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TEAC A-5500....Score?

Jonny Ramone

Jonny Ramone

Super Member
After reading some posts on it, I'm not so sure, but I couldn't resist - it's easily the nicest deck I've seen in a thrift. Ferrite heads and Dolby? Come on. Almost didn't go today, but I was bored, and I barely saw it on the floor. $30, which is WAY more than I usually pay for electronics - usually $10. A direct drive capstan, but belt driven reels? And cassette deck sized motors to drive them? it's an ODD duck.
 

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Make sure it has the upgraded reel motors. Original decks had small DC motors to drive the reels (via a belt). They proved to have almost a 100% failure rate. New/improved motors were large direct drive AC motors. For a while, Teac sold a conversion kits to address the problem (DC to AC motors).

Symptom of failing DC motors is slow fast-wind.
 
It definitely has the original motors. The take-up is non-functional, and I can see melted belt strands. How does the faceplate come off? HiFi engine doesn't have a manual. I'm going to replace the belts, and see what happens, as I don't have a lot of cash to spend on it right now. I figure if I don't rewind with it, it might last longer.
 

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From the back, remove screws that hold the motor plate to the chassis. The motor, plate and reel table assy then can be removed as one unit to replace the belt.

That may not get you anywhere, however. The reel motor may be shot or weak. The motor is used for fast forward, rewind, play and record modes. The DC motors are not available new from anywhere. I'm not aware of any substitutes for it. Not sure if anyone has successfully rebuilt one. It was a bad motor design from day one so rebuild is perhaps not worth the effort.

Teac's only solution was to do a conversion to a direct drive AC motor system. Those kits are long gone as far as availability.

If new drive belts don't get all transport modes to work, then the unit is 100% toast.
 
I know the left one is OK, as it worked for a second before the belt fell apart. It will be a bummer if I wasted $30 on it, but I was wondering if the heads could be put on my A-4010SL? I Know the A-4010GSL had ferrite heads. Maybe the locking spindles also?
 
To bad about the parts issue with these decks. It sure looks nice. Don't know if the head stack will fit on the 4010.
 
When I said 100% reel motor failure rate, I was refering to low/weak torque from the motors which can not only cause slow fast forward and rewind, but problems when playing or recording. Just because they are spinning, doesn't mean the motors are good.

Certainly worth buying 2 reel drive belts and seeing what happens, however.
 
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Be sure the tape travel-path is 100 % clean, nice machine but not so reliable.
Capstan motor from a 5300 are the same by the way, if you need a replacement.
# 71060013
 
It lives!

I had some round belts roughly the same size, and tried them. They worked! It has some playback issues in reverse, but hopefully switch cleaning will cure this.
 

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Hi Jonny I feel for ya. A beautiful deck with inferior motors. But I know that you will adapt and overcome. :yes:

I foresee you thinking out of the box and making a good from a bad. It might be put on the back burner but will resurface into a result that will enable you to meet or exeed expectations.

You can tell I have a reflective night going on at my house. :D
 
Just goes to show you... you never know what will show up on the internet. And sometimes, the timing of it all is nothing short of amazing. Could've been karma (hmmm... imagine that here on this site), could've been the stars lining up in the cosmos just right, could've been an Elvis sighting... the possiblities are endless!
 
Unbelievable. I figured one of these would show up on Ebay at some point, just not this soon. Mine has playback issues in reverse, but is working pretty well otherwise. I may make a lower offer, as it seems a bit pricey, and there probably aren't a lot of these decks left in working shape, from what I can tell. I seem to be one of the few. Thanks for the link!
 
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