Tascam 244 - One problem after restoration (noise from capstan motor wheel)

N

nem

New member
Recently bought and restored a Tascam 244. Changed the belts, pinch roller, idler tires... I've tested it and everything works great. Only one problem - it's loud (unacceptably loud). I found that when I stand the whole thing up straight, the noise reduces to the normal quiet sound of the motor.

I took the back off and nothing appears wrong. The unit is sitting up straight, running smoothly and as I slowly lower it to its normal position, I can't see any change, but it starts making the noise. I think the noise is coming from the belt against the capstan motor wheel. I tried repositioning the belt, but it didn't make any difference. My next thought was that maybe it needs lubrication, but I'm not sure what kind of lubricant to use..

Any ideas?

dr z.jpg

(I included one of Dr. Zee's pictures to show where the sound seems to be coming from. Dr. Zee is amazing. I never could've gotten this far without his pictures.)
 
I would suspect the larger weighted flywheel to the right and the bearings it rotates on being the more plausible suspect as the weight of that when sitting flat would exert the most weight strain. Maybe try a drop of sewing machine oil in that spot and see if that makes a difference. So where you see that screw with the lock-tight yellowish goop: on the underside of that, applied by a precision dropper and make sure the oil doesn't go anywhere else near the belt which could cause slippage.

You might also be able to localize the sound of the squeak/squeal by making use of a stethoscope to see where that sound is the loudest.



Cheers! :)
 
Problem solved. I got "silicone spray lubricant" from an auto place and q-tipped a bit on the silver motor wheel. Didn't take much. Now it's quiet as a mouse.
 
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