PL-518 Reworked....Warning lots of photos

I scored my 518 for $5 at a yard sale 5 or 6 years ago (cant remember) and its still my main TT. I use an Audio-Technica 440mla and it sounds quite nice. Nice job on the refinish. I got lucky and mine was in fantastic shape. One just sold on ebay for $355. I was shocked it went for that much.
 
Super job! Looks so much better than stock.

If it played fine before all the work, I would recheck the solder job or cart connections.
 
Nice work. Speaking as someone who has seen and fixed some very shoddy soldering over the years (and been trained on how to solder properly), yours looks quite good for a first effort. It doesn’t look as though it needs to be re-done.

You should have seen my first efforts, when I was a self-taught schoolboy – not a pretty sight! I had to fix most of it up a few years later when someone taught me how to solder properly.
 
Keyrimany that turned out nice. Well done.

I have a 518 that I've been thinking about sprucing up. I thought I was pretty original as I was going to paint it copper, but I guess I'm not the first person with that idea. Still, I'll probably do that though.

Did you find it easy to take apart? Mine works perfectly now and I'm a little nervous about disassembling a perfectly good TT to make it purdy.

My first soldering job was reattaching the lead wire on a Boston driver's voice coil. Total hack job but I only dimpled the cone instead of melting clean clean through it, so I'm considering that a success.
 
BushmasterM4, $355 that is crazy money for a pl-518. But it don't surprise me, with the way the cost of vintage turntables have gone up. Nothing surprise me on Ebay any more.

sol7, I plan to tear it down again today or tonight I should say....Going to start at the cart. and work my way back.

ETI_5000, Your words are to kind Thank you

Jadran, Thank You

Corbin Gross, I found it very easy to take apart......Its putting it back together I seem to have the problem with.:D:D:D I not to worried I'm sure its something easy I'm just overlooking or doing wrong.
 
Fantastic job bro! I just wish replacement dust covers weren't $100+.:thumbsdn:

I know that price is crazy. It was a hard pill to swallow. I looked at it like this with the labor and materials would far exceed the cost just to by it. I really not sure I could of done as nice as job either.
 
Please continue to update

I am just getting back into vinyl and am currently restoring a PL-540 I got off of CL for $25. One of the upgrades I want to do is replacing the cable just as you did so please keep updating. I do have a question though. Did you ever play anything before you replaced the cable, and if so did everything work then? VERY NICE!!!
 
Hey all, it's been just over year now that I have gotten back into vinyl.
What I didn't realize is how much I would enjoy my return. I can tell you I can not be more pleased. Anyways what prompted my return was last year. I was doing the garage sale seen I came to a turn table the was on the free table. I quickly snapped it not knowing a thing about it. Little did I know what a slippery slop I just jumped on. Anyways, what I ended up with was a Pioneer PL 518 with no dust cover, nor did it have a stylus...However it was free. So I turned to this forum for info and help for a cart. and info. What can I say big thanks.

The PL-518 what I ended up with. What can I say that hasn't been said already about the PL-518. I paired it with a Shure M97xE cartridge. I have grown really fond of this combination. I have purchased 7 vintage turntables in the last year, and the one I picked up free at a garage sale seems to be the one I like the most.




I'm kinda thinking the cartridge should be REMOVED when you're doing this kind of work!
 
I am just getting back into vinyl and am currently restoring a PL-540 I got off of CL for $25. One of the upgrades I want to do is replacing the cable just as you did so please keep updating. I do have a question though. Did you ever play anything before you replaced the cable, and if so did everything work then? VERY NICE!!!

Yes....It played great used it for about 10 months
 
Hey all, it's been just over year now that I have gotten back into vinyl.
What I didn't realize is how much I would enjoy my return. I can tell you I can not be more pleased. Anyways what prompted my return was last year. I was doing the garage sale seen I came to a turn table the was on the free table. I quickly snapped it not knowing a thing about it. Little did I know what a slippery slop I just jumped on. Anyways, what I ended up with was a Pioneer PL 518 with no dust cover, nor did it have a stylus...However it was free. So I turned to this forum for info and help for a cart. and info. What can I say big thanks.

The PL-518 what I ended up with. What can I say that hasn't been said already about the PL-518. I paired it with a Shure M97xE cartridge. I have grown really fond of this combination. I have purchased 7 vintage turntables in the last year, and the one I picked up free at a garage sale seems to be the one I like the most.




I'm kinda thinking the cartridge should be REMOVED when you're doing this kind of work!

You are right shame on me.........I did remove it after I started. But it should of been one of the first things I did. The stylus in it was junk
 
Looks stunning with the black finish. :thmbsp::thmbsp:

The PL-518 is a very nice turntable. I picked one up at a yard sale (near mint condition) for $20 a couple years ago. I'm not too excited with the drab gray finish of the stock turntable. What you've done looks really sharp.
 
Looks stunning with the black finish. :thmbsp::thmbsp:

The PL-518 is a very nice turntable. I picked one up at a yard sale (near mint condition) for $20 a couple years ago. I'm not too excited with the drab gray finish of the stock turntable. What you've done looks really sharp.

Thanks cactuscowboy, I think its really sharp to, The finish pictures don't really do it justice.
 
Very nice indeed. I have one that I've been meaning to restore for sometime, my major hangup... I only have one of the feet. Does anyone know of a source for the feet on these units? Also, are they like some other TT's where the feet's springs are unique in spring rate and thereby needing to be installed in the proper positions? How would I find out which one's go where if that is indeed the case? Sorry for the thread-jacking :)
 
So I got to thinking and the buzzing sound when you get close to the arm sounds a lot like a ground issue. Check the ground wire/ground solder, maybe.
 
So I got to thinking and the buzzing sound when you get close to the arm sounds a lot like a ground issue. Check the ground wire/ground solder, maybe.

Thanks I had plans of working on it tonight.......But I am still at work:no::no: so maybe tomorrow
 
That looks amazing! I had the 518-X, which was black, but not nearly as goodlooking as yours. Good luck with solving the hum-problem and enjoy listening.
 
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