Help -- Sony TC-399 (same transport as 366, 377)

M

Marty L

New member
I have spent much of the last few days cleaning and restoring a Sony TC-399. Essentially if you own a 366 or 377 we share the same transport mechanism.

I have done much of the rehab and have it 99% of the way to working but I have hit a brick wall with the Supply reel tensioning system. No matter how I adjust it the brake shoe related to the supply reel won't release. I am sure I am missing something. I have tried to adjust per the service manual. I can not get it lose enough to allow the tape to unspool. The pinch roller is not the issue, it has plenty of grip. I know so because it can actually stop the capstan.

I have toyed with the idea of getting a friend with a 3D printer to make a replacement but its hard to understand what could be causing this.

Any one with a similar problem?
 
I have not come across this but it is either an adjustment or the need for a new shoe. The parts they used on these is kind of strange and I found that a felt piece does not work so I ended up with a Ampex belt that was given to me by another service guy and it worked. It was a cloth impregnated rubber belt similar to what they had on there in the first place.
I was at the Niles service center when they threw out all these parts and they would not allow me to take any.
 
I have 2 377 and 2 399 machines at the moment. 1 377 I had the same issue it starts slow. But I didnt have the service manual at the time I did that on. It had left Mic input issues with caps or something so I bought a second and got it going. The first 399 had almost same issue but worse on left channel Mic input distorted and low tape rca input has nothing that I can detect. So now Im on 399 number 2 and all the signals seem good and it has low hours on it just belts and grease dried up reel bad. I left that misspell thought it be relavant. Im going to try and wrap my head around what it might be and look in the service manual for right names for the adjustment and arms with the little brakes on them.
 
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