Beogram 4002 (5523): A New Arrival From Louisiana - First Impressions

I recently received a Beogram 4002 (Type 5523 with DC platter motor) from a customer in Louisiana. It arrived safely packaged in a Beolover double box, and no shipping damage occurred. This post gives a first assessment of the unit. I extracted the Beogram from the packaging and put it on my bench

As in most cases, the dust cover was fairly scratched up:

Luckily, this can be fixed with a nice shiny new reproduction hood and a new reproduction aluminum trim!

Under the hood, the unit has nice aluminum surfaces:

Like most, after almost 50 years, it has a few minor dings and blemishes:

There is a bit of damage around the platter cutout, possibly from carrying the unit around without tightening the transport locks:

On the positive, the platter is still very nice:

The plinth still has decent corners:

Unfortunately, there is a bit of damage on the right side

This could possibly be fixed, but my customer wanted the frame replaced with a new CNC-machined 4000c-style oak frame anyway.

The keypad seems to have had its coating removed:

It probably had a worn coating in the areas where fingers touched it, and removing all of it resulted in improved looks. This can be fixed with a new reproduction keypad plate. See here for more information about our keypad restoration service.

After this visual inspection, I removed the aluminum plates and the platter:

I found some 'well-known parts': A new Beolover Tracking Sensor LED Light Source (Beogram 4002 and 4004) and a new machined aluminum pulley had been installed at some point:

The DC platter motor had a non-spec pulley installed. This one has the wrong shape since it is cylindrical and lacks a crown that keeps the belt centered while the motor spins:

If I can successfully restore this motor, I will fit it with a properly crowned Beolover DC Platter Motor Pulley for Beogram 4002 and 4004.

As found in most, this Beogram 4002 had also completely lost its transport lock bushings:

This will be fixed with a set of Beolover Transport Lock Bushing Set for Beogram 4000, 4002, and 4004.'

At this point, I plugged the unit in and pressed START. The carriage came alive, and the platter motor started running with a shriek. A clear sign that its shaft bearings are in urgent need of reinfusion with oil under vacuum. The carriage found the LP setdown point and the solenoid engaged. All good lifesigns!

When I pressed STOP to return the carriage, there was no reaction. I had to use the ">" button to manually drive it back. This may indicate a dead transistor in the electronic switch, or a very oxidized switch terminal under the STOP key. We will see.

In summary, I think this Beogram 4002 is a good starting point for a restoration to like-new condition. Stay tuned for updates on this project!