I recently began working on a Beogram 4002 Type 5513 from California, which needs a complete technical overhaul.

This post will provide an initial evaluation of the unit. It was delivered in excellent shape thanks to the customer’s careful packaging in a Beolover-provided shipping container. I was relieved because this device is in fantastic cosmetic shape. In the past, Beolover had a lot of “heartbreaking” experiences with units that arrived damaged because of inadequate packaging despite initially seeming pristine. This is particularly problematic when buying Beograms for repair on eBay or from other “uninitiated” vendors.

This is how the unit looked when it was delivered:

Aside from a slight scrape on the platter, the aluminum surfaces are in excellent shape. The hood is also in generally excellent shape, with only a few minor scratches. The keypad exhibits the typical smudges brought on by the lacquer coating degrading as a result of contact with skin acids and fats when the keys are pressed. The plinth is in like-new shape, with sharp edges and virtually no damage:

After removing the platter and aluminum plates, I discovered an unaltered original setup.

I also discovered this small tab within the enclosure.

This is a sign of a damaged carriage position sensor housing. I recently created a plug-in replacement component to solve this problem, so it was fortunate.

I plugged in the Beogram at this point and observed that the platter motor started working right away, which it shouldn’t have. The carriage then slowly started to move toward the LP setdown location after I pressed START. It successfully located it, and the solenoid activated. This was a positive indicator that the carriage/arm lowering mechanisms might only require a thorough cleaning and re-lubrication. The carriage returned to the home position when I pressed STOP, and the carriage motor turned off. However, the platter motor was still on. So, there is a problem.

This Beogram 4002 is otherwise a perfect candidate for a successful restoration to like-new condition. Stay tuned!