tascam 38 solenoid sticking...

I

iflyinmymind

New member
Hello, my tascam 38 recorder just came in the mail and the speed control is screwed up. The solenoid is sticking...there is some rubber around the actual moving part which has broken down, and is making it all gooey. The other solenoid is fine though. I read a thread reply by 'a reel person' who stated that he had the same problem on his tascams. Does anyone know how to unstick it. What chemical/lubricant? I have 99% denatured alcohol, machine oil, white lube, graphite, and deoxit. Are these useable for this problem? If not fixable, then a new or used solenoid. Where do i get one? I am an analog newbie. Any help would be greatly appreciated so i can actually use the equipment. Thanks.
 
DON"T use alcohol on rubber parts.

Did your deck come with the tech manual?

A reel person will probably see this and help you out. Until then, I'll check my tech manual and see if I can come up with anything.

I haven't had that problem before. I just had to do a reel table height adjustment a week ago or so. That was a real pain in the ass. I had to strip the machine all the way down to the chassis to get at two little cap-head screws.
 
After re-reading your post and after refering to my manual, I am a bit confused.

Are you talking about the pitch control? If so there is no associated selenoid.

The only solenoids on the 38 are the brake solenoid and the capstan solenoid.

Would you clarify please?
 
Well, i took the old sticky rubber off the CAPSTAN solenoid so it would move freely, and put a new rubber washer in its place, it was the bump stop i think. Okay. the solenoid is not sticking, but the problem persists. By speed control i mean when i push play it goes just as fast as if it were in fast foward. I did not mean the pitch control , sorry...I am not sure what to do now. What should i clean the rubber with? Thaniks for responding
 
Sorry I made an error myself. It is the pinch roller solenoid and it sounds like you need a new pinch roller.

TASCAM and others make a pinch roller/rubber cleaner that will not damage the rubber.

I don't know what to recommend in its place that will not damage the rubber.
 
I have this trouble on my (very) old Teac - in this case it's nothing to do with rubberware, but the pinch wheel is not quite touching the capstan. Try pushing the pinch wheel gently to see if it grips the tape. On my machine the grease on the pinch wheel lever had got gummy with age. I stripped it down, cleaned off the gunk and re-lubricated, and all was good again (until the cat pissed on it, but that's another story. Don't get me started...) My Tascam 32-2 has similar construction, but that's been ok so far.

If alcohol has got on the pinch wheel, perhaps some splashes from over-application of cleaning fluid, the rubber tends to go hard and shiny which will give speed problems also. It's possible that it may lose its grip on the tape altogether.

I don't know for sure if these apply to you, I'd advise you to wait until other 38 users see this thread and have a chance to comment; but may be worth bearing in mind.
 
Fly,...

I lost your email, so you could send another one if you want.

I think there's merit to what Peter said, above. If the pinchwheel is not fully contacting the capstan, then your speed would run unregulated, according to how much takeup and back tension your reel motors were generating. In Peter's case, this problem was mechanical in nature. I've also seen that the lube on these older machines has turned to sludge. You should definitely verify that the pinchwheel is contacting the capstan.

Beyond that, the capstan belt can do some pretty unusual things with the speed, after it's aged beyond it's usable service life. Sometimes it can make the tape seem faster, but often slower.

If you've already verified and fixed the solenoid problem, then you already have the front cover off, and access to the frontal mechanics.

As I remember, to replace the 38's capstan-drive belt, you may remove a plate that the headstack is mounted to, and swing this assembly out of the way, sufficiently enough to gain access to the capstan motor and flywheel pulley.

The capstan belt for the 38 is sold by Tascam, and may also be picked up generic, in some VCR repair shops and electronic components shops. I've used a "PRC" belt, FRX 14.5, which is a flat rubber belt, 14.5" long [total], about 5mm wide and 0.5mm thick. There'ya'go.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top