Replacing the belts of the Yamaha KX-930 cassette deck in (almost) real time. Check out my RU-vid channel: / drcassette Also check out my other RU-vid channels: / vistavox / plustotal
You know, if you don't have extra parts after piecing it back together...you've done it wrong! :) Wow, they didn't make it easy to replace the belts! Great job! ~Jack, VEG
Very super video! I like showing you the fix in real time. I see that we are thinking the same way during the repair. I was shocked I had never seen one before. I just disassembled such a mechanic and you did it the same way. I subscribed!
Thanks for the video. Just found my KX-930 has a bad belt. Curled around the motor pulley. This alway happens when you need it. (after years of not using :-). I will order a set of belts and will replace them, like you showed us. I bought my KX, back in the early nineties and it still looks like new. I hope it soon will sound as new too.
..And I thought replacing the 4 belts on a Marantz CD10 CDM4 transport was a nightmare. That took a lot of finesse and patience - well done Dr Cassette!
Excellent video which I’ll use as a guide: preparing to change the belts (W&F about 1.2% not good) and as you said, the poor serv manual doesn’t help a lot. Thank you for sharing and good luck to me.
Thanks for this excellent video. This deck is almost identical to my Kenwood KX-4520 and the belts had turned to goo so this video has helped me a lot. Thanks.
thanks to this video. i have my tapedeck kx 4520 which is very identical. same problem. but unfortunately i cant fixed it. i think there is different problem. tape dont play.
Great video and very clear....and calm :) Kudos for the perfectionism from one perfectionist to another, and congrats on the complete lack of cursing, shaking hands, dropped tiny screws etc. Inspirational :P
Those dentistry tools look very handy. A repair job like this would be way too nervewrecking for me, the mechanism looks dauntingly complex. I struggled with a Dual 1224 once but I’m never going to attempt that ever again😅, got to a certain point and realized that the next steps would be to risky. I still need to fix the tonearm lift piston since 2015 but I don’t have the guts to take apart the tonearm assembly.
Thank you kindly for making this video. Just subscribe. I have a KX-1200 which I purchased in 88. Will attempt to replace the belts myself with the help of this video.
Good work! You got lucky because the old belts were not a messy goo. As for a good place to buy belts, I bought a few "high quality", "high priced", "slow delivery" ones. The good news is that if you can wait like 4-12 weeks to receive, you will get very good belts that may last 10-30 years more. I won't even mention the name of the seller because you may not have a good experience. My suggestion is to ask for practical advice based on experiences at places like audiokarma.org
Goodnight friend. I received this model from a customer to change the belt, but it took some work but it's difficult to get a belt that fits right because the ones I put on make the capstan rotate a lot, making the sound unstable, shaking because the belt is shaped not regular.
Thanks, I got my belts and replaced the old ones. O boy what does this deck sound good. Still looks like new. but now again it sound like new again. Shame old cassettes were not used for a long time and now it seems the song pressed through and you can hear it in te silent parts. I think I need to re record those. Advice for the cassette lovers. Don't leave your deck too long not used and once in a while replay all cassettes.
I know what you mean, the copy-through effect. On some types and brands of cassettes this effect was very strong, on others not so much. It can be prevented or at least minimized by playing or just fast forwarding and rewinding cassettes from time to time, this way the tape layers end up in slightly different places each time.
I had taken a photo of all the connectors on the main board which turned out to be quite handy because the record head and the playback head have the same connector.
Hello it looks like watchmaker art for me, my highest respect for your skills. There're many cheap tape decks for sale now, but that's what keeps me not buying that decks. Usually all belts are rotten. Best regards
Topp, Daumen hoch! Tolle Arbeit, leicht zu verfolgen, auch wegen der guten Kamera-Einstellung. Jetzt weiß ich aber auch, was ich an meinem Revox-Decks (nicht) habe, nämlich Riemen, die zerfallen können. Da machen sich die Vier-Motoren-Laufwerke bezahlt. Bin schon auf den nächsten Teil gespannt. Ich muss aber doch noch kurz den Klugscheißer-Modus einschalten: Am Laufwerk, in der Nähe der Bandführungen und Köpfe sollte nicht mit einem magnetischen Bit-Halter-Schraubendreher herumgewerkelt werden ;-).
Ich habe das heute mal geprüft: Das Magnetfeld von dem Bit-Halter-Schraubendreher wird von dem Schraubendreher hinreichend abgeschirmt, wenn ein Bit eingesetzt ist, dann ist das Magnetfeld mit einem Metallstück als Probe kaum wahrnehmbar. Geht also in Ordnung, so lange man nicht direkt auf dem Kopf damit herumfummelt.
I was looking for some insights in belt replacement for my Kenwood kx 7030. I have not opened up the Deck yet, but looking at your video and the kx 7030 service manual it seems that there must be a big similarity on this mechanical part. I can comment on this after christmas having the belt replaced by then…
Yes just finished replacing the belts on my Kenwood. It is almost the same as the mechanism shown here, if not exactly the same. My small belt was gone as well, all sticky stuff could not get it off my hands. It is a little bit difficult to reach everything, after all, seen this movie, it worked out fine 👍
Congratulations for the successful repair! The rubber residue of molten belts can be washed off with isopropyl alcohol (IPA), but that is of course not good for the skin.
Excellent work and thanks for sharing it! Did you find any other place to purchase the belts? I have to up for replacement. One Yamaha KX-130 and one KX-200..
You can find the capstan belts much cheaper on AliExpress you will need 3mm and 4mm belts mostly, and 5mm you can use on Pioneer tapedecks on theirs Z-mechanism. Just copy&paste "Flache Gummi Gürtel Mix" in german AliExpress search bar. ;-)
Thank you for sharing, I found it very relaxing, almost like ASMR :-D I have gotten back into cassettes and cassette decks after over 20 years. BTW where is the idler tire in this unit? I don’t see it in any part of the video.
The more modern cassette mechanisms like the one seen in this video use gears instead of idler wheels. This generally makes the mechanisms much more reliable, except on some mechanisms where the gears have a tendency to break...
Excelent video. Very usefull for kx-650 (has identical mechanism). Changed my belt for kx-930(decent belt, cost me 1 EUR). Unfortunaly my deck plays for 2 seconds and the right wheel stops while everything alse spins for anoteher 3 seconds. I'm desperate, don't know how to repair it. Any sugestion is appreciated. Thank you 👍
Vezi sa inlocuiesti cureaua de la counter...am patit asa cu JVC DD 66...are o celula fotovoltaica care citeste daca se invarte!In general,asta-i problema,dar nu-i exclus si o problema pe partea electronica.Dar,mai mult ca sigur iti lipseste o curelusa,care invarte o rola ceva,iar fotosenzorul pune stop!Cu un pic de atentie,o sa o gasesti!
My KX-930 shows similar issues. Replaced 2 belts. The small belt for the wheel with the silver/black segments was completely molt to a kind of black sticky glue. It seems that these remains have covered on the segment wheel and also the corresponding photovoltaic sensor above. Therefore the KX-930 could not recognize the movement of the wheel. Maybe that´s why the mechanism stops after some seconds. I am trying to remove the stain and hope it´ll work properly again.
Hello, I just bought a YAMAHA KX W-952 RS Cassette deck everything works but the display of the controls is totally out of order. No reaction from where it can come ?? Thank you for your answers
Is aversge belt 8 inches? Tried to put the one that slipped off my Ultrx two direction cassette back on. It was 14 inch, a 7 inch circle. Strectched out shape? Maybe that is why it don't work. Thank you for your video.
The source for belt is make it yourself get a saw hole cutter find the size you need drill it to the depth you want a piece of plywood fill it with medium grade hardness silicone smooth off the top let it Harden you got a belt with some melted candle wax go round the hole you cut first with an artist's brush. You should put your belts first in a bag of talcum powder gives better smoother operation
Are you kidding me? A cassette deck belt ist a precision component that has major influence on Wow & Flutter, you can't just fabricate some silicone ring for that!
Oha, das sieht um einiges komplizierter aus, als bei meinen Sony Decks. Aber die Qualität des Laufwerks dürfte um einiges besser sein. Tolles Video!! Hat dieses Deck nicht auch so ein Schaltrad für den Kopfschlitten? Ich hatte schon mal das Problem bei Sony, wenn das Deck nicht 100%ig in Stopp Position ist, funktioniert es nachher nicht richtig. Das wird in vielen Videos nicht erwähnt.
@@DrCassette The belts and pinch roller are available (Ebay, et. al.). I opened up the unit and it doesn't look easy to get at the belts and pinch roller. I downloaded the service manual and there's nothing showing how to replace the belts and pinch roller.
greetings. Could you tell me the size of the belts and where they go on the capstain pulleys, on the aiwa multicassette player A70, mine deteriorated and I don't have the diagram, thank you very much.
Some cassette decks I keep (like the Yamaha deck seen in this video), other cassette decks I sell. I am not a business, all these cassette decks belong to me, I don't do commissioned work for customers.
Nice video, I had good luck with belts from turntableneedles.com, didn't measure w&f thou. I also 'lost' grounding spring first time. It's well worth going thru electrical adjustments for PB\Rec\meters\tape speed at least. This deck is a very good deck and is worth keeping.
Do yo plan to keep it for your self or put it for sale? Regarding rubber belts: I order mine from aliexpress or some chinese sites. Just order some assorted packs of differents lenghts, widths and thicknesses.
I will keep the deck, at least for now. It's good for transferring cassettes to digital because it has the play trim control to restore some of the high frequencies on very old recordings. Also, with one button missing, I wouldn't get nearly as much money as this deck is worth.
I don't know what audiophile quality means. I had a cheap deck in the 1990s and it wasn't great. Now you can afford top class gear like this Yamaha. It sounds very good. I don't use any dolby but my friends ask me "Where's the hissing of the tape?" We all remember cassette as something inferior but it may sound very good. I can't tell a differnce. I play from cds, vinyl, files, cassettes. But cassettes are rather for older, not contemporary music. I wouldn't record on cassettes like I did in the early 1990s.
@@DrCassette well i have old decks that when i record from cd i show it to several of my friends ,i make the pepsi chalenge and they always choose the tape recorded(no nr) having better sound than the cd,and i don´t use any effect on sound ,all defeat on amplifier and the cd player wasn´t the best at it´s time but very rich in mid frequencies compared to others,regards
This is nice compared to my Nakamichi's and the Tandberg TCD-3014, and my 3014 belts turned to goo! I changed them, and I am not a tech even. You made this sound like brain surgery. It isn't that hard. Plus if you needed reference you have the video. Was fun watching you struggle but succeed. I have over 50 years in audio and reference and taking my time, it never is a problem. So Chill-ax, you got this. I have seen your work, and you do fine. Take it easy on metal on plastic too. I have worked on lots of other electronics and big copiers and printers that range from small to multi thousand dollar car sized machines. Cassette decks are fun. Reel to Reel too. I am not that good with trouble shooting hifi circuits but know how they work. I like watching techs work on this old stuff.
I have successfully worked on mechanisms that were more complicated than this one, if I hadn't known that this project was manageable I would not have filmed through the whole process. You have to keep in mind, the camera and the need to provide some form of constant commentary do add a major source of distraction.
@@DrCassette my decks left channel is significantly quieter than the right channel. Could you help me find the solution? My machine is very similar (Yamaha k-1000)
Start by making sure the heads are clean and the head alignment has not been changed. Continue by checking the connection from the heads to the amplifier board. From that point onwards things get too complex for a remote diagnosis...
@@DrCassette Heads are fine and clean. Mine has DBX. When turned off, the left channel is a bit louder but is still much weaker than the right one. Could it be one of the capacitors?
If there are two pinch rollers, the cassette deck either has auto reverse, or dual capstan drive. Standard cassette decks only have one pinch roller for one capstan.
Sorry it took me so long to reply you have to go in there and say assortment of flat belts they give you and I sent a package I believe it's either 50 or 60 belts and it's a full assortment of all different sizes of flat belts it's not a you don't go in there looking for a specified model number you just go in there and ask for replacement belts assorted and you will find them you find them in geek and you can also find them in wish.com I find them in there all the time and I replace a lot of these belts I've serviced Aegis tape decks all the time instead of going crazy 4 belts but like these Yamahas and Fishers and Sony's all these units like this from the 80s and 90s those belts that you get from the wish and geek we'll fit I haven't had any problems yet
Is the kx 650 a similar process to this video ? I got a free 650 ,FF/RW work fine but play.....it starts to play but it looks like the supply reels not turning .Would new belts solve this problem ?
Why Yamaha made it so difficult to change belts!!??, I have many cassette decks and it's the first time I see such a complex procedure.. I have a double Yamaha deck and after i saw that I will probably sell it.. that's a nightmare!!
@@DrCassette True, very complicated to change the belt. After so much work, my client still thinks I overcharged, apart from the china belts that are all deformed, irregular causing fluctuation in the capstan rotation.
This cassette deck has a dual capstan drive, meaning both pinch rollers are engaged at the same time, one feeding the tape to the heads, the other one away from the heads. The speed that both capstans run at is carefully balanced to be slightly different. This way the proper tape tension across the heads is ensured. This eliminates the bad influence the supply reel and the cassette shell can have on sound reproduction.
Apparently Marrs communications is very good for high quality OEM standard cassette deck belts. Many people on tapeheads.net use Marrs belts, especially on Nakamichi gear. They are quite pricey though but again, supposedly the best around
Yeah, many belts on cheaper decks, especially double deckers, turn into black gummy goo stuck to the capstan wheels - many Sony decks being affected - sorry Sony fans, but from mid 90s the company many more and more junk until it seems to make mostly junk. Good made in Japan belts are available for many decks but you have to pay for quality more these days than before. Tapeheads.net, audio forum dedicated to tape decks has members who are knowledgeable and might give advice. Some people people sell calibration tapes, Alex being know for making excellent ones. Also there is W&F measuring soft available from one of the members - a must to have tool for testing and troubleshooting mechanism. If you have really good direct drive deck you can make 3kHz tape for setting speed after belt change - give the belt some time to set in. On the other hand I have question - where can I get spare capstan motor, CCW 12V, adj speed - same as in the Yamaha you have, but also used on many other machines.
How long have you been having dissolved belts in 90s Japanese equipment? This seems to be a rather recent development, when I got into repairing equipment about 10 years ago, you would only find dissolved belts in 1960s/70s Philips equipment and obscure old Korean equipment. Seems to me like the 90s cheap belts held up until fairly recently and are just now starting to fail and dissolve. As for your motor replacement, I would try to salvage one from another cassette deck. These are indeed very common in 90s cassette decks.
@@DrCassette Had two dual decks from Sony, one with Dolby S. Both of them had disintegrated belts on both decks - the transports were of no better quality than some portables. But JVC, Technics, Pioneer and Teac from the same time didn't have the same problem. Have JVC and Technics under my bed with JVC having capstan motor dead with worn bearings in one deck (for parts) and Technics still working properly with a little age related issues (worn heads, higher W&F). It's very hard to find used deck in Canada in good condition - Canadians are not in Audio like Europeans. There is a few of us in Ottawa that do DIY audio and repair electronics, some restoring old equipment but in Europe this kind of hobby is more popular. Another thing is that a lot top of the line equipment that was available in Europe and Japan never made it to Canada. You think I have seen Accuphase here - no, but some of my friends in Poland own it. My first contact with Nakamichi and top of the line Akai Aiwa, etc, was in mid 80s because people were bringing them from Germany, with almost every Japanese brand available. You are in way better position to find worthy equipment like this Yamaha in Europe than me in Canada. From all electronic shops that still fix audio, only a few are left, run by Chinese owners and some hard core people who like it because nobody can get the parts or repair costs are too high. Well eventually I fix my Nakamichi somehow and really good CD player from this time that has all the functions and headphone output.
@@DrCassette There are good companies here, my friend Mark Kravczenko designs some of the best spkr drivers you can get, but in very limited number, his AMTs are as good as Mundorf. National Research Council has nice anechoic chamber that a lot of North American firms are using, and a lot pioneering research in spkr design was done there. Focus Audio from Toronto Area uses Eton and Scan in their spkrs SimAudio, Bryston, Paradigm are known every where to Hi-end enthusiast. But for most people cheap sound bar and large TV from Best Buy is enough and we have decline in serious audio interest in general, thanks to MP3s and junky headphones from Dr Dre (same price Audio Technica M-50X wipe the floor with them). So this is the sorry state of audio in Canada, at least in Ottawa.
I got serious problems with nice deck from the early 1980s with the "goo monster" belts -- actually with only the capstan big flat belt. A mess to clean up, but then worth it -- lots of Q-tips, paper towel and alcohol -- some people suggest to use stronger chemicals as acetone but I didn't dare to use. I agree w/ your suggestion to calibrate the speed w/ a proper speed tape (3 kHz).
I am so mad at myself today...for all that have a Technics RS-TR311...do NOT give up on a problem where the tape will not play forward...and will only play backwards...it IS THE center gear that look off yellow, that go between the two drive pins that go thru the tape...it has gone soft and the teeth break off, and they can be purchased and replaced...BUT not for mine..it is TRASH...... because I gave up.
find one for sale by that time decks were bought but not that much used ,so you might find one cheap and recover the part you need, i had a similar case and that´s how i restore it to play again but it was not a yamaha, regards
Many 1990's decks were cheapening out so lots of corners had to be cut. Most were not as good as late 70's to mid 80's era decks. Most cassette decks peaked in mid 80's.
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