Advice on service, please

Hi,

I live in France and have a LP12 which is now 25 years old and has never been serviced (yes, I know). I have bought a Linn box from a dealer in London and intend to ship it back there for service. I could not get any sense from a dealer in Lyon, but if I am shipping it, then within reason it does not matter how far.

Anyway, before I start to dismantle the Sondek, I want to ask the wise heads in the forum if dismantling and sending to London for service and then re-assembling when it returns is the best thing to do? Is the service like replacing the belt, etc. that hard that I could not do it myself with less disruption to the Sondek?

Any advice welcome.

Also, when the box came from Linn there is no red cap and sleeve for the spindle inside. Can someone tell me how I get hold of these?

Thanks in advance,

James