77 8 track adjustment
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,694
Likes: 833
From: WI
Couple ideas while you are in there:
1) Inspect the rubber pinch roller closely. If it's not cracked and damaged, clean it thoroughly with rubbing alcohol, let it dry then apply 'rubber revitalizer' to it. That will make it nice and sticky again. You can find this on the internet, but I bought some wiper refills a while ago and it came with a pouch of rubber revitalizer. So, if you need to buy wiper blades anyway, maybe look at the pack and see it it's included. If the roller is shot, you can buy replacements online. They're pretty cheap. Be sure to clean the rest of the tape path as well, and the tape head/s.
2) It's very unlikely that the drive belt is good after all these years. They typically stretch and get 'flabby'. If you haven't replaced it, it would be a good idea. It could be part of the cause for the slow speed you are experiencing. If you go to any place that repairs VCR still, they would have a bunch of belts, I'm sure they'd have one that would fit.
3) Apply a drop of light lube on the drive shaft bearing.
4) Yeah, adjust the speed screw as needed after doing the above service.
Enjoy those great 8-track hits (Kenny Rogers, Foghat, Carpenters, Alabama, etc)!
Mark G
1) Inspect the rubber pinch roller closely. If it's not cracked and damaged, clean it thoroughly with rubbing alcohol, let it dry then apply 'rubber revitalizer' to it. That will make it nice and sticky again. You can find this on the internet, but I bought some wiper refills a while ago and it came with a pouch of rubber revitalizer. So, if you need to buy wiper blades anyway, maybe look at the pack and see it it's included. If the roller is shot, you can buy replacements online. They're pretty cheap. Be sure to clean the rest of the tape path as well, and the tape head/s.
2) It's very unlikely that the drive belt is good after all these years. They typically stretch and get 'flabby'. If you haven't replaced it, it would be a good idea. It could be part of the cause for the slow speed you are experiencing. If you go to any place that repairs VCR still, they would have a bunch of belts, I'm sure they'd have one that would fit.
3) Apply a drop of light lube on the drive shaft bearing.
4) Yeah, adjust the speed screw as needed after doing the above service.
Enjoy those great 8-track hits (Kenny Rogers, Foghat, Carpenters, Alabama, etc)!
Mark G
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