances, even of the springs), after cleaning them in solvent (the springs, brass discs, etc.). At the nose end there is a screw which as 4yanx noted must be screwed in just so to reduce noise. Its secret is that inset inside the hollow screw is a little metal piece which is spring-loaded to absorb and kill off vibration of the motor spindle: it is a good idea to remove the tiny little pieces (keep a bowl nearby!) and clean them also in solvent, and clean the inside of the hollow screw using a piece of string. Rig the motor so it is running (place a jumper at the switch terminals, 2 and 3 where the white motor windings are attached on the barrier strip on the motor casing, and run an AC cord to the wall to positions 1 and 4, waiting until it is screwed into the terminal before plugging it in!) and sitting on a hard block of wood so you can hear the buzzing (louder or quieter), and screw the little nose screw in until the motor is actually whining against it making noise, then back off until it reaches the first silent point. Use the attached nut to lock it in place, you'll probably have to do it a few times to get it right, be patient."
"Finally, adjusting the motor core does work, there is an optimum position for the intrepid. Like Ronnie I first did this while it was plugged in, but when I became plugged in too (ouch) I ceased doing it this way and adjusted, re-assembled and plugged it in, took it apart adjusted again, reassembled and plugged it in, until I got the quietest point. To do this undo the motor casing via the four screws and take the ass end in hand. You will see four screws holding the motor core in which the motor spindle spins. You could simply tighten them down (they are likely loose) for quieter operation, or you could be daring (or mad) and undo them and play the re-position game until you reach the quietest orientation [moving the motor core so that the armature is centered should get you close]. Doing all these things results in a large improvement in sound quality, with no penalties. At the very least the flushing and fresh grease, re-adjusting the nose-screw, and tightening the core screws, is mandatory! BIG improvement!"
4. Put a drop of oil on the idler wheel spindle, or take the spindle apart, clean and relube it with Mobil 1 grease – grease the arm spindle, slide on clean Teflon washer, put a little grease on that, oil the shaft (1 drop Mobil 1), slide the wheel into place, grease the end, slide the other teflon washer into place, grease that, put the holding clip back on. Push it all the way down, and then push slightly back with your hands (you want minimal spacing for freedom so the wheel doesn't wander) until the wheel is free. Clean the rubber with Rubber Renue or similar. Presto.
Jean Nantais writes: "For the wheel, I similarly clean the bearings, and even soak a piece of string with engine cleaner and clean out the inside of the bushing on the wheel itself, clean both teflon washers, dry everything off, put some Mobil 1 grease on both sides of washer #1 and slide it on, then Mobil 1 oil on the spindle and mount the wheel, then put grease again on both sides of the other washer, slide it on, and fasten it all with the little clip (be careful not to lose the clip, sometimes it goes flying!). You want just enough play the wheel spins freely, not a micron more. And be careful with the idler-wheel arm, it is quite easily bent, as I just discovered to my astonishment, do not apply any pressure to it, proper geometry of the wheel and performance depends on it. Make sure the sliding post where the idler-wheel attaches is well damped with grease, above and underneath, to prevent ringing. Slather the slider where it moves in the top plate track with grease or Vaseline."
Don’t put fat, grease or oil on the rubber of the idler wheel. Don’t touch the rubber with your fingers. Get a Lenco with a metal idler wheel. Damp the idler wheel arm with Teflon tape or plumber’s miracle tape. Make sure the idler wheel runs very close to parallel to the outer circumference of the platter. Also wrap the idler wheel arm with plastic flexible damping tape or spray with car undercoat.
5. Damp the chassis from the underside with whatever suits your taste. Jean Nantais who started the Lenco Thread uses Dynamat with good results, as does Steve from the ultimate Thorens site The Analog Department.
Jean Nantais writes: "In the meantime, lift the Mighty Lenco out of that Crappy plinth and mount it on bricks, which will bring about quite an improvement. Then judiciously apply some damping sheet of some sort to the underside (and I mean judiciously, don't damp the ever-loving crap out of it and kill the goose that laid the golden ultra-dynamic, ultra musical eggs), and listen happily until you get up the nerve to apply drill and jigsaw to plywood (think of it as paper and scissors, and you'll see it's not so difficult). I first listened to my first Lenco (for fault of finding any Garrards which I had hoped to find) for a few months sitting up on metal stilts with no plinth, with a Rega mounted in the original tonearm hole. It utterly blew me away, and I knew I was in the presence of Greatness. If you like the original plinth, then remove the bottom, get rid of the springs, put some sort of feet on the corners to lift the edge off the shelf, and screw the Lenco down solidly to the original plinth. This will approximate bricks." [8/21/06]
6. I put some cloth around the spring which holds the idler wheel against the spindle during play, and on the rod which holds the idler wheel. Jean Nantais replaces the spring with some elastic material. He puts vaseline on the rod that holds the idler wheel between the rod and top plate. You can feel it vibrating when you put your finger on it during play, with the platter off.(See top pic)
7. You can replace the power cord with a better, shielded one with a better plug.
Jean Nantais writes: “I removed the rather large wire running from the switch (of the L75) to the motor, and replaced it with tiny 24-ga. solid-core (it has many uses) to prevent this as a route of vibration from the motor to the top-plate and platter. I also placed some Dynamat where the wire solders to the electrical switch to prevent the wire touching the metal top-plate, stopping this contact point.” He also warns against heavy power cords hanging from the motor suspension and thus preventing it from moving freely – he uses 24 G solid core between power switch and motor, 20 G solid core between motor and AC. Bolt the 20 G to the plinth using some Sorbothane around the wire at the cable retainer to stop vibration from the motor going anywhere by this route. Assuming terminal 1 is furthest from the main bearing, the AC goes to terminals 1 and 4, switch wiring goes to terminals 2 and 3, where the capacitor is. Grease the on-off switch links where they touch the top-plate to prevent rattle.
8. The distance from the spindle to the center of the hole is 212 mm on the Lenco L75/78. The Decca arm fits into the original hole in the Lenco chassis, even the arm geometry is right. However VTA is off, with the armbase pushed down against the mounting ring it’s still tail up. I solved this by putting an extra mat on top of the Lenco mat. Better, but a bit drastic, would be sawing off the upper right hand corner of the Lenco chassis. Make a removable armboard from birch multiply, maple etc. Now the arm sits lower compared to the platter, so VTA is in the ballpark. Added bonus: the arm doesn’t rest on the vibrating Lenco chassis anymore, but on the big plinth. (See Willbewill´s 2nd creation) Rega RB250/300 arms have a spindle to pivot distance of 222 mm, so in the original hole alignment is way off even with the cartridge way back in the headshell. When you’re the lucky owner of a 12" arm you don’t have to saw off the upper right corner of the chassis, you can go for the "Garrard Look" :-) Or place the arm BEHIND the Lenco chassis like on 4yanx´s latest creation. See Blueintheface´s handy table of arms, remember though effective arm length and pivot to spindle distance are not the same...
Comments on the Rega RB300 by JN: "REGA ALERT!!! I've mounted my Rega arm tonight - took me about a half-hour to make an armboard and pop the Rega in: great! - and achieved perfect geometry and VTA. First mounted my Shure and it did sound better than with any of the other tonearms in terms of detail and frequency extension: in fact, the Lenco/Rega is a MONSTER, and a very accurate monster that let's you hear every note, inflection and permutation of the lowest of the low frequencies. Here I challenge every record player on the planet to do better or even to match it! I thought it was digging a hole in my cellar floor. (Be aware I have changed amp and speakers in the last few months). Macro and micro dynamics are also much better, but in terms of PRaT I prefer both the Audio Technica and the Decca International...with Moving Magnets."
"While the Rega sounds somewhat pedestrian and soulless and intellectual - if very detailed and accurate - with MMs, put an MC on it and it transforms itself into a monster of PRaT, SLAM, SPEED, and all-around dynamic fireworks! And all the while sounding silky and smooth and in control."
Comments on the Denon 103 by JN: "But the combination of perfections is there in spades, the tonal neutrality of the Shure V15s allied to the slam and speed of the Deccas. Now my Grado Platinum on whatever tonearm on the Lenco still has that all-enveloping welcoming sound which is like coming home after a loooong absence, and in this sense I still favour it, but the Denon is the closest thing to overall sonic perfection I've heard."
"But I would say that the Ode to the Denon DL103 is the most perfect turntable and exciting turntable I have ever built/heard, there being an EXTREME synergy between the MDF/birch-ply/neoprene rubber plinth, the modded Rega RB300 (which tames the very slight tendency to brightness the DL103 can have in certain set-ups), and the plain vanilla DL013. Change any one of the ingredients, and you change the results (which may be better, but may not)."
9. Clean the mat with Rubber Renue. Glue the Lenco rubber mat onto the platter using 3M 77 spray can contact adhesive. Cheap and easy mod. Gets you more clarity and detail. You can try any mat, I did, I’m totally into mats, glass, felt, cork, cork/paper spotmat, in any combination, you name it. I had to admit JN was right on this one (too...). An alternative is Herbie’s Way Cool mat at $50, recommended by Dave Pogue, Albert Porter and 4yanx.
10. Make a BIG plinth for your Lenco and bolt the chassis onto it using the 4 threads from the underside. Most Lenco modders use layers of different materials to get effective resonance damping. You have to cut out the shape in every layer you need to give place to the chassis. Leave some room underneath the tonearm and around the motor. The motor must swing freely in its suspension and it gets hot after a while. Otherwise make the plinth as tight and massive as possible without resonating chambers in it. You can either glue and clamp or use screws to hold together during gluing, which speeds up the process.
Jean Nantais’ formula uses ½” MDF top layer, ¾” birch ply second layer with 1/8” neoprene rubber gasket between bottom of the top-plate in contact with the birch-ply layer [Direct Coupling]. Bolt the Lenco by the 4 top bolts, plus three screws at 3 different points/neoprene gaskets between round part of top plate and birch-ply layer. Below that alternate ¾” MDF and ¾” birch-ply.
Jean Nantais writes “For those watching waiting for the Truth to come Down concerning the Best Plinth before beginning their own projects, be aware that I anyway have not found huge differences (in fact none I can reliably identify, though I haven't tried hard), that it is the simple birch-ply/MDF plinth which is responsible for the success of this Lenco/Idler-Wheel venture which speaks for its effectiveness, and so I advise you to keep it simple and do-able, and stick to the simple recipe which, as I remind everyone once again, has conquered many a High End Belt-Driver already.” [6/23/05]
“I find anyway that the simple birch-ply/MDF combination has the best balance of attributes - specially dynamics and neutrality - I've found, Corian and plasterboard etc. notwithstanding.” [9/13/05]
“MDF by itself does not sound good; the birch-ply by itself does not sound good, but the two together produce an incredibly neutral and inert platform which allows both Lencos and Garrards (as I proved to my own satisfaction a while back) to speak in their true voice, free of colourations, favouritisms and constraints. Glue perfects the bond, simply bolting these together does not come close to realizing the potential of a CLD mix, in fact the reverse. It may not have the cachet of exotic materials and woods (and so not justify obscene costs), but this combination is ultimately extremely effective. I've played with all sorts of mixes, and this is the best in my experience, and it is practical as it is also very common. All of this has been worked out over the length of this thread, and in a piece I wrote for Lenco Heaven a long way back, and to a certain extent under my "system" here on Audiogon, though perhaps I should revisit and edit this, as I have come to settle on the birch-ply/MDF combination, for a combination [of] economic, sonic and practical reasons. This is not to say it can’t be improved on, but at an increase in difficulties and costs.” [12/29/05]
“As to the big new plinth you are planning, I truly believe now the best combo overall is birch-ply/MDF (effective, dynamic and neutral), but more than that, more mass truly does make, like Direct Coupling, a large difference to the ultimate sound quality of the Lenco: the heavier/massier the plinth, quite simply, the better the Lenco will sound, so don't be afraid of weight!” [1/26/06]
“Currently for Ultra-Refined Ultra Slamming Giants I am recommending 23" x 19" x 6" of pure CLD plinth; feet and Lenco and tonearm add to that height. Play with the dimensions whichever way you see fit, but this has a pleasing and MONSTROUS symmetry” [3/07/06]
“In discussing the point and design of these particular CLD plinths with him, he immediately recognized the Russian birch-ply [14 layers including veneer] (available at some Home Despots) and explained that it was guaranteed to have total coupling/adhesion of the individual layers without air-pocket or resonant spaces. So THAT's one reason why my plinths sound so good, all along it was a superb birch-ply to use for exactly the purpose of creating an inert non-resonant plinth!” [3/30/06].
“I use the birch-ply/MDF recipe because it is overall the most neutral, dead, "non-participatory" combination (neither adds nor subtracts) I have ever tried.” [5/04/06]
"I have rebuilt Garrards, Thorens TD-124s, and of course Lencos, and they all sound excellent on high-mass plinths, which with effective coupling absorbs and kills off noise while increasing focus the more mass there is. Since I don't believe in the quasi-mystical mumbo-jumbo that one big idler likes Material A while the other prefers material B (though why this should be is not explained...I think material A compensates for a system's colourations better than Material B, so it's a tone control which will later cause problems), then I believe that what works for the Lencos will work for the others (which I remind everyone I have actually built into high-mass plinths to great effect). The larger the mass and more effective the coupling the better the sound, simple. I make CLD plinths to maximize neutrality, in my case a combination of Russian birch-ply (particularly dense and air-bubble-free) and MDF, as after trying several recipes I have settled on it for best and most consistent result. Others like to play with Corian or plasterboard (drywall), chipboard, solid hardwood and others. If it's CLD (constrained layer damping, differing materials bonded together by adhesive for maximum marriage), then the end result is likely to be similarly neutral, assuming materials which are fairly neuttral to begin with." [8/26/06]
For the motor, JN writes: “a larger space around the motor will allow air circulation which will prevent heat build-up. The space I leave around the motor is not an enclosed resonant air space, but simply a space, an absence of material, being open all the way to the ground, and surrounded by a solid plinth, kind of like the Oracle open-air design, but much more massive. Now I own a Maplenoll with a fluid damping trough, which came in several iterations. They originally came with a rather narrow trough which you would think would make no difference from a large trough. Wrong: the walls of the narrow trough actually reflected the vibration the fluid was damping back to the paddle and into the cartridge, which was very audible (a disaster). The improvement was a much wider trough, which was a vast improvement. So taking my experience with this trough (enclosed spaces reflect energy back at the source), and a page from Oracle (a good idea to have a solid skeletal design which allows vibration to escape, and which itself vibrates only with great energy, as it is very thick and solid), I designed the plinth as it appears in my and Willbewill's photos. The Lenco plinth as I have designed it allows space around the motor, which also has the added advantage of allowing air to flow around it. Narrowing this space negates the air circulation, and in my estimation will create a resonant air space after all, as the walls are too close to the motor [5/06/04].
For armboard, JN writes: “I personally love the sound of maple as a tonearm board (sweet and open!), and purpleheart was good too. I hated the sound of either pure MDF or birch-ply tonearm boards, which is why I always sandwich the two (and conventional plinth wisdom be damned). No experience of any other hardwoods. Obviously, mahogany sounds great, as the Grado Woodies demonstrate.” [6/21/05]
Bolt to the plinth using four 4-7mm bolts, and three wood screws through the neoprene gaskets into the birch-ply layer.
re: Direct coupling (the circular bottom of the metal "pan" is directly touching the plinth underneath either with a neoprene rubber shim or to the wood using wood screws to make the connection (Birch ply recommended as the touching layer),
Jean Nantais writes: "Krenzler, avoiding rubber does not apply to your Lenco: the woodscrews pass through the rubber to bite into the wooden plinth itself, and so couples the Lenco proper to the wood of the plinth with extreme effectiveness, the rubber merely providing the needed support and damping of the ringy metal top-plate. In other words, your Lenco top-plate is directly coupled to the wood, not the rubber, which acts as a simple shim. In my own comparisons, there was a change of flavour but no sonic penalty as-is with rubber. I've heard that particular Lenco several times in John's extremely revealing system (modded Quad ESL 57s, rebuilt vintage Quad tube amps or original Marantz 8, either AR SP9 MKII or Dolan preamp), and it was chock full of PRaT, detail, bass and dynamics. The Oracle Delphi MKIV was sold, the Sota was sold, a Linn LP12 passed through at lightspeed, and even the Technics SP10 MKII in 80-pound plinth (vs the Lenco 40 pounds) couldn't match it. Perhaps a better balance in your system could be achieved if you substituted 1/8" backboard (of the sort which is nailed to the back of shelving), which is a wood product similar to MDF. I've done this before too in my early experiments." [8/23/06]
11. Decouple your Lenco. If you have a springy wooden floor, if you can get it on a solid shelf against the wall do it. I placed my L78 on rubber pods at first, changed to aluminum cones/dishes now, way better soundstage and depth. Others put it on metal balls rolling between 2 half-round "holders", 1 on the underside of the Lenco and 1 on the shelf it sits on. (See this longish story about a Garrard 401 project, bottom of page)
Jean Nantais writes: "On the subject of footers: they cannot be divorced from the platform they rest on, so results gleaned by situation on MDF (a sh**ty-sounding material on its own) is not necessarily meaningful on a different platform. I would suggest that the wood blocks accomplish this mix of materials MDF needs to sound good, while acorn-headed bolts make the Lenco expose to a much greater degree the sound of MDF. Try clamping that MDF shelf to another material Mike! My own shelf is acrylic glued to marble via two-way tape, resting on Tiptoes." [8/06/06]
12. I cleaned the underside of the platter with a paper towel and alcohol. Take your time to let the alcohol evaporate, alcohol eats rubber. A clean platter gives the idler wheel a better grip.
13. Ground the chassis of the Lenco by connecting it with a ground wire to the ground post on your preamp together with the ground wire of the tonearm. This should get rid of the hum.
14. The aluminum plate that covers half of the metal plate can be removed if desired. This is done by using a heat gun or hair dryer. Take your time and the aluminum can be removed without destroying the nice grey paint underneath. Once removed, the rubber glue can just be pealed off and automobile wax can be used to restore its hidden beauty. An extremely important note here: If the aluminum plate is removed, one loses the protective plate that covers the paint and metal where the speed lever touches the metal. One must be very careful not to let the level rest against the metal when adjusting speed. If care is not taken, the lever will scrap off the grey paint exposing raw metal. This should not be an issue since the outstanding Lenco motor once cleaned and re-lubed is incredibly stable and one will not have to constantly adjust speed once it is set.
Another point that needs to be addressed: the brass circular housing that holds the on/off switch is held in place by a small square piece of metal. It must be removed to completely remove the aluminum top plate. One must take their time when prying off this square holder. It must be reused to secure the brass housing when putting the switch back in place. Take your time when reinstalling this piece of metal. You will need some elbow grease and a flat head screw driver to set it properly. If not reinstalled correctly, your switch will begin to wobble over time and the entire table will have to be disassembled to fix it properly.
Ouch that was a lot of work READING this To-Do List wasn’t it? Let alone DOING all this stuff! Yes, especially item 11, making the plinth was a lot of work, I spent a whole week on woodworking alone. But, if I can do it anybody can, I got 2 left hands, no proper tools, and no workshop. I have seen Lenco plinths on the Web that are works of art; don’t let it scare you off. Making a plinth that gets the job done soundwise is not difficult. It’s just a lot of work! But worth it, the Lenco can give you glorious vinyl sound on a low budget. Good luck!
The Lenco thread on Audiogon has grown into a 3700+ post monster which would take a lot of free time to read entirely. Free time you could use to turn your old fleamarket Lenco into a monster TT! So here is a simple to-do list. Usual disclaimer: "The management won’t be held responsible...", etc. But DO try this at home!
1. Take your L75/78 apart, the chassis off the plinth, remove the springs. Remove the tonearm. If your new tonearm has its own armlift, remove the Lenco armlift as well. IMHO the original Lenco arm is not worth putting time and effort into. Make your own unipivot arm if you want to. Or order a Decca International while you still can...
2. Take out the main bearing by removing the 3 screws around it, unscrew the little security screw at the side of the bearing house and take out the bearing. Take care not to loose the little ball at the bottom. Clean it and put some new fat on it. Possibilities include Mobil 1 grease, “rifle oil” or Mobil 10W30.
Jean Nantais writes: "for lubricant, I polish the bearing proper with metal polish, making sure all vestiges of older lubricant are washed away, I wash out the sleeve with engine cleaner (mineral spirits are good too) and make sure all is clean and dry, and then top up with Mobil 1 synthetic oil (or other synthetic), and find the platter can easily spin for close to a minute and a half (sometimes two) with but a push!"
Re: polisher, Jean Nantais writes: "Stop the Presses! I just used THE most effective metal polisher I've ever tried, superior and quicker than resorting to a cocktail of sandpaper and steel wool! I always steer clear of expensive "AMAZING" substances, and in this case paid $2 for a simple metal polisher called "Cameo", meant for scrubbing/bringing back the shine from pots, pans and sinks. Couldn't resist. Just tried it for the first time on a Lenco platter, and this is the best result I've ever gotten, actually shiny, and it only took five minutes!!! I should market this and sell it to audiophools for $25 a can. It's called "Cameo", an "Anti-Tarnish Cleaner for stainless steel, copper, brass & aluminum", and is apparently made here in Canada. Pure no-Bullshit results, I can't believe it (I was hoping of course, but doubtful). Looks just like Comet, and contains "sulfamic acid and surfactant", so if you can't find Bullshit-Free Cameo, then look for a cheap Bullshit-Free substitute with sulfamic acid and surfactant. Don't get it in your eyes, if you do you're supposed to rinse them for 15 minutes!!! Yee-hah!!"
3. Remove the 4 screws at the back of the motor and gently pull the back out. The motor axis turns on 2 little spindles, 1 at the front and 1 at the back, in little bronze bushings. Clean the bushings from the inside with a rolled up paper handkerchief with alcohol. Clean and relube the spindles with Mobil 1 synthetic grease or molybdenum grease. Carefully reassemble the motor. Clean the big spindle with a paper towel and alcohol. Bornin50 took the whole motor assembly apart, I didn’t. It’s up to you.
Jean Nantais writes: " Cleaning and optimizing the motor was as effective in increasing clarity and focus as marrying the plinth to the top-plate. I would consider this mandatory, and it has no negatives and causes no shifts in balance. To do this you have to go all the way (I compared a motor with the ends simply oiled, to a motor with the ass-end completely flushed and re-packed with new grease and oiled but the nose simply oiled, to a motor with both ends flushed and re-packed with grease and oiled; and the order of noise was, respectively: noisiest, middling noisy, quietest), even if it means buying a fairly expensive tool ($15-$20 US) for only this job: Snap Ring Pliers, to remove the snap ring which holds the workings in place at the nose of the motor. [You can also use small needle nose pliers] When disassembling the works at either end, keep a piece of paper handy and make a diagram of how the workings go, in what order and what orientation. At both ends of the motor casing there are brass balls drilled through to make the bearing bushing: I used a piece of string soaked in solvent (paint thinner, motor cleaner, etc.) to remove any baked-on grease from the inside of the little bushings, and then ran dry string to remove what was left. I re-packed the workings with new grease (molybdenum or Mobil 1, placed wherever metal meets metal, and packing all empty spaces to damp resonances, even of the springs), after cleaning them in solvent (the springs, brass discs, etc.). At the nose end there is a screw which as 4yanx noted must be screwed in just so to reduce noise. Its secret is that inset inside the hollow screw is a little metal piece which is spring-loaded to absorb and kill off vibration of the motor spindle: it is a good idea to remove the tiny little pieces (keep a bowl nearby!) and clean them also in solvent, and clean the inside of the hollow screw using a piece of string. Rig the motor so it is running (place a jumper at the switch terminals, 2 and 3 where the white motor windings are attached on the barrier strip on the motor casing, and run an AC cord to the wall to positions 1 and 4, waiting until it is screwed into the terminal before plugging it in!) and sitting on a hard block of wood so you can hear the buzzing (louder or quieter), and screw the little nose screw in until the motor is actually whining against it making noise, then back off until it reaches the first silent point. Use the attached nut to lock it in place, you'll probably have to do it a few times to get it right, be patient."
"Finally, adjusting the motor core does work, there is an optimum position for the intrepid. Like Ronnie I first did this while it was plugged in, but when I became plugged in too (ouch) I ceased doing it this way and adjusted, re-assembled and plugged it in, took it apart adjusted again, reassembled and plugged it in, until I got the quietest point. To do this undo the motor casing via the four screws and take the ass end in hand. You will see four screws holding the motor core in which the motor spindle spins. You could simply tighten them down (they are likely loose) for quieter operation, or you could be daring (or mad) and undo them and play the re-position game until you reach the quietest orientation [moving the motor core so that the armature is centered should get you close]. Doing all these things results in a large improvement in sound quality, with no penalties. At the very least the flushing and fresh grease, re-adjusting the nose-screw, and tightening the core screws, is mandatory! BIG improvement!"
4. Put a drop of oil on the idler wheel spindle, or take the spindle apart, clean and relube it with Mobil 1 grease – grease the arm spindle, slide on clean Teflon washer, put a little grease on that, oil the shaft (1 drop Mobil 1), slide the wheel into place, grease the end, slide the other teflon washer into place, grease that, put the holding clip back on. Push it all the way down, and then push slightly back with your hands (you want minimal spacing for freedom so the wheel doesn't wander) until the wheel is free. Clean the rubber with Rubber Renue or similar. Presto.
Jean Nantais writes: "For the wheel, I similarly clean the bearings, and even soak a piece of string with engine cleaner and clean out the inside of the bushing on the wheel itself, clean both teflon washers, dry everything off, put some Mobil 1 grease on both sides of washer #1 and slide it on, then Mobil 1 oil on the spindle and mount the wheel, then put grease again on both sides of the other washer, slide it on, and fasten it all with the little clip (be careful not to lose the clip, sometimes it goes flying!). You want just enough play the wheel spins freely, not a micron more. And be careful with the idler-wheel arm, it is quite easily bent, as I just discovered to my astonishment, do not apply any pressure to it, proper geometry of the wheel and performance depends on it. Make sure the sliding post where the idler-wheel attaches is well damped with grease, above and underneath, to prevent ringing. Slather the slider where it moves in the top plate track with grease or Vaseline."
Don’t put fat, grease or oil on the rubber of the idler wheel. Don’t touch the rubber with your fingers. Get a Lenco with a metal idler wheel. Damp the idler wheel arm with Teflon tape or plumber’s miracle tape. Make sure the idler wheel runs very close to parallel to the outer circumference of the platter. Also wrap the idler wheel arm with plastic flexible damping tape or spray with car undercoat.
5. Damp the chassis from the underside with whatever suits your taste. Jean Nantais who started the Lenco Thread uses Dynamat with good results, as does Steve from the ultimate Thorens site The Analog Department.
Jean Nantais writes: "In the meantime, lift the Mighty Lenco out of that Crappy plinth and mount it on bricks, which will bring about quite an improvement. Then judiciously apply some damping sheet of some sort to the underside (and I mean judiciously, don't damp the ever-loving crap out of it and kill the goose that laid the golden ultra-dynamic, ultra musical eggs), and listen happily until you get up the nerve to apply drill and jigsaw to plywood (think of it as paper and scissors, and you'll see it's not so difficult). I first listened to my first Lenco (for fault of finding any Garrards which I had hoped to find) for a few months sitting up on metal stilts with no plinth, with a Rega mounted in the original tonearm hole. It utterly blew me away, and I knew I was in the presence of Greatness. If you like the original plinth, then remove the bottom, get rid of the springs, put some sort of feet on the corners to lift the edge off the shelf, and screw the Lenco down solidly to the original plinth. This will approximate bricks." [8/21/06]
6. I put some cloth around the spring which holds the idler wheel against the spindle during play, and on the rod which holds the idler wheel. Jean Nantais replaces the spring with some elastic material. He puts vaseline on the rod that holds the idler wheel between the rod and top plate. You can feel it vibrating when you put your finger on it during play, with the platter off.(See top pic)
7. You can replace the power cord with a better, shielded one with a better plug.
Jean Nantais writes: “I removed the rather large wire running from the switch (of the L75) to the motor, and replaced it with tiny 24-ga. solid-core (it has many uses) to prevent this as a route of vibration from the motor to the top-plate and platter. I also placed some Dynamat where the wire solders to the electrical switch to prevent the wire touching the metal top-plate, stopping this contact point.” He also warns against heavy power cords hanging from the motor suspension and thus preventing it from moving freely – he uses 24 G solid core between power switch and motor, 20 G solid core between motor and AC. Bolt the 20 G to the plinth using some Sorbothane around the wire at the cable retainer to stop vibration from the motor going anywhere by this route. Assuming terminal 1 is furthest from the main bearing, the AC goes to terminals 1 and 4, switch wiring goes to terminals 2 and 3, where the capacitor is. Grease the on-off switch links where they touch the top-plate to prevent rattle.
8. The distance from the spindle to the center of the hole is 212 mm on the Lenco L75/78. The Decca arm fits into the original hole in the Lenco chassis, even the arm geometry is right. However VTA is off, with the armbase pushed down against the mounting ring it’s still tail up. I solved this by putting an extra mat on top of the Lenco mat. Better, but a bit drastic, would be sawing off the upper right hand corner of the Lenco chassis. Make a removable armboard from birch multiply, maple etc. Now the arm sits lower compared to the platter, so VTA is in the ballpark. Added bonus: the arm doesn’t rest on the vibrating Lenco chassis anymore, but on the big plinth. (See Willbewill´s 2nd creation) Rega RB250/300 arms have a spindle to pivot distance of 222 mm, so in the original hole alignment is way off even with the cartridge way back in the headshell. When you’re the lucky owner of a 12" arm you don’t have to saw off the upper right corner of the chassis, you can go for the "Garrard Look" :-) Or place the arm BEHIND the Lenco chassis like on 4yanx´s latest creation. See Blueintheface´s handy table of arms, remember though effective arm length and pivot to spindle distance are not the same...
Comments on the Rega RB300 by JN: "REGA ALERT!!! I've mounted my Rega arm tonight - took me about a half-hour to make an armboard and pop the Rega in: great! - and achieved perfect geometry and VTA. First mounted my Shure and it did sound better than with any of the other tonearms in terms of detail and frequency extension: in fact, the Lenco/Rega is a MONSTER, and a very accurate monster that let's you hear every note, inflection and permutation of the lowest of the low frequencies. Here I challenge every record player on the planet to do better or even to match it! I thought it was digging a hole in my cellar floor. (Be aware I have changed amp and speakers in the last few months). Macro and micro dynamics are also much better, but in terms of PRaT I prefer both the Audio Technica and the Decca International...with Moving Magnets."
"While the Rega sounds somewhat pedestrian and soulless and intellectual - if very detailed and accurate - with MMs, put an MC on it and it transforms itself into a monster of PRaT, SLAM, SPEED, and all-around dynamic fireworks! And all the while sounding silky and smooth and in control."
Comments on the Denon 103 by JN: "But the combination of perfections is there in spades, the tonal neutrality of the Shure V15s allied to the slam and speed of the Deccas. Now my Grado Platinum on whatever tonearm on the Lenco still has that all-enveloping welcoming sound which is like coming home after a loooong absence, and in this sense I still favour it, but the Denon is the closest thing to overall sonic perfection I've heard."
"But I would say that the Ode to the Denon DL103 is the most perfect turntable and exciting turntable I have ever built/heard, there being an EXTREME synergy between the MDF/birch-ply/neoprene rubber plinth, the modded Rega RB300 (which tames the very slight tendency to brightness the DL103 can have in certain set-ups), and the plain vanilla DL013. Change any one of the ingredients, and you change the results (which may be better, but may not)."
9. Clean the mat with Rubber Renue. Glue the Lenco rubber mat onto the platter using 3M 77 spray can contact adhesive. Cheap and easy mod. Gets you more clarity and detail. You can try any mat, I did, I’m totally into mats, glass, felt, cork, cork/paper spotmat, in any combination, you name it. I had to admit JN was right on this one (too...). An alternative is Herbie’s Way Cool mat at $50, recommended by Dave Pogue, Albert Porter and 4yanx.
10. Make a BIG plinth for your Lenco and bolt the chassis onto it using the 4 threads from the underside. Most Lenco modders use layers of different materials to get effective resonance damping. You have to cut out the shape in every layer you need to give place to the chassis. Leave some room underneath the tonearm and around the motor. The motor must swing freely in its suspension and it gets hot after a while. Otherwise make the plinth as tight and massive as possible without resonating chambers in it. You can either glue and clamp or use screws to hold together during gluing, which speeds up the process.
Jean Nantais’ formula uses ½” MDF top layer, ¾” birch ply second layer with 1/8” neoprene rubber gasket between bottom of the top-plate in contact with the birch-ply layer [Direct Coupling]. Bolt the Lenco by the 4 top bolts, plus three screws at 3 different points/neoprene gaskets between round part of top plate and birch-ply layer. Below that alternate ¾” MDF and ¾” birch-ply.
Jean Nantais writes “For those watching waiting for the Truth to come Down concerning the Best Plinth before beginning their own projects, be aware that I anyway have not found huge differences (in fact none I can reliably identify, though I haven't tried hard), that it is the simple birch-ply/MDF plinth which is responsible for the success of this Lenco/Idler-Wheel venture which speaks for its effectiveness, and so I advise you to keep it simple and do-able, and stick to the simple recipe which, as I remind everyone once again, has conquered many a High End Belt-Driver already.” [6/23/05]
“I find anyway that the simple birch-ply/MDF combination has the best balance of attributes - specially dynamics and neutrality - I've found, Corian and plasterboard etc. notwithstanding.” [9/13/05]
“MDF by itself does not sound good; the birch-ply by itself does not sound good, but the two together produce an incredibly neutral and inert platform which allows both Lencos and Garrards (as I proved to my own satisfaction a while back) to speak in their true voice, free of colourations, favouritisms and constraints. Glue perfects the bond, simply bolting these together does not come close to realizing the potential of a CLD mix, in fact the reverse. It may not have the cachet of exotic materials and woods (and so not justify obscene costs), but this combination is ultimately extremely effective. I've played with all sorts of mixes, and this is the best in my experience, and it is practical as it is also very common. All of this has been worked out over the length of this thread, and in a piece I wrote for Lenco Heaven a long way back, and to a certain extent under my "system" here on Audiogon, though perhaps I should revisit and edit this, as I have come to settle on the birch-ply/MDF combination, for a combination [of] economic, sonic and practical reasons. This is not to say it can’t be improved on, but at an increase in difficulties and costs.” [12/29/05]
“As to the big new plinth you are planning, I truly believe now the best combo overall is birch-ply/MDF (effective, dynamic and neutral), but more than that, more mass truly does make, like Direct Coupling, a large difference to the ultimate sound quality of the Lenco: the heavier/massier the plinth, quite simply, the better the Lenco will sound, so don't be afraid of weight!” [1/26/06]
“Currently for Ultra-Refined Ultra Slamming Giants I am recommending 23" x 19" x 6" of pure CLD plinth; feet and Lenco and tonearm add to that height. Play with the dimensions whichever way you see fit, but this has a pleasing and MONSTROUS symmetry” [3/07/06]
“In discussing the point and design of these particular CLD plinths with him, he immediately recognized the Russian birch-ply [14 layers including veneer] (available at some Home Despots) and explained that it was guaranteed to have total coupling/adhesion of the individual layers without air-pocket or resonant spaces. So THAT's one reason why my plinths sound so good, all along it was a superb birch-ply to use for exactly the purpose of creating an inert non-resonant plinth!” [3/30/06].
“I use the birch-ply/MDF recipe because it is overall the most neutral, dead, "non-participatory" combination (neither adds nor subtracts) I have ever tried.” [5/04/06]
"I have rebuilt Garrards, Thorens TD-124s, and of course Lencos, and they all sound excellent on high-mass plinths, which with effective coupling absorbs and kills off noise while increasing focus the more mass there is. Since I don't believe in the quasi-mystical mumbo-jumbo that one big idler likes Material A while the other prefers material B (though why this should be is not explained...I think material A compensates for a system's colourations better than Material B, so it's a tone control which will later cause problems), then I believe that what works for the Lencos will work for the others (which I remind everyone I have actually built into high-mass plinths to great effect). The larger the mass and more effective the coupling the better the sound, simple. I make CLD plinths to maximize neutrality, in my case a combination of Russian birch-ply (particularly dense and air-bubble-free) and MDF, as after trying several recipes I have settled on it for best and most consistent result. Others like to play with Corian or plasterboard (drywall), chipboard, solid hardwood and others. If it's CLD (constrained layer damping, differing materials bonded together by adhesive for maximum marriage), then the end result is likely to be similarly neutral, assuming materials which are fairly neuttral to begin with." [8/26/06]
For the motor, JN writes: “a larger space around the motor will allow air circulation which will prevent heat build-up. The space I leave around the motor is not an enclosed resonant air space, but simply a space, an absence of material, being open all the way to the ground, and surrounded by a solid plinth, kind of like the Oracle open-air design, but much more massive. Now I own a Maplenoll with a fluid damping trough, which came in several iterations. They originally came with a rather narrow trough which you would think would make no difference from a large trough. Wrong: the walls of the narrow trough actually reflected the vibration the fluid was damping back to the paddle and into the cartridge, which was very audible (a disaster). The improvement was a much wider trough, which was a vast improvement. So taking my experience with this trough (enclosed spaces reflect energy back at the source), and a page from Oracle (a good idea to have a solid skeletal design which allows vibration to escape, and which itself vibrates only with great energy, as it is very thick and solid), I designed the plinth as it appears in my and Willbewill's photos. The Lenco plinth as I have designed it allows space around the motor, which also has the added advantage of allowing air to flow around it. Narrowing this space negates the air circulation, and in my estimation will create a resonant air space after all, as the walls are too close to the motor [5/06/04].
For armboard, JN writes: “I personally love the sound of maple as a tonearm board (sweet and open!), and purpleheart was good too. I hated the sound of either pure MDF or birch-ply tonearm boards, which is why I always sandwich the two (and conventional plinth wisdom be damned). No experience of any other hardwoods. Obviously, mahogany sounds great, as the Grado Woodies demonstrate.” [6/21/05]
Bolt to the plinth using four 4-7mm bolts, and three wood screws through the neoprene gaskets into the birch-ply layer.
re: Direct coupling (the circular bottom of the metal "pan" is directly touching the plinth underneath either with a neoprene rubber shim or to the wood using wood screws to make the connection (Birch ply recommended as the touching layer),
Jean Nantais writes: "Krenzler, avoiding rubber does not apply to your Lenco: the woodscrews pass through the rubber to bite into the wooden plinth itself, and so couples the Lenco proper to the wood of the plinth with extreme effectiveness, the rubber merely providing the needed support and damping of the ringy metal top-plate. In other words, your Lenco top-plate is directly coupled to the wood, not the rubber, which acts as a simple shim. In my own comparisons, there was a change of flavour but no sonic penalty as-is with rubber. I've heard that particular Lenco several times in John's extremely revealing system (modded Quad ESL 57s, rebuilt vintage Quad tube amps or original Marantz 8, either AR SP9 MKII or Dolan preamp), and it was chock full of PRaT, detail, bass and dynamics. The Oracle Delphi MKIV was sold, the Sota was sold, a Linn LP12 passed through at lightspeed, and even the Technics SP10 MKII in 80-pound plinth (vs the Lenco 40 pounds) couldn't match it. Perhaps a better balance in your system could be achieved if you substituted 1/8" backboard (of the sort which is nailed to the back of shelving), which is a wood product similar to MDF. I've done this before too in my early experiments." [8/23/06]
11. Decouple your Lenco. If you have a springy wooden floor, if you can get it on a solid shelf against the wall do it. I placed my L78 on rubber pods at first, changed to aluminum cones/dishes now, way better soundstage and depth. Others put it on metal balls rolling between 2 half-round "holders", 1 on the underside of the Lenco and 1 on the shelf it sits on. (See this longish story about a Garrard 401 project, bottom of page)
Jean Nantais writes: "On the subject of footers: they cannot be divorced from the platform they rest on, so results gleaned by situation on MDF (a sh**ty-sounding material on its own) is not necessarily meaningful on a different platform. I would suggest that the wood blocks accomplish this mix of materials MDF needs to sound good, while acorn-headed bolts make the Lenco expose to a much greater degree the sound of MDF. Try clamping that MDF shelf to another material Mike! My own shelf is acrylic glued to marble via two-way tape, resting on Tiptoes." [8/06/06]
12. I cleaned the underside of the platter with a paper towel and alcohol. Take your time to let the alcohol evaporate, alcohol eats rubber. A clean platter gives the idler wheel a better grip.
13. Ground the chassis of the Lenco by connecting it with a ground wire to the ground post on your preamp together with the ground wire of the tonearm. This should get rid of the hum.
14. The aluminum plate that covers half of the metal plate can be removed if desired. This is done by using a heat gun or hair dryer. Take your time and the aluminum can be removed without destroying the nice grey paint underneath. Once removed, the rubber glue can just be pealed off and automobile wax can be used to restore its hidden beauty. An extremely important note here: If the aluminum plate is removed, one loses the protective plate that covers the paint and metal where the speed lever touches the metal. One must be very careful not to let the level rest against the metal when adjusting speed. If care is not taken, the lever will scrap off the grey paint exposing raw metal. This should not be an issue since the outstanding Lenco motor once cleaned and re-lubed is incredibly stable and one will not have to constantly adjust speed once it is set.
Another point that needs to be addressed: the brass circular housing that holds the on/off switch is held in place by a small square piece of metal. It must be removed to completely remove the aluminum top plate. One must take their time when prying off this square holder. It must be reused to secure the brass housing when putting the switch back in place. Take your time when reinstalling this piece of metal. You will need some elbow grease and a flat head screw driver to set it properly. If not reinstalled correctly, your switch will begin to wobble over time and the entire table will have to be disassembled to fix it properly.
Ouch that was a lot of work READING this To-Do List wasn’t it? Let alone DOING all this stuff! Yes, especially item 11, making the plinth was a lot of work, I spent a whole week on woodworking alone. But, if I can do it anybody can, I got 2 left hands, no proper tools, and no workshop. I have seen Lenco plinths on the Web that are works of art; don’t let it scare you off. Making a plinth that gets the job done soundwise is not difficult. It’s just a lot of work! But worth it, the Lenco can give you glorious vinyl sound on a low budget. Good luck!