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Anyone know how to remove a stuck cassette in an Alpine 7146 head unit that I have in my ‘79. Just bought the car and tired my first cassette and it immediately got stuck. No cassette and now no radio. The unit has no eject button so I assume it’s supposed to eject when the ignition is turned off. Screwdriver and needle nose didn’t work. Thx for any advice
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I've used a screwdriver underneath the tape while pushing the eject button before.
But if you have no button & the screwdriver doesn't work....you might have to pull the deck.
Don't pry it up, or use pliers. There is no way to remove it that way. That would be like trying to yank the power steering pump off an engine by hooking a chain up to it ...lol. The cassette is down into it's 'bay' and the drive spindles are through the cassette tape reels. The mechanism is delicate with many small specially fitted, precision parts. The belt is most likely broken or stretched and won't turn the eject gears and sliders, which is why it won't eject.
The way to get the cassette ejected now is to remove the unit from the dash, remove the top and bottom covers, and rotate the larger pulley with your fingers. It should go through it's release/eject cycle.
Belts generally last a long time, but they eventually stretch and/or break due to age and heat. Real common on old stereos. I have many vintage units. When I get a new one from a swap or someone gives me their old one, I inspect the belts first (and/or replace) before sticking in a tape (They can 'eat' a tape too). A new belt isn't very much. Sometimes replacing a new belt is really easy sometimes they can be a real bear depending on the unit. I can't remember off the top of my head on that unit.
Don't pry it up, or use pliers!! These things are delicate with many small specially fitted, precision parts. You'll need to remove the unit, remove the top cover (or maybe the bottom cover ..but probably the top cover). Inside there should be a trip lever which should allow the arms to back off and the cassette carriage tray to raise (and eject the cassette). Or you might be able to apply power and rotate the drive pulley and it will go through it's release/eject cycle.
The reason it's stuck is 98% of the time ...the belt has stretched or broken. They stretch and/or break due to age and heat. Real common issue. I have many vintage units and I never stick a tape in them w/o inspecting the belt first. The eject cycle is nearly always operated off the main pulley (driven by an small electric motor) ...therefore if the belt is broken it won't eject. A new belt is probably $5. Sometimes getting a new belt on can take some effort, some units it's pretty easy. I can't remember exactly on that unit.
funny thing, after an hour of tinckering it randomly engage and started playing the cassette. Sounded fine. But the program button made clicking noises when it tried to switch from cassette to the radio. So I tried the eject button and it popped right out! Won’t be putting it back in. I just bought the car, I’m guess there hasn’t been a cassette in the deck in perhaps decades. Thx!
What sometimes happens on units which aren't played for a long time (years), is the belt sort of adhere's itself to the pulley from sitting in the same spot too long. Rubber can do that. But then after enough torque ...it was able to rotate and get released. The belts are usually square-cut rubber belts about 2mm (or so) square. They're pretty delicate. Same thing can happen with home tape decks too. At least you got your tape out.
PM sent BTW
Last evening as the wife and I were pulling onto the rural highway near our house I saw a wad of magnetic tape on the side of the road and a long string of it blowing in the weeds ...ha ha. Something I haven't seen in quite a while. I pointed it out to the mrs.
Cool. Those cassette players looked so cool. When my last CD player failed; the unit I replaced it with doesn't even have a CD player.
t only has an AUX Input and a USB Drive, and of course the radio.
It's amazing. I bought a cheap one just throw it in there but it works so well that I have not replaced it. It is amazingly small with no depth.
Last edited by carriljc; Jul 14, 2022 at 01:04 PM.
I never thought of it before…. Considering a smartphone is mostly screen and battery, a modern radio could be smaller than a faceplate used to be. Guess you may need to include an amp, but hey, you get a radio, inputs and outputs. You could just take he whole radio in with you when you leave the car.
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Stuck cassette
