Thank you very much for this video. I have a very nice condition Fisher Z1 that needed new belts. If it wasn't for your video I would have never figured out the routing for the belts. Just a note, I was able to replace the belts without removing the tape mechanism. I just removed the screws from the back plate and was able to fish the belt into place. Thanks again, Mark
Great videos!!! Recently purchased a CR-Z1 double cassette deck. Fortunately works but could probably benefit from new belts. Thanks for the highly detailed repair procedure.
Yes dr cassette, for curiosity sake I checked the service manual and it does tell you to remove the push pins with pliers. After that you can access the heads appropriately.
I have two of these decks. Replacing the belts are super easy. Job should take no longer than 30 minutes per side. Remove top cover. On the backside of tape mechanism remove (4) four Phillips head screws at each corner holding transport mechanism to front panel. Removing that top steel bracing bar going across entire deck makes access easier. A magnetic screwdriver will also be helpful. There’s two short wired plugs you’ll have to disconnect. Press eject button and pull cassette transport out. I placed some material inside deck and laid mechanism on it, instead of directly on circuit boards. You’re now ready to remove tape transport back plate. There are six small Phillips head screws holding it together. Remove (6) screws and lift and twist backplate, being careful not to break any wires. There’s enough free wire and no desoldering is required. Clean and oil capstan bearings. Remove any old rubber belt goo. Place new belt on capstan flywheels and loop belt around two plastic pins on tape mechanism. These two grey pins are only there to facilitate belt install. Install back panel / motor assembly and lightly secure with two screws Phillip screws. Pull belt off and over the two plastic pins on to brass motor pulley. Install remaining backplate screws. Reinstall whole tape transport. Make sure door tray is open when placing mech back on back of front panel. Close door. Test Eject. Place a tape in and test. Both sides are identically done.
I remember in the long distant past using a real high speed cassette deck made by the British company of NEAL for us. It used 3.75 ips. It's sound was really good. You did need to use a C120 to get a reasonable playing time and we spent hours adjusting the bias and EQ to get that correct. We did manage to get a response of 25 Hz to 20Khz at -3dB, not bad for a cassette, in fact not bad for a reel to reel. The idea never really caught on. I seam to recall it contravened the Philips cassette licence. Along with Dolby C it really sounded great. The fast rewind was a little scary however!!
The extra "head" is for quick reverse, it sense the tape for leader tape with IR. So you do not have to listen to leader tape (twice) before autoreverse. Very neat!
I have replaced some tape deck belts before, but it was one of the cheap all-in-one stereos with the belts on the outside/plastic flywheels. You have taken a Sharp one and an Aiwa one apart. Mine was the Aiwa.
Wassup doc? It's been a while! I don't normally watch videos on RU-vid in HD, full screen, but this was very well done! I enjoyed every aspect of it.... I really like that deck, well, except for that troublesome door..., but that's a fine machine you got there.... Looking out for more..., Blessings!!
Hi DrCassette. Thanks for all your help and videos. I have a Realistic cassette stereo recorder model no. scp-17 that ussually work but now it doesnt record anything with his incorporated mic, only silence, (the mic works fine i note that by his led light) do you know what is the main problem? Thanks a lot!!
Great video! I recently purchased a CRw-Z1 that needs belts. After closely reviewing your video, it looks like you could have possibly replaced belts without removing entire front. Looks like the back plate of record mechanism could have been removed, pulled away about an inch, without removing the entire cassette mechanism for easier belt replacement. The long cutout on the base on the bottom of cassette player looks to be an access point for belt replacement. Just my observations. Thanks again for detailed video of deck.
In my experience removing the mechanism from the rest of the cassette deck makes replacing the belts much easier. In the case of this cassette deck I took out both mechanisms at once by removing the entire front. This is certainly not necessary, but you might find replacing the belts with the mechanisms in place quite difficult.
Hey Dr Cassette! You mentioned a fisher 891. I was wondering if you could assist me. I have a fisher cr-w890 cassette deck. Everything works except it won’t record audio on the tape. It will erase so I’m assuming it’s not the oscillator. I don’t see any caps that look bad. Could it be something in the muting circuit?
My fisher deck I think has a fault because overnight when playing any tape in tray 1 of the deck, tray 2 starts to sound as if it were playing a hard tape. I think some of you already know that classic sound tac tac tac tac tac tac but the strange thing is when there is nothing on and I press the advance button either left or right it stops playing, when I stop it it starts playing and if I press play the same thing stops playing, if I stop the game on tray 1 it stops playing on tray 2 and if I put a tape in tray 2 it also stops playing, if I stop the game on 2 the same sound comes back, any idea what could be happening?
Memorex cassettes are very uncommon here in Germany. Over the years I came across only two of those with foam pressure pads. No problem if you have a dual capstan cassette deck. The dual capstan drive ensures the tape is under very slight tension while passing over the heads. The pressure pads are therefore not needed to get good sound reproduction.
The layout is quite neat in this Fisher. I've just fixed my AD-F770 - it was, and still is a nightmare to work on. Mangled wires everywhere - how, and why Aiwa put this into production is beyond me!? The audio quality is very good though.
@@DrCassette This F770 model was hurried into production, I'm sure. Currently I'm still experiencing motor speed variation. I've even connected it to an independent and stable voltage source - same problem persists. So I've just ordered a cheap MABUCHI EG-530AD-2B motor and will attempt to fit with small modifications. There is a Matsushita motor which is better, but I'll try out the cheapy Chinese equivalent for now - just to confirm that the default f770 motor (and internal regulator?) is faulty. Such is life.
The internal speed regulators of motors can sometimes be faulty. Indeed in such cases replacing the entire motor is the right thing to do. I assume you have checked all the belts?
@@DrCassette Replaced both belts, and took off the flywheel (main capstan) and other flywheel (secondary capstan) and inspected the system - all seems fine and free-running. Yes - I suspect the regulated voltage internally is fluctuating, so have ordered a few motors for now, and for the future while they are available. I will open up the old motor at a later date and examine the circuit. Voltage regulator problem, or maybe a leaky capacitor inside? Who knows.
@@DrCassette Just this very evening I have replaced the old Aiwa motor with an Mabuchi equivalent, and it works! All steady as a rock! :o) I've actually bought a few more from different sellers to keep as "stock". There is a Mabuchi motor which has a higher torque for old 1975-1980 decks (big flywheels), and another for decks later that this to drive lighter flywheels.
I would separate the two heat sinks on the IC's with two seperate taller one's...with heat sink grease....I just got a Pioneer 604 in and was working on it...and it had two 7812's power supply IC's screwed to the bottom of the deck...and no heat sink compound, I just added the compound and screwed it back down to be safe...they dont get hot but better safe than sorry...
I've got a Fisher CR-W914...Any idea what would cause one side to play faster than the other? I adjust the speed pot and it affects both sides but deck 2 is probably 5-8% faster. Thanks!
This deck has a single motor for both decks so only a single speed control pot. Weird design I've never seen in a dual deck. Can't figure out why one side is so different. They should theoretically be the same speed. I'll keep digging. Thanks!
Do you remember the dimensions of the belt? I have a fisher cr wz1 and I can't find the belts anywhere. Can you help me with dimensions? The OEM code is 6201956436 but I didn't find anything on the internet.
Grundig finearts cct-903 was also a nice double cassette deck but I never had one. BTW I hate Pioneer CT-F1250 since I had to change all belts in that 1979's piece of s... It was much worse than this Fisher.
