TD160 Motor knock

[Jac Hawk]

So i've done a few tests and the motor spindle is ever so slightly bent and when i take the belt off and the knocking stops, which says to me that either the knock is coming from the pulley assembly or the bent spindle is causing the noise from inside the motor

[Doctor Fuse]

My TD 160 has a bit of motor knock noise. The spindle looks straight [enough], so I just figured it was an old motor, probably with a worn lower motor bearing.

I got the appropriate hardware store parts to make a motor bearing thrust plate, way back at the start of this lockdown, maybe in May, but since I have moved on to a Mission 775S table, I haven't got around to installing it.

I am hoping you meant a bearing well/spindle thrust bearing, and not the motor thrust bearing, when you mentioned "thrust bearing". I was hoping this would fix the noise.

It never really bothered me while listening to music, even on quiet passages, it just got the little bit of OCD in me riled up.

[Jac Hawk]

Me too Kenji, I can't detect the noise while music is playing it just grinds my gears that it isn't perfect.

[Jac Hawk]

Does anyone know what motors are compatible with the TD160 i.e. TD166, TD150 etc?

[Jac Hawk]

I think i've sorted it! most forums and so called Thorens specialists will tell you that the knock is a side effect of end float (the spindle moving up and down on its bearing) causing the motor to knock, anyway I tried all the remedies including 3 different motors, but all of them were noisy, they knocked or both. Unfortunately these fantastic little motors aren't available new anymore so the best you can hope for is something about 40 years old, so I was almost at the point at looking for a modern alternative when a mate asked if i'd ever replaced the 2 caps and resistor on the motor control board? honestly not something i'd have associated with motor noise, my thinking was if there was a problem with it then the motor wouldn't spin properly, anyway i've just changed them and voila!! no more noise, now i'm not saying that end float isn't something that will cause your motor to knock, but if you have an old Thorens and you haven't replaced these 3 parts then i'd strongly recommend that you do.

[walpurgis]

Useful bit of info there Mike.

[Jac Hawk]

Like Blue Peter mate, I’ll be showing you how to make Christmas decorations out of used bog rolls next