New problem: Tascam 414 take up spool isn't spinning during play, but can FF.

B

bearhead

New member
Just like the title reads, the take up spool isn't moving during play, but the pinch wheel and capstan move. It does however move if you press the FF button. I don't even know what to do with this thing anymore. I don't have any money to replace it, but I use it for everything. It just ate my really expensive tape, and now I'm pissed. I would love for someone on here to help me with this (even though no one helped me the last time). :confused:
 
bearhead said:
Just like the title reads, the take up spool isn't moving during play, but the pinch wheel and capstan move. It does however move if you press the FF button. I don't even know what to do with this thing anymore. I don't have any money to replace it, but I use it for everything. It just ate my really expensive tape, and now I'm pissed. I would love for someone on here to help me with this (even though no one helped me the last time). :confused:
Click to expand...

Can you take off the cover and get a picture of the belts and tape transport? A video would be really helpful as well.
 
spikemtz said:
Have you found a fix yet? I'm having the same problem.
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You may need to replace the three rubber belts… Drive, Capstan, and Control, as rubber is the first thing to go and most suspect in cassette machines. However, there are some other questions. How are you maintaining you 414? Are you cleaning the tape path on a regular basis? The heads, capstan, and pinch roller. It’s very common for tape residue on the rubber pinch roller of a neglected tape machine to cause a tape to stick and get hung-up around the capstan and pinch roller. In that case the take-up spool will not turn because the tape is snagged. Or you may need a new rubber idler tire, but the fact that the deck works in fast-forward makes me doubt that.

Also, how are you testing the machine that you conclude the take-up spool is not turning? If you’re testing it with no tape in the well the take-up spool may not spin by design. The best way to test for play function is with an empty cassette shell… or if you know where to press to make the machine think there’s a cassette tape in the well.
 
The problem I'm having is caused by the capstan sinking into the recorder, due to a missing e-clip, a.k.a. retaining washer, that's supposed to hold it in place. I ended up finding the post that describes the same problem (https://homerecording.com/bbs/user-forums-brand/tascam-user-forum/414-mkii-capstan-slipping-364003/). Using the info gathered there, I took a pair of needle nose pliers and gently pulled the capstan shaft up into it's normal position. Holding it in place with my index finger, I then pressed play. As the pinch roller and capstan met, the takeup reel began to spin, but not for long as the capstan fell back into the machine. Messing around with this for a minute, I took a break and looked at my Porta 02. Sure enough, there are a few extra clips on its capstan that are absent from the 414's. Over time, with regular use, I believe it's possible for these clips to break or fall off.

To anyone that ends up with the same symptoms, I would advise you to check this first, as you don't have to open up the machine. If you look at the capstan and there are no weird "C" shaped clips attached to it, and you can lift the shaft up with your fingers, or GENTLY with a pair of pliers, this could be the issue. If you have no idea what the clips should look like, do a search for "capstan e-clip" or "capstan retaining washer". I hope this helps somebody in the future!
 
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