LaserDisc Database
https://forum.lddb.com/

[CLD-D503] repair question
https://forum.lddb.com/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=8391		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  ksantry [ 24 Apr 2019, 01:17 ]
Post subject:  [CLD-D503] repair question
Just picked up a CLD-D503 that does not work. When I power it up, there is a grinding noise and the tray will not open. I took the top off, and the small white plastic gear under the tray near the center of the machine is not engaging with its track, thus the noise. I assume this means something somewhere else is binding.

I have read through this thread and I suspect the cause is probably similar:
[CLD-D503] Eject Trouble

1) Am I right in thinking that the above situation is essentially the same as mine?
2) Is there a step-by-step guide for opening up the machine sufficiently to remove the tray?

I'm aware this is not a high grade player, but if I can get it to work without spending a ton of time, at least I could have it as a backup.

Any suggestions or help are appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Author:  rein-o [ 24 Apr 2019, 03:36 ]
Post subject:  Re: [CLD-D503] repair question
Quick read, I think it may be the m holder, try searching that up to see if that's the issue, or even a belt.

I have a 503 and its a good player for the range without bells and whistles, also it uses the same parts as other players so hold onto
it for other players.
Author:  cplusplus [ 24 Apr 2019, 05:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: [CLD-D503] repair question
ksantry wrote:
I'm aware this is not a high grade player, but if I can get it to work without spending a ton of time, at least I could have it as a backup.


I like my CLD-D503.

Your link isn't linked correctly, but I see you are referring to [CLD-D503] Eject Trouble

Worth a shot. Just mark/photo everything as necessary as you disassemble it. I don't have mine with me to take a look, but tray removal is usually pretty straight forward. Usually removing two screws at the back of the tray and then just ejecting it and pulling it the rest of the way out. Reinserting it is where it gets interesting. Some models are easier than others.
Author:  ksantry [ 26 Apr 2019, 00:55 ]
Post subject:  Re: [CLD-D503] repair question
Thanks for the feedback.

According to another thread, the 503 doesn't use an M holder.

I did find the 2 screws at the back of the cabinet that hold the tray in place, but I can't eject the tray because of the problem I described. I probably need to remove the front panel to get the tray out, but after removing the 3 obvious screws at the top, I can't see what to do next.

The small belt appears to be intact.

Any further advice is appreciated.
Author:  rein-o [ 26 Apr 2019, 03:27 ]
Post subject:  Re: [CLD-D503] repair question
Ah yes, now I remember no Mholder, but now my allergies are kicking in and I have no idea to help from before or now.
Good luck, keep searching to try and find out how to fix it.

I personally like my 503 but use a 3070 and S1 as my main players, 503 is backup.
Author:  blam1 [ 26 Apr 2019, 19:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: [CLD-D503] repair question
The pickup rides on a gear that must engage with the track underneath. I've seen issues where the pickup can't move (or won't) so it makes this noise.

What the player is doing at this point is moving the pickup to it's inner most spot and then backing it off. The position of the pickup is essentially what "tells" the player which tray to open. If the pickup is up against the motor, the CD tray opens. If it back away from the motor, it opens the LD tray.

The track is spring loaded, so if the pickup can't move, you'll get this grinding noise. Try manually moving the pickup toward the spindle motor. If you can move it, pull it all the way to the spindle motor and then back it off to about midway in the track. If that works the tray should open. If it doesn't move easily, the rail lube has probably gummed up and will need to be cleaned and re-lubed. If the pickup moves easily, but the grinding still occurs, the springs under the track may be missing which pushes the track up to engage with the motor.
Author:  ksantry [ 27 Apr 2019, 22:42 ]
Post subject:  Re: [CLD-D503] repair question
Thanks very much for that suggestion, which made a big difference. I did manage to move the pickup down the track manually, plugged the machine in, pressed the open/close button and the tray opened. I then pressed the button again, the tray closed, some humming went on, and the tray opened again. I tried putting a disc in, and closed the tray. The disc loaded and clamped, but did not start turning. At that point, it would not eject either. I was able to remove the clamping mechanism and get the disc out.

Now when I turn the machine on, things move around, but when I press open/close, all I hear is a motor spinning. I'm guessing this means a belt needs to be replaced?
Author:  ldfan [ 28 Apr 2019, 00:36 ]
Post subject:  Re: [CLD-D503] repair question
At this point it’s definitely the belt. Probably the excessive slippage contributed to the jamming initially.

Anyway, it’s easy to access this belt with tray extended out.
Author:  ksantry [ 28 Apr 2019, 01:37 ]
Post subject:  Re: [CLD-D503] repair question
Thanks for that confirmation. Ordering the belt is easy enough, but the tray will no longer open How do I get the tray open manually?
Author:  ldfan [ 28 Apr 2019, 05:02 ]
Post subject:  Re: [CLD-D503] repair question
I thought you said you got the tray retracted in the previous post?
Author:  ksantry [ 29 Apr 2019, 04:29 ]
Post subject:  Re: [CLD-D503] repair question
I did. Then I put in a disc, it closed, and now it won't open again. As I said, I had to remove the upper clamping mechanism to get the disc out. It's reassembled now. When I power it on now and hit open/close, there's a whirring noise and that's it. If I can get the tray out again manually, I can replace the belt eventually.
Author:  ldfan [ 29 Apr 2019, 18:41 ]
Post subject:  Re: [CLD-D503] repair question
If you can move the pick-up assembly down again, you should be able to manually push the tray out.

Just be careful and I wouldn’t attempt it until you get the belt first (just because you don’t want to keep the tray sticking out for extended period of time as to avoid accidents).
Author:  ksantry [ 21 Jan 2020, 21:27 ]
Post subject:  Re: [CLD-D503] repair question  Topic is solved
OK, long time, no follow up. Life happens.

Anyway, here's what happened. As noted above, by manually moving the lens assembly away from its starting position, I was able to get the machine to power up and start coming alive. After a bit of manipulation and gentle pressure, I also got the tray to open and close, which gave me a chance to change the belt. This may not have been immediately necessary, but now I won't have to worry about doing it for years.

I "solved" the problem with the gear not engaging the track at power up by putting a thin cardboard shim under the track at the spot where the gear and track meet when the power is off. While I would consider this to be a "temporary" fix, it's good enough for my purposes. Now the machine powers up, loads, and unloads as it should pretty much all the time. I have tested it and it plays both audio and video just fine, and the original remote works too!

I do have a question, though. While the machine certainly works, it's a bit noisy and clunky while things are moving around. Is there a good guide to what needs to be lubricated and how?

Thanks for all past and future help!
Author:  signofzeta [ 21 Jan 2020, 22:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: [CLD-D503] repair question
LD players are loud, the cheaper they are the louder they are.

How many other players have you heard?
Author:  ksantry [ 21 Jan 2020, 23:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: [CLD-D503] repair question
Only a few. This one is clearly struggling a bit, having not been used for probably 20 years. I'd rather it didn't struggle, or at least struggled less than it does now, so again, any advice you'd like to give on lubrication would be appreciated.
Author:  admin [ 13 Feb 2020, 06:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: [CLD-D503] repair question
(topic was split, repasting cplusplus message below)

cplusplus wrote:
ksantry wrote:
I'd rather it didn't struggle, or at least struggled less than it does now, so again, any advice you'd like to give on lubrication would be appreciated.


Clean and replace the white lithium grease with new. You will not be able to do so thoroughly on some spots such as the cam gear without disassembly, which I would recommend avoiding. Additionally, there are ball bearings in the clamper assembly that can be regreased.
Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/