VPI Classic 3 IDLE drive

Super lube is for the bearing of the platter.

The platter was going slow because I had put slightly too much grease.
I left it spin for a couple of hours and it got faster peace.
I will still let it Seattle for another few hours.

Regarding the pulley, I removed the hex screws but the pulley must be so tight since it was very hard to remove.
I didn't pulled it out, I decide to not force anything and put everything back.

As for balancing screws, thanks for the tip I hadn't thought of that.
Anyhow since the pulley doesn't move not even if pulled quit hard, I don't think that the screws will act much on balance.
Nevertheless I will check into that making sure the pulley spins correctly.

I now understand that the bigger pulley I have seen in both the website and YouTube videos is not theRIM drive.
I was hoping VPI would have developed one, mike after all told me a while ago they were working on it.

Is it going to be hard to lubricate the motor with the old pulley?

I guess I should lubricate it since I had the table for more than a year although I probably played it no more than 100-150 hrs.
Mike recommended me for the motor's oil something that can be boughtat fish-haunt store...something like rail oil.

Could somebody here please help me to understand how to properly lubricate my motor with the older pulley!?
I have read several post but I can't understand where the brass bracket is.

Thanks

I have a Classic 3 that arrived last August or September, I think. It has a larger pulley like the one on youtube clip. There is about 3-4mm clearance between Pulley and platter.
I saw one of the earliest version of Classic 3 that has smaller pulley like Classic I. Classic 3 actually went through a few minor revision. The color of the plinth used to be metallic grey if you look back at old Music Direct ads and such. Now it is matted black. Platter now has grooves that was not there in early version. I would not be surprise if VPI decide to add rimdrive or idle drive or whatever but It is not out yet as far as I know.

Hi Stefano,
I used a syringe and used synthetic motor oil for a car (5W30). I applied a single drop on the shaft just below the pulley of my TNT. The multi-weight grade oil is inconsequential. It is just what I had available. Though I chose it for its superior film strength and light viscosity. I used the same for my VPI TNT bearing.

The lighter weight oil versus grease in the bearing well, greatly improved the performance of the TT. With the grease the sound was sluggish and smeared. The 5W30 allowed the TT to reproduce greater dynamics and openness to the music.

This makes sense since the grease places a greater drag on the motor which counters the inertia of the platter.

Just for clarification, VPI recommends Mobile One synthetic oil for "well type" bearing like the older TNT. For "inverted" bearing, VPI recommend super lube which is lithium based grease. For motor spindles, VPI recommends light grade oil. Mike has recommended rail oil for fishing reels which is very similar to sewing machine oil.

Stefanoo,

I'd recommend using a syringe like Redglobe described. The only problem might be getting one as in many states syringes and needles are not freely available to the public. I live in CA and it was impossible to get it. I eventually had one shipped from NY by a family member.

Next best thing is a dropper you can get at a local drug store such as Duane Reade or Rite Aid. Using a dropper without removing the pulley might need a bit of a clean-up job since you'll most likely leave some oil residue at the bottom of the pulley.

Steve from VPI told me to use two wooden spoons to remove the pulley, but once I loosened up the 3 screws, the pulley just came off easily. I'm not sure why yours would not. The balancing job on the screws is actually quite tricky as simply tightening the screws did not work at all. VPI actually uses specials tools to mechanically balance the tension. The least tension that did the trick (pulley was spinning) was what worked.

As far as the oil, Steve recommended 3-in-1, which also makes a type specifically for lubricating motors. Or you can go with the other types mentioned above.