Beogram 8002 Type 5633: A New Beogram Project From Idaho

This is the first post of another Beogram restoration project.  A very nice Beogram 8002 that belongs to the original owner's family.  It is amazing how many restoration projects are requested by people that have this type of personal connection to the audio component. Of course the Beogram 8002 is also a great turntable and one of my favorites.  Definitely worth restoring.

Here is the initial inspection and assessment of the Beogram 8002 as I disassemble it for the restoration.

The Beogram 8002 arrived with a lot of the original B&O packing.
You can see a bunch of black debris on the surface of the cabinet though. 
It looks worse than it is.
That debris is from deteriorated double-sided tape that B&O used to secure various pieces of the Beogram cabinet.  

Aside from being dirty from the deteriorated tape debris this turntable is actually in great shape for a successful restoration to its full glory.

Here is a look at the underside of the metal lid over the tonearm compartment.
It is the source for a lot of the debris.
You can see how the detached lid has double-sided tape remains on the lid hinge as well as the lid itself.

The owner dodged a fatal mistake with the MMC-2 phono cartridge though.
As you can see in the photo, this Beogram 8002 was shipped with the MMC-2 cartridge attached to the arm.
This is a big risk for damage to the phono cartridge because jerky movements during shipping could cause the tonearm to bounce in the vertical direction resulting in the stylus striking the deck of the Beogram.

While the MMC-2 phono cartridge is missing its plastic stylus guard, it looks to be intact.  A lucky break.  I think I might have an old, broken MMC cartridge of this type that has a stylus guard I can transplant on this one.

This next photo is kind of cool.  The owner still has the original insert that reminds the person unpacking the Beogram 8002 to unlock the floating chassis.  I think this is the first Beogram 8002 I have come across that still has this original shipping insert.

Just like the problem with deteriorating attachment tape on the tonearm compartment lid, the Beogram 8002 deck plate is also loose.

This photo shows a small, metal spring that helps remove static electricity build up on the metal deck of the Beogram.  It is loose (held in place when the deck plate is secure) so I will put it in a bag containing other loose parts that I need to take care of during the restoration.

Note that the Beogram 8000 turntable does not have this spring.  It was added when the Beogram 8002 was produced.

A maintenance feature of the Beogram 8002 turntable is that it can be opened up into a service position.

When doing basic maintenance on a Beogram 8002, like changing the servo belt, it is handy to open the Beogram cabinet into its service position.  

During a restoration however, I prefer to disassemble the components and remove everything from the cabinet. The reason for that is because the Beogram 8002 doesn't have any support of its own to remain open in the service position. That leaves it vulnerable to an accident if you have to leave it open for the whole restoration...meaning the raised top part of the cabinet can come crashing down. 

In addition, when the cabinet has loose pieces and a grimy dust cover, it needs working on by itself and those tasks are easier to manage if all of the turntable components are removed.

One of the first things I like to do in disassembling the cabinet is to remove the dust cover and the tonearm door assembly (the lid over the tonearm).

My preferred way of removing the dust cover and metal lid assembly is to pull the long bar that makes up the hinge and holds them to the cabinet frame.

This method works nicely because it doesn't disturb the rear, plastic plate that fits onto the back of the cabinet. Attempting to remove that plate often results in the plastic mounting tabs breaking.  I have seen cases where all of the mounting tabs were broken off so the solution then is to add screws to reattach the plate. The screws work but it would be better to avoid that whole scenario.

Those woes can be avoided by just pulling the hinge bar and lifting the dust cover and lid hinge off.

Before completely pulling the bar out, you have to disconnect the dust cover from the damping spring assembly.  I disconnect those components using a plastic prying tool and leveraging the dust cover hinge down (and off the mounting hook bracket).

Note: The mounting hook bracket shown above on the underside of the dust cover is another component that was originally attached with the B&O double-sided tape that eventually deteriorates.
I will remove that bracket, clean the old tape residue off and epoxy the bracket back on.

Here is the hinge bar fully removed.

...and here is a photo of the dust cover and lid hinge removed.

The next step is to remove the turntable components from the cabinet.

With the dust cover and lid hinge removed it is easier to maneuver the cabinet into the service position.

I don't show it in the photos but on the left side of the cabinet (when looking at it from the front), there are two M3 screw under the edge of the cabinet frame that must be removed so the top part of the cabinet can open upwards.

After removing the two screws the floating chassis must be detached from the cabinet leaf springs.
For the floating chassis attachment near the tonearm compartment the deck floor piece must be removed.

It is another assembly that typically has deteriorated double-sided tape ... as this one has in the photo below. 

To release the three floating suspension mount points I use a special hook tool.  It fits under the bend in the clip so I can press down on the leaf spring and disconnect the clip.

IMPORTANT: The Beogram 8002 cannot be lifted into the service position with the floating suspension springs attaches.

Once the suspension is dropped down off of the leaf springs the floating chassis can be maneuvered so the top section of the cabinet can tilt up. 

Before tilting the cabinet up I like to remove the Beogram 8002 Control Panel assembly and Transformer assembly.

Now to lift the Beogram 8002 cabinet into the service position.
A caution here is that the edge of the cabinet that lifts up will hit the left side of the fixed arm unless the floating chassis is slid to the right a bit.

With the Beogram 8002 cabinet finally up in its service position I can remove the PCB 1 & PCB 2 assemblies and pull out the whole floating chassis.

Lately on my Beogram 800x restorations I have been applying some tape to the underside of the floating chassis as I remove it to keep the clips for suspending the chassis from falling out.

The tape makes it easier to reassemble the components later.

Here is the empty Beogram 8002 cabinet.  
It can be put aside in a safe place along with the dust cover, metal tonearm compartment lid and other loose cabinet components.
I can work on the restoration of those parts separately from the main turntable components.

...and here are the main turntable components.

The floating chassis components, the circuit boards, the transformer and the control panel.

I really like that these components can be worked on then connected together outside of the cabinet for testing and adjusting.

In the next post I will begin restoring these main turntable components.
All of the electrolytic capacitors will be replaced.
All of the circuit board connectors will be checked and re-flowed with solder.
I will install my usual test connector under the control panel for measuring the left and right scanning LDR devices.
The tangential arm assembly will be disassembled some more for cleaning and lubricating.
During that task I will check (and likely add) a thin strip of Dura-Lar plastic where the tonearm rests against the lowering mechanism.  I will explain that when I get to that task.

A new belt will be installed on the tangential arm servo motor pulley.
Inside the microcomputer (uC) metal box (PCB 2) I will remove the processor IC and replace the 40 pin socket with a newer (and better) one.

Beomaster 8000: Opening Up The Beomaster 8000 To Service Position - Part 1

When working on a Beomaster 8000 for repair or diagnostics we open it into its service position. Occasionally we have to provide instructions to an owner to do this. Bang & Olufsen never intended this to be something an owner would do but in cases where it is too far and expensive to ship us the Beomaster we have to get creative in the trouble-shooting.

This blog post demonstrates step-by-step the opening up of a Beomaster 8000. The photos are from various units we have worked on (including my own Beomaster).

First a caution...
Always have the Beomaster unplugged from the AC power.  It is very easy for a metal screw to fall into the unit and short something out or a screwdriver to slip and short out a component. 

Starting with the Beomaster 8000 service manual instructions on opening the unit up...

Here is what it looks like on the real thing.

There are three flat springs under the release rail that apply pressure to keep it in place and provide the movement necessary to trip the catch on the Filter & Tone Control panel.

The springs just set in place so they easily fall out of the Beomaster when the release rail is removed. So far most Beomaster 8000 units I have encountered are missing at least one of the springs. 

Tip...
Place the small loose parts that you remove in a plastic container (small box or bag). You may think they will be safe sitting somewhere on your work area but somehow parts get lost.

Once the release rail is removed there are four screws that are now exposed and need to be removed so the bottom Beomaster panel can be opened.

There are three catches extending from the bottom panel that were holding the front of the panel to the Beomaster cabinet frame. Sliding the panel forward releases those from the cabinet frame and allows the panel to be tilted upright into the service position. The same three catches fit into slots on the top of the cabinet frame front edge to hold the panel in the service position. A nice design that had a technician in mind.

Next is the removal of the glass panel that covers the display board.

A plastic trim panel over the speaker switches is fastened by two screws. The trim panel must be removed to slide out the glass panel over the displays.

I find that it also a good idea to loosen (not remove) three more screws for the cooling tower in order for the metal tabs of the glass display panel to slide out.

With the glass display panel safely stored away there are two more screws to remove so the display board and microcomputer board assemblies can be lifted into service position.

The display board and microcomputer boards are stacked together to form one assembly. The microcomputer board is the one on the bottom and is attached to a metal hinge that has a slot. The two board assembly can carefully be lifted up, pivoting on the hinge until the hinge catches in the slot. That will leave the microcomputer board and display board upright in the service position.

The right channel output amplifier board and power supply board are now visible.

That leaves the Filter & Tone Control panel to lift into service position so the left channel output amplifier, preamplifier, FM and FM Interface boards are accessible.

Those are the first steps in putting the Beomaster 8000 into a service position that allows the Beomaster to still function fully while a number of measurements and adjustments can be made.

In Part 2 of opening up the Beomaster components will be removed where the Beomaster will not remain intact and the receiver will no longer function.

Beogram 8000: Opening the Beogram to Service Position

I don't think Bang & Olufsen intended for the Beogram 8000 owners to ever open their turntable into its service position. The factory authorized service centers would take care of that. These days however, owners that want to do simple maintenance on their Beogram 800x model turntables must open their turntables up themselves. A common task like installing a new belt for the tangential arm drive requires putting the Beogram into service position.

For the technician though, the Beogram service position is great. It really isn't that difficult and like most things, having the correct tools makes a big difference.

The first step (not pictured) is lifting off the platter.
Next, there are some important Beogram 8000 components to be familiar with in opening up the turntable to its service position. For reference this picture points out the suspension lockdown screw. There are three lockdown screws and they must not be in the lockdown position to open up the Beogram. There are also three leaf springs and hangers that make up the floating suspension of the Beogram. The suspension hangs from the Beogram deck lid that needs to lift up so you must disconnect and lower the suspension before the Beogram can be opened.

I use a special hook tool that makes it pretty easy to grab the suspension hanger. Holding the leaf spring down with a thumb or finger allows me to lift the suspension hanger up and over the mounting hole of the leaf spring.

Another first step (you could do this step prior to lowering the suspension) is to remove a couple of plastic trim pieces inside the Beogram deck. For the piece covering the dust cover hinge mechanism I use a small, plastic pry bar tool like you find now days for working on cell phones and tablets. It can pry pieces that snap together open without marring the finish.

The other trim piece is the plastic cover over the tonearm and fixed arm.

Although the suspension is disconnected (and lowered) at this point the Beogram lid cannot open yet because of two screws under the left side of the chassis that lock the lid down.

It is kind of awkward to get to those as you can see. I hang the Beogram over the edge of the table a bit to get to them.

The Beogram lid can now start to lift into service position but there are still a couple of very important steps. The lid must carefully be maneuvered at the left edge where it is free from the chassis lip. Once it is free to tilt (lift) you have to make sure that the deck will clear the fixed arm of the Beogram.

When the Beogram deck is in its normal position for use, the distance between the edge of the deck and the fixed arm is not enough for the deck lid to open. It will surely clip the fixed arm (which would not be good).

By design the turntable floating deck, that the tangential arm assembly is a part of, can be slid to the right a little bit so there is clearance for the deck lid to tilt.

If you look at the posts in the pictures below the bottom picture shows the posts have been slid over to the right.

Now there is clearance between the deck and the fixed arm.

The deck lid now tilts up from left to right into the Beogram service position.

Now it is easy to change the tangential arm drive belt or whatever you need to get to inside the Beogram.

One extra note...Be very conscious of the dust cover lid and tonearm compartment lid with the Beogram deck tilted up. Sometimes I secure them with painter's tape to make sure they don't accidentally get damaged. For major work on the Beogram I remove the dust cover and tonearm compartment lids completely. However, you also have to be very careful in doing that as I have come across quite a few Beogram 800x units where the mounts for the dust cover have been damaged by people not careful with their removal. Perhaps that would be a good blog topic by itself.