MICHELL ORBE, GYRODEC and ODYSSEY turntable

FITTING the SUSPENSION UNITS (otherwise known as 'Pete's Suspension Units', named after the designer)

 
   
  Please click on the link below to see how to install a set of Pete's Suspension Units.

https://youtu.be/6KpLT32WHPw

 
 

  

 

These superb kits are offered with the following options : -

18 off O-rings fitted as standard, (also optional spares available).

3 off large PTFE washers, (no longer supplied, please use the original ones supplied with the turntable).

3 off Sorbothane pads 8 dia' x 3mm thick (optional).

3 off  'Top-Nuts', supplied as standard.

3 off  'Bases', supplied as standard.

3 off Ceramic Balls, plus an extra one for use in the main turntable bearing (optional).

Please note: - Adjusting Rod is not included.

 
     
 

Please ensure the tonearm and cartridge are secure during the measuring and fitting process, we will not accept any liability during this process.

 

The reason we ask for the holes to be measured is because the holes were not made consistently to the same diameter.

 

The fit of the suspension unit in the chassis is critical in stopping the chassis from twisting on start-up, and also helps in reducing ‘wow’.

If the suspension units are too loose in the holes it may allow the chassis to move.

 

Unfortunately, we do not have an optimum size, if we made them slightly undersize, a one size fits all solution, then some of the suspension units would not work efficiently.

 

 The hole dimensions vary from 27.8 and 32.9 mm up to 28.9 to 44.9 mm and occasionally larger, so it is advisable that the hole is not determined by guessing and an undersize suspension unit may damage the deck with the twisting action.

 

 
 

The following procedure is advisory, True Point Audio Ltd, Pete and R. Stevenson are not liable for any damage or injury that may occur during this procedure.

Instructions for installing Pete’s Suspension Units.

A special thanks to R. Stevenson who has prepared these instructions for us and other Michell enthusiasts.

 When reading these instructions, you may feel that at times they state the obvious. No apology is made for this. What is obvious to you may not be to someone else!

 If all goes well, all assembly can be completed within an hour. However, please allow yourself more time as you don’t want to rush. Working under time pressure never helps to reduce accidents.

 Note that the words used to describe the parts of the Gyrodec as the same as those used on this website that has accompanying images:

https://www.angelfire.com/music5/michell_gyrodec/step_by_step/manual.html#:~:text=Put%20the%20white%20PTFE%20spacer,black%20spacers%20and%20socket%20screws.

1.    1)  Clear a table, and find: some tissues/kitchen roll; some grease; and some oil, which is needed for the central bearing (according to internet forums, one suitable choice is Extralube ZX1).

 2)   Disconnect the leads to the tonearm, lock the position of the tonearm and add the cartridge guard. (If you don’t have a guard, you’ll have to weigh up the risks of damaging the stylus by removing it compared with the chances of damage associated with removing the chassis.  Then remove the turntable belt, unscrew the platter nut that secures the platter, and lift off the platter. Put to one side the platter, the platter nut and associated felt washer, and the rubber belt. Carry all that remains to your workspace.

 3)   Prepare a space for the aluminium chassis. You may wish to use a couple of blocks of wood to rest the sides of the chassis on, so you avoid trapping the tonearms cable under the chassis. When ready, lift the chassis clear of the spring towers.

 4)   At this stage, you can now access the three spring towers. Lift off the upper part of the tower so it is free from the spring support spindle, and then unscrew the spring. Put the spring to one side, but keep the white PTFE spacer (you may need to use this, if a replacement has not been shipped to you).

 5)   Having removed the spring, you are left with the upper spring tower, which contains a metallic bearing, hidden from view and partially held in by grease. You need to get this bearing out and replace it with a ceramic bearing, and also add some additional grease. To remove the bearing, start by extracting some of the grease from the upper spring tower – a wooden kebab skewer is suitable (see below) – before tapping the upper spring tower on a  tissue. The ball should fall out. 

 

 6)    Grease one ceramic ball bearing, and drop it in the top of the upper spring tower.)           

 7)    Place the sorbothane pad on top of the internal part of the spring support spindle (see photo below).

 

 

 8)    Place the upper spring tower, now containing the ceramic ball, over the spring support spindle, which now has the sorbothane pad on top.

 9)    Now is the time to add Pete’s pylons. To avoid O-rings everywhere, start by removing just one of the two rubber bands. Loosen the other, but keep it in place. Screw the Pylon down so that its top is roughly level with the start of the knurled section of the upper spring tower.

10)   Place the white PTFE spacer over the tower (see below). It should be tight, but rather than apply too much force, if need be, carefully rub with glass paper if it is catching on Pete’s pylon. 

 

 11)    Repeat this exercise (steps 4-10), until you have all three Pete’s pylons installed. Then remove the remaining rubber band from around each Pylon, and replace the aluminium chassis.

 12)   The bottom of the every pylon, including the PTFE spacer, should fit within the hole of the chassis. If you put your eye level with bottom surface of the chassis, and look across, no part of the Pylon should be visible. If you do see that part of the Pylon is protruding from the base of the chassis, lift the chassis clear, inspect the pylon and rub with glass paper the area that is preventing the pylon from sitting snugly in the base of the chassis.

13)    Once the base of the Pylon’s is sitting well within the chassis, all that remains is to do is to replace the thrust ball in the inverted bearing. Remove the bronze bearing housing from the spindle. If the thrust ball is not sitting on the spindle, it will be in the bronze bearing housing, and can be removed by tapping this on a piece of tissue paper. Once the thrust ball is out – it looks just like the three metallic bearings from the towers –  replace this with the fourth ceramic bearing supplied. It is probably inevitable to lose some lubricating oil during this procedure, so don’t forget to top up the spindle well.

 14)   Move the assembly back to your where you normally house your turntable, and replace the platter, platter nut and the belt.

 15)   Note that the addition of Pete’s pylons will have altered the difference in height between the pulley and platter grooves. To ensure that the belt’s motion is purely horizontal, you may need to adjust the feet of the turntable, or sit the belt in a different groove in the platter.

 
 

If the Suspension units are stiff and do not appear to be working, please see below: -

If the suspension adjusters are not equally distant in the acrylic part of the base, it will cause the suspension system to lock up. This is due to inaccuracies in the machining of the original parts of the turntable.

Please note that you are changing from springs that bounce to Rubber O-rings that do not Bounce, but offer superb damping characteristics.

The New suspension will only push down wards and return to its original position, it does NOT Bounce it acts more as a shock absorber, they are O-rings not Bungee cords. This can be disconcerting as the suspension is now a lot stiffer.

You should still be able to move the chassis down wards when pressed, if it does not return to its original position, then the spider is out of alignment on one  post as shown in the photo above.

To remedy this you will have to remove the centre bush. If it is still stuck after doing this, a special base will have to be made for the suspension post that is causing the problem. Please contact us if this is the case. 

More details on this problem : -

To stop this 'sticking problem' from happening, inside the base of the pylon there is a split bearing bush (as shown in photo 1). If you remove this bearing bush (photo 2) from the base of the suspension unit and refit the suspension unit without the bush, this should remedy the problem.

 

Photo 1

 

Photo 2

 Split bush inserted in suspension base (photo 1).       To remove the split bush, press the bush out of the hole (photo 2).

 Now re-assemble the suspension units and fit it to the turntable.     

Note: All of the photos above show an earlier type of base.
 
 

Please contact us if you require further information.

 

We reserve the right to change specification without notice.

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