Question Regarding Akai GX-77 Tape Loader Spring

I'm almost done refurbishing an Akai GX-77 but have a question before I button it up.

I discovered that the small tab on the automatic loading roller had broken off and the spring that attached to it was nowhere to be found. I repaired the roller mechanism and have attached photos of it as well.

Yesterday a small dusty spring fell out from the deck as I tipped it over. I have the service manual and went back over it and can't find a spot that this might go to except the automatic loader. In the process of this project the unit has been completely disassembled during which I took many photos, so I have a fairly good reference in addition to the service manual.

I am trying to determine if this is indeed the auto loader spring but am a little puzzled because it is a VERY strong little spring. One of the attached photos shows the found spring along side my repair. As you can see it looks to be right size but I can't imagine that the small plastic tab which broke off would have near the strength to have EVER held it.

For those that currently own a GX-77, could you tell me if this looks like the spring on your decks?

To check this on an operating unit, you would have to power it up without a tape and then turn off the power after selecting the appropriate function button (either FF or Rewind) to get the auto loader to the top. You could then peak behind the black cloth slot. I've attached a photo of that for reference.

Thank you very much,


Paul

Yes, thats the spring (the dark one). My fist GX-77 had the same problem. I bent the spring and slotted into the hole above where the peg used to be. it has worked fine ever since.

OK. The new spring that I put on (the light colored one) is far weaker than the original (the dark one). I don't want to use the original since I think that it might break my repair, so I'll either shorten the new one or get a slightly stiffer spring as I'm sure the engineers had a reason for requiring such a strong spring.

Thank you very much for the reply.


Paul

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the PM with the manual link. Unfortunately, it downloads as a corrupted document on both of the two computers I've tried so far. But I was able to find a manual out there to download. Most sites want you to pay but I found one for free.

Your pictures above were a HUGE HELP!
I've now replaced the caplan belt and am putting the rear of the unit back together.

I'm stuck on the front now though. Can't quite figure how to remove the front section like you pictured in your other thread. I get the two top screws off but can't get access to the two lower screws.
Well those belts are looking fine though, so I may leave them as is if I can't figure it out real quick.

Thanks again!!!!

Well I couldn't figure out how to remove the front cover. So I just plugged it in and tested the unit.

Good and bad.

It will power on and things move now. But the auto-roller function does not slide up & down when I press the button.
And when I play the tape (the one that came with it), the machine will play it for about ten seconds and then stop playing.
If I press rewind or fast forward, it will do so for about ten seconds and then stop.

The user manual suggests this could mean the tape is not loaded properly. But when I look at pictures of other machines,
my tape appears to be loaded fine?

Also, when I press play (the single right arrow), it will play for about ten seconds. But the music is backwards!
"Uuggh, wragghh, ugghh, wragghh".
It's kinda funny really.

Oh and the timer stays at 00:00 all the time.

Here's a pic of it playing-->

testwork said:

I'm stuck on the front now though. Can't quite figure how to remove the front section like you pictured in your other thread. I get the two top screws off but can't get access to the two lower screws.

Click to expand...

That was the hardest part of the Rubik's cube to figure out. Actually took me a couple of days to get the solution. If I remember correctly, the key was figuring out how to remove the LED VU meter board. Let me know if you need me to try to remember the steps.

testwork said:

Well those belts are looking fine though, so I may leave them as is if I can't figure it out real quick.

Click to expand...

The belts that I removed were stretched but still functional. The front, top frame support must be removed in order to replace the reel belts.

testwork said:

It will power on and things move now. But the auto-roller function does not slide up & down when I press the button.

Click to expand...

This is not good. There is a large plastic cogwheel that is just behind the two capstan flywheels when looking from the back. It turns the smaller cogwheels in the front that make the loader pulley go up and down. Since that is not working, I wonder if the large cogwheel is broken. It is run by the right capstan flywheel when looking from the back. You can clearly see it with the top cover off. Another possibility is that the microswitch that is at the top of the autoloader pully rail is not being activated. You will of course need to remove the faceplate to confirm this. I've attached a picture showing the this microswitch.

If the auto loader does not go up and down, how are you able to load a tape?

testwork said:

And when I play the tape (the one that came with it), the machine will play it for about ten seconds and then stop playing.

Click to expand...

When I play my GX-77 without a tape it does exactly the same thing. Even if I hold the right side tension arm, the one that has the micro switch, it will only go for ten seconds and then stop. I'm not aware of what other sensor is involved with this, but clearly there is one. Let me think about this.

testwork said:

Also, when I press play (the single right arrow), it will play for about ten seconds. But the music is backwards! "Uuggh, wragghh, ugghh, wragghh". It's kinda funny really.

Click to expand...

I strongly suspect that the head wires were reconnected wrong at the main circuit board. I'm assuming that you disconnected them when you replaced the main belt. I've attached a close up of these. They can also be seen in one of the photos showing the capstan flywheels that I posted in your original thread.

testwork said:

Oh and the timer stays at 00:00 all the time.

Click to expand...

One of my GX-77's did the same thing. I simply pressed the reset button a couple of times and the counter started working.

Let us know how things go.


Paul

testwork said:

I'm stuck on the front now though. Can't quite figure how to remove the front section like you pictured in your other thread. I get the two top screws off but can't get access to the two lower screws.

Click to expand...

I just realized something. With my GX-77 powered off, all four screws that hold the front cover on are accessible. Are the two pinchrollers lifted in the UP position with your unit powered off?

It's getting to the right side pinchroller that requires removal of the VU meter.


Paul

Hi Paul,

Yes that is correct. The pinch rollers are in the "up" position at all times, even with the unit powered off.
I just watched this video to see how the GX-77 loads tape:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8CPFmRytgE

Wow, mine does NOT do that!

The pinch rollers are always up and the recording head is always out and the auto loading mechanism is always in it's top position. So loading tape is done manually and carefully.

Unfortunately though, it's all moot. Because it looks like I won't be getting the deal on all those tapes like I thought. So since I have no library of tapes to play, I decided to list the Akai.

Well that's too bad. You gave it a shot though.

Hope you get a decent price for it.


Paul

MoreCowbell said:

Well that's too bad. You gave it a shot though.

Hope you get a decent price for it.


Paul

Click to expand...

Thanks Paul! I really appreciate the help! :ntwrthy:

MoreCowbell said:

I'm almost done refurbishing an Akai GX-77 but have a question before I button it up.

I discovered that the small tab on the automatic loading roller had broken off and the spring that attached to it was nowhere to be found. I repaired the roller mechanism and have attached photos of it as well.

Yesterday a small dusty spring fell out from the deck as I tipped it over. I have the service manual and went back over it and can't find a spot that this might go to except the automatic loader. In the process of this project the unit has been completely disassembled during which I took many photos, so I have a fairly good reference in addition to the service manual.

I am trying to determine if this is indeed the auto loader spring but am a little puzzled because it is a VERY strong little spring. One of the attached photos shows the found spring along side my repair. As you can see it looks to be right size but I can't imagine that the small plastic tab which broke off would have near the strength to have EVER held it.

For those that currently own a GX-77, could you tell me if this looks like the spring on your decks?

To check this on an operating unit, you would have to power it up without a tape and then turn off the power after selecting the appropriate function button (either FF or Rewind) to get the auto loader to the top. You could then peak behind the black cloth slot. I've attached a photo of that for reference.

Thank you very much,


Paul

Click to expand...

Old thread but you posted a pic of the old and new spring side by side. What did you use to fasten the spring to the plate? It's seems like a metal structure of some sort