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