Good news: the four tapes I tried playing functioned okay. Last week, after having not played any of my 8-tracks for a couple of years, I brought a couple of players out of storage so I could listen to some of my TC8 cartridges. I thought that I would be able to do it myself, but it is clearly a lot more difficult than I thought it would be! Since I am a novice at repairing 8-track tapes, I need some help before I mess up any more tapes. Another problem I am having is that every time I try to move the magnetic tape back on the reel, it keeps falling off of the edge of the reel. Only one part of the tape is tangled, and I am attempting to flip it back to the correct side, very carefully. I put new pressure pads in the tape, which was easy enough, and I also put a new splice in the tape, which I may have done incorrectly because the magnetic tape is currently flipped & tangled.įor the last week, I have been trying to fix the magnetic tape & put it on the correct side, but I am not having much luck. I was able to open it using the instructions in the manual. I read the manual, and I attempted to repair a tape.
8 track tape repair parts how to#
I recently bought an 8-track tape repair kit online which includes a manual, published back in 1975, about how to repair tapes. I have them so I can practise on them, and I am saving my good titles for the future, when I am more experienced with tape repair. I have a very big collection of 8-track tapes, and a lot of them are titles that I am uninterested in. Thanks to all of you for the suggestions. I then replace the splice and if necessary, pads. All new-to-me tapes get played in that first so when it comes to the splice it either stops or ejects the tape. I read that it's possible to slip a piece of vinyl tubing over the remaining plastic hub after removing the gum but I haven't found any tubing of the appropriate size locally.Īlso, I bought an old Panasonic player that has the auto-eject function. Sometimes I just pull the hub and tape out and place it in another cartridge but that isn't always successful as the hub dimensions aren't standard. After clean up finding a replacement roller of the same size is tough. One of the most difficult issues are those old cartridges where the the pinch roller has turned to gum. What's funny, it's not even a tape I plan to listen to much. I would work on a little bit each day and eventually got all back together.
I just did an off-the-reel job where it was totally twisted and tangled. I've been messing with 8-tracks since back in the 1960s and have encountered every repair challenge you mention.
Nitroengine, that's a nice web site you've got going. I have a site I've been working on (very slowly): I've been receiving emails more frequently on 8-track repair so perhaps I should get to work and try to finish/rewrite those long awaited pages. it all really depends on what is needed to be done to the cartridge. You can also buy precut ones if you would rather: Īs for instructions on the actual repairs. Simply cut to the size of the metal spring. One example of making foam pads by hand: Īs for replacing missing or loose felt pads for metal spring type cartridges, you should be able to find self-adhesive felt at your local hardware/home improvement store sold for placing under objects to protect surfaces. Premade "Win-Gib" foam pads have a good reputation: Don't use any weatherstripping that is labeled as "high density" or "foam rubber", typically you want "open cell" "poly foam". It's best to have a good foam pad (often found in TC8 cartridges) to have as an example for density and dimensions. If you make your own, make sure the foam is not too dense and firm. You can buy premade foam pressure pads, or you can make your own. You will want some foil sensing tape made for use with magnetic tape: As already mentioned, the sticky side of a Post-It-Note works well in a pinch. Foam pressure pads in many cartridges have also disintegrated and will need replacement.ĭepending on how many cartridges you intend to repair, you may or may not need a splice block. Replacing the foil splice on a tape that has not yet broken is like performing preventative maintenance. 8-track tape repairs can vary from a simple replacement of the foil splice to more intense repairs involving untangling tape or cleaning a melted rubber pinch roller off of tape and out of a cartridge.
0 kommentar(er)
