1988 FIsher Studio-Standard Hi-Fi VCR loading issues - Videokarma.org TV - Video

vortalexfan · #1 03-14-2022, 11:11 PM

Hello everyone, the other day I was visiting my Aunt and Uncle's house to go through some of my great-grandfather's old tools, and my Uncle said they had an old Fisher Studio-Standard (Sanyo) Hi-Fi VCR that was having trouble loading tapes and asked me if I could repair it for them, and I said I would have a look at it for them (they are going to be moving to the Jacksonville, Florida area because my Uncle's job got moved down there as he works for one of the major prosthetic manufacturers that is located in Warsaw, Indiana which is where they currently live).

I got it home and looked it over and as I suspected the belt for the loading mechanism was dry-rotted (it was broken into pieces inside the VCR) and I looked through my old VCR Belt Stash and I unfortunately don't have a belt that's the correct size for this VCR's loading mechanism (its a really small belt probably about an inch in diameter or a little larger) and I was wondering if there's still anyone out there selling NOS VCR belts yet, I know there used to be a couple of places at one time, but that was about 10 years ago.

Any Help would be appreciated.

See Pictures below.

BTW: The blue "belt" that is in the 4th picture is a rubber band I was using to try to see if it would work but it didn't because is wasn't stiff enough (and it was slightly too big in diameter than the original so it was slipping when it was trying to go into play mode.)

liammc00 · #2 03-15-2022, 10:37 AM

This were I get my belts for my VCRs, cassette decks, and more. The seem to be of good quality. Here is the link https://www.elliottelectronicsupply....rive-belts.htm l hop this helps I bought belts from them to fix my 1984 sanyo VCR.

vortalexfan · #3 03-15-2022, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by liammc00

This were I get my belts for my VCRs, cassette decks, and more. The seem to be of good quality. Here is the link https://www.elliottelectronicsupply....rive-belts.htm l hop this helps I bought belts from them to fix my 1984 sanyo VCR.

Ok, thanks, I'll give them a shot.

vortalexfan · #4 03-15-2022, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by liammc00

This were I get my belts for my VCRs, cassette decks, and more. The seem to be of good quality. Here is the link https://www.elliottelectronicsupply....rive-belts.htm l hop this helps I bought belts from them to fix my 1984 sanyo VCR.

OK, so I'm not quite sure how the belt sizing works on the site you linked to me, the belt's overall Diameter that I need is a little over an inch give or take a quarter inch because its not a very big belt, and as I said, I don't have the original belt to go by as the original belt had disintigrated years ago.

liammc00 · #5 03-15-2022, 01:28 PM

[QUOTE=vortalexfan;3240312]OK, so I'm not quite sure how the belt sizing works on the site you linked to me, the belt's overall Diameter that I need is a little over an inch give or take a quarter inch because its not a very big belt, and as I said, I don't have the original belt to go by as the original belt had disintigrated years ago.[/QUOTE

If you don't have an original belt then you use an old trick I learned from VCR repair man. Take some dental floss and wrap it around both pullys. Then over lap it and then pull the slack out and then cut it. Then take the dental floss and lay it out in straight line on a flat surface and pull all the slack out of it. Then measure with a ruler then dived it by .4 and that should give you size of belt you need. Thats way i do and it's always worked, but it can be trick so good luck.

liammc00 · #6 03-15-2022, 01:31 PM

There are different widths belts and you can find that about by using a protractor or ruler. If you use a ruler convert your ressalt to decimal.

vortalexfan · #7 03-16-2022, 01:47 AM

OK, thanks! I'll give that a try.

Ed in Tx · #8 03-16-2022, 01:34 PM

Hadn't seen one of those in years! Used to replace both the reel and loading belts, pinch roller, cam gear, a rew-ff latchet and spring, I think a small gear that drives the FL mechanism, don't remember what else. There was a SFS bulletin about all the problems those mechanisms had.

vortalexfan · #9 03-16-2022, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

Hadn't seen one of those in years! Used to replace both the reel and loading belts, pinch roller, cam gear, a rew-ff latchet and spring, I think a small gear that drives the FL mechanism, don't remember what else. There was a SFS bulletin about all the problems those mechanisms had.

Yeah, my aunt and uncle who I am trying to repair this VCR for bought the VCR brand new back in 1988 or somewhere thereabouts, they also used to have an old Zenith System 3 Console TV that they bought at the same time as this VCR and they used that until about a couple years before the DTV Transition (the picture tube died supposedly.)

vortalexfan · #10 05-18-2022, 02:34 PM

I got some belts for the VCR and got a belt that was the proper size and its unfortunately still giving me some troubles, the tape will load into the VCR and into the head assembly but then it will back the tape out of the heads and eject the tape out of the VCR, but unfortunately when it does that the tape stays unspooled inside the VCR.

Any ideas as to what that issue might be?

I was thinking it might be a timing issue with the loading mechanism because with this VCR in order to replace the loading mechanism belt you have to completely remove the drive motor assembly in order to get to the belt and when I did that I have a feeling that when I put it back together it might of messed up the loading mechanism's timing.

Is there any way to tell what the correct timing should be for this VCR's loading mechanism?

Ed in Tx · #11 05-18-2022, 03:45 PM

Does this look similar to it? You will need the proper mechanism service manual and the proper parts to make it work correctly.There were several versions of that basic mechanism. As I mentioned before I used to work on those. MANY of them. I would replace about a half-dozen parts to make them right and so they wouldn't come back to haunt me.

vortalexfan · #12 05-18-2022, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

Does this look similar to it? You will need the proper mechanism service manual and the proper parts to make it work correctly.There were several versions of that basic mechanism. As I mentioned before I used to work on those. MANY of them. I would replace about a half-dozen parts to make them right and so they wouldn't come back to haunt me.

Yep, that's it. What else will I need to replace/tweak to make this sucker work? I would like to get it going for my uncle.

Ed in Tx · #13 05-18-2022, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

Yep, that's it. What else will I need to replace/tweak to make this sucker work? I would like to get it going for my uncle.

Like I said you need the manual along with the part numbers to try and track down what all you would need, whether any of that is still available. Would be all old stock if anyone has that stuff.

I haven't worked on one in at least 22 years so I don't recall those little details like part numbers and such.

ARC Tech-109 · #14 05-19-2022, 01:25 PM

I use O-rings from the hardware store, they have a number of bins with faucet repair parts and kits along with several bins of hydraulics type O-rings to rummage through. Both of my 3/4 Sony decks are running hydraulic O-rings on the threading drive

vortalexfan · #15 05-20-2022, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

Like I said you need the manual along with the part numbers to try and track down what all you would need, whether any of that is still available. Would be all old stock if anyone has that stuff.

I haven't worked on one in at least 22 years so I don't recall those little details like part numbers and such.

Where would be a good place to try and find a service manual for this VCR?