deniss
Active Member
I got the Sony TC-K61 cassette deck recently, and it plays and sounds fine. All the switches, selectors, and LED level meters work. The one issue with this deck is the REW and FF are reluctant and inconsistent to engage. And when I say reluctant, I mean REW and FF will not function most of the time but will function some of the time.
Upon some investigation, I concluded that while the belts are somewhat tired, they are all functioning. Tape counter works fine both in PLAY mode and in REW/FF mode (when REW/FF actually works). Motors all run as they should and the voltages supplied to those motors are within spec, as per the service manual. The power supply board puts out proper voltages also. No plastic parts appear broken or missing.
So it appears that everything's working normally, except the REW/FF don't engage consistently!
Here's what the service manual has to say about the REW/FF mechanism:
I removed the reel motor, since it's functioning properly, to evaluate the "changing plate" and its idler (see diagram above).
The idler turns with some friction, which is by design as the service manual states. When the reel motor runs the idler, friction from the idler is supposed to drive the plastic plate (called changing plate in the diagram) to swing over either right or left (depending on which direction the idler is turning).
The problem is that this "changing plate" with the idler on it seems to encounter enough friction elsewhere to defeat the friction drive from the idler rotation. Perhaps there's too much friction between the changing plate and its plastic backing. Perhaps there's too much friction between the reel motor shaft which fits through the hole in the changing plate and the changing plate itself. Perhaps backward protrusions of the changing plate rub against the chassis or other plastic parts and don't have sufficient lube where needed.
There is some grease on the reel motor shaft where it fits through the hole in the changing plate. There's also some lube on rear protrusions of the changing plate that make contact to other plastic parts and chassis in the back of the mechanism.
It sounds like I need to remove the old lube and apply some fresh lube and perhaps fresh grease on the reel motor shaft.
Which lube and which grease would you recommend me to use? The ones in there now are amber colored.
Here are front and rear pics of the changing plate mechanism (I circled parts of the changing plate mechanism in red):
In the last image, I circle holes where parts of the changing plate make contact with the chassis or other plastic parts.
Any advice appreciated.
Upon some investigation, I concluded that while the belts are somewhat tired, they are all functioning. Tape counter works fine both in PLAY mode and in REW/FF mode (when REW/FF actually works). Motors all run as they should and the voltages supplied to those motors are within spec, as per the service manual. The power supply board puts out proper voltages also. No plastic parts appear broken or missing.
So it appears that everything's working normally, except the REW/FF don't engage consistently!
Here's what the service manual has to say about the REW/FF mechanism:
I removed the reel motor, since it's functioning properly, to evaluate the "changing plate" and its idler (see diagram above).
The idler turns with some friction, which is by design as the service manual states. When the reel motor runs the idler, friction from the idler is supposed to drive the plastic plate (called changing plate in the diagram) to swing over either right or left (depending on which direction the idler is turning).
The problem is that this "changing plate" with the idler on it seems to encounter enough friction elsewhere to defeat the friction drive from the idler rotation. Perhaps there's too much friction between the changing plate and its plastic backing. Perhaps there's too much friction between the reel motor shaft which fits through the hole in the changing plate and the changing plate itself. Perhaps backward protrusions of the changing plate rub against the chassis or other plastic parts and don't have sufficient lube where needed.
There is some grease on the reel motor shaft where it fits through the hole in the changing plate. There's also some lube on rear protrusions of the changing plate that make contact to other plastic parts and chassis in the back of the mechanism.
It sounds like I need to remove the old lube and apply some fresh lube and perhaps fresh grease on the reel motor shaft.
Which lube and which grease would you recommend me to use? The ones in there now are amber colored.
Here are front and rear pics of the changing plate mechanism (I circled parts of the changing plate mechanism in red):
In the last image, I circle holes where parts of the changing plate make contact with the chassis or other plastic parts.
Any advice appreciated.
scratch2