There's lots of things that need re-lubrication in this Sony TC-105 taper recorder so I employ a lot of WD40 to disolve the old and make way for the new.
thank you for the video. I have 2 of these machines with similar issues. Unfortunately no one in my area services these kind of machines. So its up to me to figure it out or junk the units. You have given me a starting point and valuable lessons in terms of cleaning and lubricating the machine. And the confidence to take them apart and giving it a try. Thank you very much
I had the same issue with my TC-105 which you describe at 4:00 with the pinch roller not going against the capstan. I thought maybe a spring had broken but I lubricated the same spot that you did with WD-40 and it worked! Thanks for pointing out the source of the problem for me.
I got my Sony TC-105 off of eBay today and everything works except the transport mechanism where it goes into play mode got frozen which cause the machine to go into fast forward, and the big problem, the three wires that connects to the erase head is broken, so maybe I have to rewired with extra wires and re-soldered to make some space to prevent from future wire breakage and it will do fine. I sprayed some WD-40 to free up the mechanism to get it to work.
Denatured alcohol and medical grade swabs on wooden sticks to clean the tape head gaps. Do not use regular q-tip type swabs as they are not tightly wound and can leave cotton inside the head behind the gap. Chamois is also good to clean tape heads as long as it is new, clean, soft and flexible, not hard and stiff. I'm thinking that you will have and use a demagnetizer on the heads too. FWIW, WD 40 would be among the last things I'd use to lube or clean around rubber parts and electrical contacts. I'd also use plastic wrap or aluminum foil to shield rubber parts and metal surfaces that contacts the rubber parts from any lubricant.
Hi Jim. Do you have or know of a good source for a working crystal mic element? I have a "bullet mic" in need of one. I'm not picky, although the element in there was a Shure, I will take whatever fits. I need the super high Z of a crystal element.
WTF with the WD-40 just take it apart and clean and lube like it should be done.I'm a Teac tech and would never do what you just did with the WD spary everywere .
Hi, nice vid, I have an old one that is not turning like yours, will give it a try to get it back in motion. The only thing I am missing is how how you lubricated it, where it was lubricated and what product do you use. Please can you tell me what you use for lubrication (oil, grease, silicone ...) and where you put it? Thanks
I have a few Sony deck s that have the same type of mechanism where the pinch roller raises toward the capstan. i use a penetrant from a close-out store to lubricate the parts
I’m having a problem with an identical deck to the one he shows in this video and was wondering if you might be able to offer some advice. Sorry to bother you but I haven’t been able to find an answer and you seemed knowledgeable. It concerns the capstan
Hello Jim...Thanks to your video I was able to "reinvent" my TC 105. My machine was really clean but haven't used it in a long time. Now it all runs fine however the playback speed is just a "hair" too slow. My tapes are 40+ years but sound perfect if I try to speed up the reel. Is there a way to increase the speed, or is it the main drive motor. Appreciate any thoughts on this. Thanks Louis.
Can anyone help me?! My TC 105 has an issue where the wheel responsible for spinning the capstan does not contact both the motor shaft and the capstan at the same time. When turned to the forward position the wheel contacts the motor shaft and spins, but is still over a centimeter short of the capstan fly wheel. Is there something I’m missing? I’m sure the rubber hasn’t shrunk, and when I switched in a different sized motor shaft (included I think to work with a different motor frequency) and that allowed the wheel to contact the capstan only at the 7.5 speed, and still not reach at the other two speeds. Any help would be hugely appreciated, I can’t find any info online and this video doesn’t show the insides of the machine while it’s running.
I was just given a new TV105a. All the accessories are still originally wrapped. Mechanism is stiff so I’m going to start cleaning it. Looks like it was distributed by National Federation for the Blind. It’s otherwise in pristine condition.
That tape looks like the notorious blackwatch tape that was well known for producing the sticky-shed syndrome over the years. If you want that tape to be preserved, I suggest you back it up sooner than later. I had been a reel collector for many years and some of the cheaper tape I purchased back in the seventies began to shed over time where the coating is breaking away from the tape base. That's probably what those little bits of tape are that were on the player base. With sticky-shed syndrome, the tape actually will stick to the various posts and literally stop the tape dead in movement requiring you to break it loose to get it to move. See for more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sticky-shed_syndrome
Jim I would back up that tape. I had many I had to trash you could have what is called sticky shed syndrome. BAck of tape comes off and well almost total a tape head. Make of tape is how you can tell a lot of tapes made in the 90s on reel had have this problem. More on that here. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sticky-shed_syndrome Also the recored switch in that deck like many is a problem your having with sound. You well have to remove it from case and clean the switch good.
I've been working on one of these myself, so I've been watching these videos with great interest. On mine, though, my pinch roller lever won't retract fully. It's almost as if the function select cam has worn down, but we're talking nearly a cm of wear, and there's no metal bits inside, nor does it look worn. There's a rivet on the edge of the cam near wear it contacts the lever, and the rim of the rivet is near the edge of the cam. Is that how your cam looks? If yours isn't near the edge, that would be an indication that mine is worn. I can send a picture if you want (and don't mind opening yours up again!).
Since you have one of these machines I was wondering if you could help with an issue I’m having with mine. The rubber wheel responsible for making the capstan flywheel spin does not contact the main motor shaft and the capstan flywheel at the same time. When the machine is in the “forward” position the wheel contacts the motor shaft and spins, but is about a centimeter short of the capstan flywheel. I’m positive this isn’t from wear. When I switched in a different motor shaft (with a bigger diameter to compensate for a motor set to 60 hz instead of 50) I got the machine to work properly only at the 7.5 speed. For the other two speeds the rubber wheel still doesn’t reach the capstan flywheel. Please let me know if there is any info you have that might help, as I can’t find anything online. What would help most is knowing if your machine works properly with the rubber wheel contacting the motor shaft and the capstan flywheel at the same time at any speed other than 7.5, and if so what it looks like when it does. Thank you!
@@bensummers563 Unfortunately, mine is at work, and I'm working from home for now, so I can't look at it. I know with mine, though, it didn't look worn, but wear on the cam would explain why mine isn't working. So I wouldn't totally write off the possibility of wear. I am far from an expert on these, or any electronics.
Agreed. WD-40 is denatured kerosene and mineral oil. It leaves a residue that becomes dirty and sticky after a while. It certainly has it's uses but I keep it away from rubber and plastics.
This WD40 you are using as universal panaceum IS NOT suitable for potentiometers, soon you will notice the complete desaster you have made using this stuff.Unfortunately from me: a thumbs down.
