RCA 8-track, GE & Magnavox radios with cassette players

[Adam]

The GE and Magnavox just had mechanical issues with the cassette players. Both needed belts. But the Magnavox also had gears that were broken. I got the GE working last night, for the Magnavox I was able to find a replacement for the gear it needed to play tapes, but not the one it needs to fast forward. So it will play, but only either rewind or fast forward (depending on which side of the tape you are on).

The RCA 8-track will me my last electronics repair this break before I move on to working on the Lincoln. Like I said in my other thread, 1 channel is dead - I can hear static but no sound. Actually, this looks like it will play quad tapes even though it only has 2 built-in speakers. I haven't checked the rear channels yet.

[damen]

If the RCA has that "ext amp" switch on the back, check that first.

[Adam]

Cleaned that switch, then the other channel came up, but only for a while - it kept going in and out.

Cleaned the head - a little better.

Then I noticed when it tried to change tracks that the mechanism that moved the head up and down was sticking. I got that to work and messed around with an adjustment for the head height. After this, it would play the first 2 tracks fine, but not 3 or 4.

I moved that head height adjustment enough for it to play track 3 when set to track 2, to prove it wasn't the tape.

Then, I noticed that there were only 2 positions the head was going in, that it didn't go up any further when switched to track 3 or 4, that it just went back and forth between the track 1 and 2 positions.

But then I thought since this plays quad tapes, it has to be able to read 4 tracks at once anyway, so it really only needs to have the head sit in two positions, and switch what part of the head it's using - and that's why there's that 2-4 channel switch on the front.

So now I think it's either that switch, or something to do with the rear channels (which are also used to play tracks 3 and 4), that is my next problem with this thing. But I went to bed before I tried anything else.

[centralradio]

Hi Adam and all..it sounds like the 8 track head mech is sticking.Its needs a good cleaning and alignment..

Love the Ray Conniff 8 track tape there.Great music..

PS love the kitty in your avatar..

[zeno]

PB-Rec switches were garbage especially ones made by Alps.
At Sony service I changed them every day. Test was to pushing up down
on the PB-Rec button with the volume up. Clicks, squeals, static, you name
it if bad.
Try cleaning with different things. WD40, 91% alco, canned spray
etc etc.

73 Zeno
LFOD !

[centralradio]

I agree with Zeno.

I tried PB Blaster last summer on some controls and switches and it worked as I used the devices today with no problems with the controls..

Just spray/pour what you have there to clean it and work it back and forth many times..

I missed the Rat Shack control cleaner though...