So there are supposedly two reasons why my player might wail like a banshee: top clamp lube loss or dying spindle motor. I'm assuming the latter because in its worst mode the picture is severely impacted, but I've had it open and lubricated the clamp bearing all the same.
The interesting thing is how I can head fake it into playing. If it has chapter stops, I can skip to the end, let it recover (CLV goes slower towards the end, so it's a way for it to stabilize at a slower speed), then move towards the beginning, stabilizing at each chapter.
Absent chapter stops, I've found that changing to side B and back again gets it settled down sometimes, though less and less now. Ejecting and reloading can have a similar effect. Finally, letting it lie fallow for a day or so, unplugged and completely cold can give it a fresh start.
All that said, it's on its way out. Plus each of these methods is adding all kinds of wear to a very old machine.
I saw this on Ebay, is this right:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/325551875187?
Alternatively, anyone have one that they could part with?