Dear all,
I am writing here to share with you an interesting experience.
I have just restored a Beogram 1202 and stumbled across the well-known Idler Wheel problem. The rubber coating had hardened and had pressure marks. The running noise was unbelievable!
Unfortunately, Martin (Dillen) has no more replacement Idler wheels at the moment.
So I had to help myself in another way.
First I sanded the pressure marks down with very fine sandpaper (grade 600) and a standing drill.
Now the rumbling noise was gone and luckily the diameter was still big enough for the turntable to reach the right speed.
What remained was a very unpleasant hissing noise due to the hardened rubber.
Then I remembered a trick I know from restoring cars. Rubber parts that cannot be replaced can be revived by soaking them in fabric softener for a few days.
I also tried this with the Idler wheel.
I soaked it in fabric softener for a week and, lo and behold, the record player runs very quietly again. I am very happy with the result!
I know this is only a temporary solution and I don't know how long it will last. But I hope that it will at least work until Martin (Dillen) can deliver beautifully remanufactured parts again.
Maybe this solution will help one or the other here in the forum.
Kind regards,
Wolfgang
