Changing the Capstan Belt On The Tascam 38

SteveMac

SteveMac

New member
Sorry about the billion questions about the 38 :rolleyes: I'll try and cut down soon. :o

I know a few of you have changed the capstan belt on your Tascam 38. I was wondering if it was hard to do. I've changed belts on RtR's but this is definately not as easy. I've got the face plate off and I see the belt is beneath the plate that holds the heads which is held down by four screws. It looks like they used loktite on those screws. The wires for the heads don't have much slack and then there is the pinch roller arm which has a spring which might need to be disconnected in order to get to it. Is this the way you get to the belt?

Thanks,

Steve
 
Never done it myself (nor do I have a 38, but am due a 32 soon, once the seller gets it realigned) but I remembered that it was discussed in this thread. Its mainly about a 22-2, but scroll down to the post from A Reel Person (Dave) where he mentions the 38.
On the 38, once you've removed the front panel, you can view the mechanics and belt. There's a mounting plate that the heads are attached to. There's about 4-5 screws that hold this mounting plate onto the chassis. Removing that mounting plate that the heads are attached to gives you free access to the belt. The heads remain attached to the plate, so it doesn't affect head alignment.
Click to expand...
Hope this is enough until Reel can post more details!

Cya
Andrew
 
Its not as hard as it looks. Like reel said just loosen the screws on the head and you can splip the belt underneath of it.
 
Thanks Herm & Reel,

Yeah, it does look difficult. There's no slack on the head wires to lift it but we'll see when I do it. I havn't taken the screws off yet. Still waiting for the belt.
 
Dont be afraid of it. It really is simple. Once the screws are out it doesnt have to move very much to get the belt under there.
 
Hi. Am new here. Happen to see your thread about belt changing on 38. Have a 34 and is probably similar. My problem was not using unit from '95 to '01, then storage from '01 to present. Belt had turned to *terrible* sticky goo melting *all over* the guts in there. Bought a belt off ebay from a guy who still supplies them. (Henandroj is his ebay handle, I think. Gave me a ton of email help on deck surgery. Very nice guy.)

Got the goo cleaned off last summer. Been too busy to put new belt on til a few weeks ago. Major difficulty is that when I gently flip headblock backwards, the whole capstand and flywheel has to come with it. Henandroj doesn't have this problem w/his 34B, and I'd appreciate y'alls comments on this. I *cannot* get the capstan to drop thru the headblock; it's frozen stuck hard into it, and am not sure exactly where or how to unfreeze it. With *great* difficulty managed to get the new belt in place even so. But am not looking forward to the next time. Can anyone tell me how to get that capstan out of the headblock?

Btw, sad news is that while the machine is otherwise in mint condition, the erase head terminal "panel" on the back of the erase head, entirely *ripped off* ripping the very tiny threadlike wires from the inside of the head. So the deck is a player-only now. (sniff, sniff)

Can this head be repaired? Replaced?

Thanks.
 
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