Note: This post documents an outdated method. There’s a simpler way to remove the drive that doesn’t involve lifting the Pre-Amplifier board or disconnecting the solenoid linkage. See my later post for the updated procedure.

Following advice from ‘chartz’ and ‘sonavor’ on Beoworld.org (link to thread), I began replacing the belts in my Beocord 5000 (4716), which had become loose and stretched over time.

The first step is removing the drive mechanism. This involves lifting the left-side board to access the solenoid linkage. As ‘chartz’ recommended, I secured the operating panel to the enclosure’s bottom using three screws in reverse orientation. This clever trick prevents damaging the wires while working with the exposed components. Here’s a picture:

Next, I flipped up the left-side board. This board is secured by two screws: one in the back right corner and another beneath the enclosure next to the red DIN socket. With the screws removed, I carefully shifted the board to the right, disengaging it from the two brackets.

Conveniently, there are two upward-facing slots on the brackets where the board can be secured in an upright position. I recommend covering the plexiglass cover with a cloth to prevent scratches, a precaution I hadn’t taken in the following picture as I was still learning:

With that done, it was time to extract the drive.

First, I removed the solenoid linkage:

This required removing the retaining ring from its pivot shaft. I used a retaining ring tool, but it was tricky as the ring sits flush. By gently prying the ring open with the tool and wedging a small screwdriver between the ring and the linkage, I was able to raise the ring enough to get a better grip and remove it.

With the ring removed, the linkage could be rotated 90 degrees and taken out:

The next step was to disconnect the head plug, ensuring the deck was unplugged to avoid magnetizing the heads. This precaution was advised on a barely visible warning label inside the operating panel - a classic example of how not to design warnings.

Following that, I desoldered the solenoid connections:

The drive is secured at the front by two screws that go up through the enclosure’s bottom into the solenoid bracket. Here’s a view from under the enclosure:

I loosened these screws to allow the drive to slide forward.

Unlike the front, the drive’s rear isn’t secured with a screw. Instead, a bracket on the drive slots into the enclosure. By sliding the drive forward, it can be lifted out.

The final step involved disconnecting the large wire connector at the back of the drive:

This connector was quite firmly seated, and I had to carefully pry it loose with a small screwdriver before pulling it downwards. I realized then that removing the plexiglass cover would have made this easier. Finally, it came loose, and the drive was free.

Here’s a picture of the removed drive:

And the enclosure without it:

That concludes today’s work. Next time, I’ll begin disassembling the drive mechanism to access the belts.