Sounds like the beogram has it's transport screws tightened up. Look underneath the deck, three screws are identified which should be loosened all the way out until they are loose. The platter should now have a distinct springy feel to it. If not then it can be adjusted via 3 screws on the suspension springs. Fiddly job but not too technical. Well worth fixing, the mechanics are fairly bombproof.

The beocord drive belt is probably perished and will have wrapped itself around the spindle in a sticky mess. New belts are available from Martin Olsen (Dillen on this forum) together with instructions for fitting. Simple job.

Alright, thanks for the quick reply!  Yeah I was hoping the Beogram problem wasn't something serious, since the underlying mechanics seemed to turn fine without that metal plate.  I'll take a look for those screws and hopefully it helps the situation.  The other thing was, would anyone have any advice on getting a new cartridge?  I phoned the B&O store and they noted that they're now made by a 3rd-party vendor and the MMC4 equivalent was $250 Cdn (I almost dropped the phone!); online I found Sound-Smith, who I guess makes them now, and that cartridge is slightly cheaper to buy direct from their horribly-constructed web site that makes my head spin just trying to look at it.  Would that be the best way to go, or is there another way to get cartridges for this sucka?  From what I can see it looks like they're proprietary pieces, which is never a good thing when you're dealing with older electronics.

As for the Beocord, I wasn't terribly interested in it anyway (seriously, who plays tapes any more?!) but I'm always interested in a fix-up project!  😎   Any estimate on how much a belt would cost, and where I could get one?  I just tried Googling Martin Olsen and came up with nothing, so is this Dillen fellow just wandering around on these forums somewhere?  😁

And since it seems people around here are so helpful, any other advice about a system like this in terms of ensuring it's running properly?  I know next-to-nothing about B&O other than it's decent audio gear; I've got a Rega Planar3 setup that I enjoy, but I really like the look of this older system and the CD50 actually surprised me with a pleasant sound despite its age.  I'm even thinking of hunting around for some
B&O speakers for this system if I'm able to get it up and going again...the Beovox RL 60-series caught my eye, but I don't know if there was another set that this system was specifically made for?

Again, thanks for all the info! 

greg 

You can get the cartridges on Ebay but you take the risk that they are bust or worn. The Soundsmith ones are very good if a little hand made compared to the originals. I would (and have) buy one of these from preference. The Beogram is not that different in quality level to the Rega - you will find the Rega has better bass which is down to the record support I believe and that the B&O has much less sensitivity to external stimuli!

The beocord is well worth fixing! It is an extra source and very useful for parties where you can record 90 minutes of music that can play uninterrupted. Martin is on site - look for member Dillen and send him a PM and i am sure he will get back to you.

RL speakers are OK. I prefer some of the more traditional ones but you need to decide that for yourself. Many need the capacitors replacing in the cross over - very easy and well worth the bother. You don't need B&O speakers though - any will work with the BM5000. This is a very good receiver by the way - technically the best in the range with lots of expensive features removed from the later ones! 

As Peter has already said. Go with a new Soundsmith cartridge if you can. Even new old stock ones that come up on Ebay can be faulty. Even though theu have not been used the suspension can harden up in them and they won't work.

Craig😁 

Yeah, it seems like it would be cheaper just to order them directly from Sound-Smith's terrible headache-y website.  😁  From what I can see on this site, the MMC4 that this system came with was more of a midrange/low-end cartridge (much like the system itself I guess).  Would springing for an upgrade (I guess the SMMC3 would be the only one in the budget I'm willing to give to this project) be worth it in anyone's opinion?

 I didn't gather from this website's review that the receiver was anything special.  Anything in particular that the BM5000 was known for??  

greg 

Okay, it's been a while, but I've been very busy and this got pushed to the back of the list.  So I checked the three transport screws underneath the deck, and they were tight.  I loosened them up a good deal, but the deck still doesn't turn without scraping, and there's still no "springy" feel to it.  I guess the screws on the suspension springs will have to be fiddled with.  Anyone have any idea how to go about that?  On that note, is there some sort of troubleshooting manual or anything I should take a look at?

The other thing was, I did get ahold of Martin Olsen about the Beocord drive belt.  I can order one from him, but I just got to wondering if there was a more-local North American person/business who sells them as well; it seems kind of ridiculous to get this thing shipped halfway around the world!  🙂  If not I'll probably just order from him, but I feel a little nervous spending $50 (w/shipping) on something that might not even bring the thing back to life, especially so since checking online shows Beocord 5000s available for about the same price.  😁

Again, thanks for any help/advice!

greg