Repairing My Tape-Hungry 1990s Yamaha Cassette Deck 

I recently worked on a Pioneer CT-F700. A monster cassette deck. It needed 4 new belts I think plus the rubber on the idler pulleys needed rejuvenated.

I would dab some white lithium grease on a qtip and lube all those mechanisms where parts are sliding.. That would quiet some of the moving parts down, as I'm sure the 30yr old grease once there is long gone. Tape decks can be a real PITA. 😅 At least you got it working again. 👍

As for the deck 2 issue : There's a solenoid that is in charge of moving that white gear .In my Yamaha deck tape it was stuck at "on" position because one of its leads touched the other .I had to put a tiny piece of shrink/insulator to make sure they won't touch again and problem solved . My guess is that when you disassembled it - it moved and came back to life .If the issue returns - take a look at that solenoid .

It's a good idea to clean the capstan (that controls the tape speed) and pinch rollers as well, so the tape won't stick to them, and wrinkle. Next up, adjust the tape speed, and align the head azimuth!

the rubber is always a problem on old decks

Good fix Aidan👍 I think you got lucky using brake cleaner 😮but you got it working. A thorough cleaning of the drive system may be in order. Nice video, see ya next time.

Just to add to this; I fixed a Yamaha KX-130 with a similar counter belt problem. The belt snapped and left sticky black goo all over the tiny sensor by the right capstan. The black goo made the deck think the tape was not moving. cleaned it all up with 99% isopropyl and removed the remnants of the belt. All fixed up, runs fine. Interestingly the sensor looks for a bright/dark/bright pattern as the right capstan moves. Thanks for this vid, it put me on the right track re: counter belt.

I'm so glad you made this video! I am having the same problem with a portable tape deck of mine and now I know what to look for when I open it up. 😀❤️ Have an awesome rest of your weekend!!

I have a Yamaha KX-1200U and the main drive belt “melted” just like the tape counter belt in your video. I tried everything, except brake cleaner, to clean it and it was a total pain. Wish I had seen your video first. Nicely done!

Good job! Those melted belts are a real PITA. I've repaired two dozen or more old decks, cassette, R/R and even 8 tracks. The melted belts are surely the worst thing to see when you pop the top, but nearly always it means the deck is still mechanically sound.

This motivated me to disassemble my Yamaha K-850 for a complete belt service and cleaning.

I've seen belts do that before. I found a couple outlets that sold various size belts in a mixed bag. Some wide and some round. Found them on Ebay. My tape deck from the 70's turned out to be the main drive motor. The shaft was very slow to turn. I should have used a light oil on it but me.. I had to take it apart. Getting those brushes back in place was impossible and now the motor turns but no tourque. So I'm looking for a new motor for my Denon. Good Video. Thanks.

Nice to get bonus magic when you had thoroughly analyzed it

Mine had the same issues. Same thing with the gear and tape counter. I couldn't get the bside to engage. I think it was missing something. The one side sounds great though. I'm OK with that

This is a normal almost common problem in old decks. Very messy to clean up old belts tthat are disolving them selve.

The pads on many of my old cassettes are hard or glue-failed and falling off. Restoring these could make a great video if you know how! 🙏

and i have that problem with some kid when i press play deck starting rewind and sometimes fast forward

Clear bright white plastic is often nylon, and will not easily becoming brittle. The older stuff that becomes yellow is often bad. Using solvents is safer if you try some first on a small spot, and observe if it will not take the shine off the plastic. If not, you can soak the wheel for a few minutes, and use a brush. I think I would try white spirit (like terpentine) here.

You better stick with your 70s receivers;-)

lol loved that left side....lol

Doesn't brake cleaner dissolve plastic? I think I would use alcohol. And should you maybe use just a tiny amount of white lithium grease on the small gears before you put it all back together? And FYI, on eBay you can buy an assorted pack of 50 cassette deck belts for about $8

Olá Como usar o marantz 4270 como pré amplificador Grato Abraços

Misread the title, thought it was a 1970s Yammie. Was hoping to see a Wedge. Still, that was a weird one, eh? The fluke belt jam and the 'magic' fix. You get to see it all, don't ya?

Hope when you get out of Jail you will make some more videos. Good luck

having the same issue with my technics 😞

What you could’ve done is got a toothbrush and sprayed some of the brake cleaner on it to remove the sticky residue from the gearing on the tape deck clean all the capstans end pinch rollers

RU-vid deleted my comment on a great source for belts, you tube is a pain in the butt. Turn table needles, all one word, every belt I have bought from this small company in Corvallis Oregon has been perfect.

What about using acetone to clean it?

WD-40 or mineral spirits clean that junk won't hurt plastic or nylon

Good luck ordering belts. You'll probably have to buy a bunch of different belts and see what fits.

99.9 percent Alcohol will melt the goo effortlessly. Ultrasonic cleaner with 99 alcohol. Watching people struggle cleaning goo is hard for me to watch. I just smashed a casette deck because it would not work properly after 3 days of effort. I have no love for tapes.