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  3. 1350109862

Where exactly do I add oil to VPI classic motor

I believe it is time to lubricate my VPI classic 1 motor. The owners manual says to add 1 drop of 40 weight motor oil below the brass piece. It doesn't give any more specifics than that. Can someone that has done this please explain to me how to do so in a bit more detail? I can't see the brass piece in question. Do I need to remove the motor cover to do this. It doesn't say to remove it in the VPI manual. I can hear an audible noise coming from the motor that I didn't hear or notice before. It is almost like a clicking sound but not quite that loud. I can't hear the noise through my speakers during playback but, I just want to make sure the motor is lubricated properly and not risk damaging it. Thank you.
andyprice44
dgarretson
2,599 posts
 
In view of the analog care and feeding that is necessary to properly mount and allign a phono cartridge, it is remarkable how reluctant some people can be to remove and reinstall a simple VPI pulley and brass collar requiring no more than an allen wrench and a brain stem.
actusreus
733 posts
 
If "feeding" is necessary, you surely should be able to understand the reluctance...

What is remarkable are the lengths to which a neurotic audiophile will go to satisfy his neurosis. Of course applying a drop of oil cannot possibly be that simple; it must entail disassembling, realigning, reinserting, and reinstalling. Otherwise, it could never possibly work. Too simple.

I'll do what I need to do to get the best out of my system, but don't leave common sense behind (as long as I'm sober, admittedly). Too bad that brain stem that is apparently needed to reinstall a pulley cannot be used for applying common sense before you remove it...
dgarretson
2,599 posts
 
In my instance the brass collar below the pulley was too close to the bearing to let the syringe pass through without working blind. In this hobby good eyesight may be more helpful than a brain stem.

BTW, even though the motor was not noisy before I oiled it, I found that sonic performance improved slightly after oiling the motor spindle. This is worthwhile annual maintenance.
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