Please help! Noisy pinch roller (?) on R2R

[mfhale]

Hi all,

I recently bought my first reel to reel deck, a TEAC A-4010SL. Naturally, all the usual suspects were present - belt goo, hard grease on the pinch roller arm, loose brake felt. I've taken care of all these issues - many, MANY thanks to VintageTX for sharing so much searchable information over the years.

Now I have one last problem. When I play a tape and the pinch roller engages, there is a scraping/ringing noise. It sounds like the capstan flywheel is rubbing. However, if I push in on the pinch roller, the noise goes away and stays away until I press stop. The next time I press play, the noise comes back.

Any ideas?:confused:

[nakmandan]

That actually does sound like the capstan flywheel is rubbing on something. I've heard that sort of metallic ringing/scraping noise before. It's usually because I forgot a washer/spring/thrust washer, etc, something causing the capstan to be slightly out of axial alignment. It could also be caused by worn out capstan bearings. Does the capstan have any play in it at all?

[mfhale]

Thanks!

There may be a little play fore and aft, but no wobble. I think you may be onto something with the missing washer/spring/thrust washer.

This being my first time inside a tape deck (and flying blind with no SM), I very well may have dropped something.

Not to hijack my own thread, but would a Nakamichi RX-505 be a good acquisition, or is it going to be trouble maintenance-wise?

Thanks again.

[Vintage TX]

You welcome for the help in the past mfhale.
Did you replace the pinch-roller or had the fly-wheel out recently ?
How much movement up and down does the capstan shaft have ?

[mfhale]

You welcome for the help in the past mfhale.
Did you replace the pinch-roller or had the fly-wheel out recently ?
How much movement up and down does the capstan shaft have ?

Funny thing is Rolf, the invaluable help you've given others in the past was just sitting out there waiting for me to find and use...I didn't even have to ask.

I did have the flywheel out when I was trying to get the pinch roller arm free. I was scared to put the torch into the deck so I removed the flywheel bracket.

Anyway, my stupidity showed itself on reassembly. When I re-installed the part that connects the pinch roller pivot to the flywheel bracket (not sure of the nomenclature), I put it OVER the 'C' clip. That gave it just enough play for the flywheel to rub. It's all better now and I'm listening to Sly & The Family Stone.

Thanks to you and Nakmandan for jumping in to help.

Monty

[nakmandan]

Well, since you hijacked your own thread...

An RX-505 is a fine machine and arguably one of the coolest tape deck's on the planet because of its tape flipping show. Maintenance is only slightly more than any other Nak 3 head classic transport machine. They are a bit more expensive to maintain than the newer Sankyo mechanism machines but if properly maintained, they will give decades of amazing performance.

[mfhale]

Thanks for the info.

There's an RX-505 available in the area and I've been looking to get my booger hooks on a decent cassette deck. The current decks I have do not inspire me to relive my youth.

[jleon92f]

Hi,

I always forget stuff on reassembly, so before I take anything apart I take pictures, lots of them so I know if I need to refer to them on assemmbly I have them.:D

Glad you got it straight.
John.:music:

[mfhale]

I actually got really lucky on that one. I hadn't taken a pic, but VintageTX had a photo of a similar TEAC on his website. Rolf is the BEST.