ELAC Miracord 50H II, tonearm pivot is loose

[jvcforce]

I've just purchased a very clean ELAC Miracord 50H II unit locally (I had to drive about an hour to pick up though.)
It came with an original documents; a user manual and a plinth cutout dimension.
Also it came with a plastic cover, auto changer rod and single play rod, all in very good condition.
Every function works. Auto changer works, and speed is very consistant.
However, it seems that tonearm pivot is a bit loose. Then I grab the tonearm and gently push and pull, I can feel a bit of looseness. My other turntables' tonearms are not loose at all, and I want to have it repaired.
Is it possible to repair the tonearm?

 

[Montycat]

A tiny bit of play is better than too stiff. It might be fine. I have a 50H and just tested it. I can feel a little movement as well but I am not concerned at all.

 

[revox-b77]

I have one here at work... I will post back shortly.

 

[jvcforce]

Thank you for the reply.
I've been using Technics SL-1200 mk2 (never been toured, very well taken care of) and other cheaper Technics turntables. None of them would are loose like that, the pivots only turn, they never wiggle, not even a tiny bit.
I don't think the previous owner abused the tonearm, as everything else works fine, and it did play LP record without skipping. (I have only played a few records for testing only.) I even did 30 degree angle test (since it uses a spring for tracking force), and it played without skipping!
Of the topic, I made a mistake connecting wires between Elac headshell and Audio technica cartridge. (Blue and Yellow wires on Elac shell, I connected Elac Blue (L+) to AT blue (L-), and Elac Yellow (L-) to AT white (L+), which is wrong, polarity flipped.)

I guess I'll post videoclip when I have time.

 

[stereofisher]

As said above, a little play is better that being tight. If it’s playing a record you should be ok. These s are very nice turntables. Welcome to Audio Karma!

Eric

 

[revox-b77]

Mine has a small bit of play as well. Yes I am still at work, just got real busy all of a sudden.

 

[jvcforce]

OK, here's the tonearm.

Like other members said, probably the tonearm is fine.
But it had a common issue; there is a crack on tonearm's connector port. (the crack was shown on the picture that I posted early, but I didn't realize it) That was why it was playing only one side of stereo channel (leaving a few pins open connection). I didn't want to mod the connector (at least for now), so I bent a pins on the headshell, so that all 5 pins would touch.
Now it works as it should, and it sounds great.

 

[Nat]

Most arms with ball races on the horizontal bearing (by which I mean the bearing that allows sideways motion) will move a bit if you jiggle the arm. Recognize that you are putting way more force into the arm than it encounters in playing a record, and that in normal use, the weight of the arm keeps it in good contact with the bearing race. Adjusting the bearing is not easy, and potentially very annoying if you lose the ball bearings.
But if you can see motion in the vertical bearings (those which allow up and down motion), that might be fairly easily addressed - I suspect the cover on the right unscrews and then you can unlock the locking ring and tighten up the pivot a bit - you don't want it too tight, so screw in until you are tight, and then back off an eighth of a turn. Then lock, while immobilizing the pivot screw.

 

[MRL_Audio]

Mine has some play but I don't recall it being as in the video. However I will say I have only checked it with the counter weight on. Not sure if the additional mass helps to settle the arm in place more or not.

 

[jvcforce]

OK Nat, thank you so much for your explanation. I wanted to know if this was normal. Just that I'm used to Technics tonearms, and this tonearm feels a lot different. I cannot tell if this is a problem, and it does produce great sound (after I resolved the connection issue at the headshell.) So, I'll leave it alone (I won't fix it, unless it is broken.)
I really like the turntable (especially its retro look), and auto changer is fun!
Off topic, but I'm not a fan of this plinth. It takes too much place, there is no rubber feet (hard to lift up the unit, and unit is heavy) and bottom is wide open. I have to make a smaller plinth for this turntable!

 

[Andre Garcia]

Hi,
I am familiar with bearings.
First, loose bearings are not good. Free play ruin the races and playing records cause distirtion.
What type of bearings your TT have?
AG.

 

[jvcforce]

Hi,
I am familiar with bearings.
First, loose bearings are not good. Free play ruin the races and playing records cause distirtion.
What type of bearings your TT have?
AG.

Yes, I am aware of it. That is why I was very concerned at first. However, I don't hear distortion that likely caused by loose tonearm. By the by, on the videoclip, I realized that as I pull and push the Elac tonearm, the whole unit was also moving a bit, because the unit is spring loaded.

Also, loose tonearm would cause poor track ability, but it is not the case neither fortunately. I mounted Audio technica AT91 cartridge (I think it is a good start) Tracking force is set to 2 gram (I measured the actual tracking force) and I've been playing familiar LPs that I know how it should sound. (If I have to nitpick, inner distortion is noticeable compare to SL-1200 MK2 with Baerwald alignment with the same cart.)

I even tried the spring tonearm test; I placed a Yellowpage on one side of the plinth and played a LP (so the turntable is severely unleveled.) It managed to play though without skipping! I'm getting good result!

 

[Andre Garcia]

I heard some rattleing when you move it.
If this is not causing chattering and distirtion leave it alone.
Now, to be sure, balance the tonearm with antiskate zero, and gentle blow air, the tonearm should move and stay stady, in some case they go back a little because the wires. If there is hesitation this is not a good sign.
Then put the arm close the inner groove and calibrate the antiskate to 1. The arm sholud go back with no issues. All this with a perfectly leveled plinth.
My 2 cent.