Tascam 38 - tape rubbing reel flanges

mr.blisset

New member
After putting some tape on my newly acquired tascam 38 :) ive noticed that the tape rubs against the reel flanges when playing. :( The machine was shipped to me and was packed well. It has new heads on it (and they sent the old head assy which was quite worn) but unfortunately I don't know the history of the machine. Everything seems to be okay so far barring the reel table situation...

The table reels themselves are pointing slightly upward so that the reels sit on a slight angle causing the tape to rub. To be clear, the bottom of the tape flange is further away from the front plate of the machine then the top of the flange.

The table reels are also sitting on a slight angle compared to the front plate of the tape machine with the top of the reel tables being more sunken into the front than the bottom. You can clearly see the are not at the same angle as the front plate but both reel tables at the same angle overall.

One of the reels wobbles a bit when in p, ff, rw etc but in general id say that they are mostly just at the slightly the wrong angle as described above.

I've taken the reel tables off and cant seem to determine if the back bush of the table or the table itself is bent or faulty just from eyeballing them. Is there someway I can determine if the tables and their bushes are bent or broken?

Correct me if Im wrong but if the table reels were not adjusted to be completely flat on the shaft, wouldn't there be wonkiness and not just the generally angled upward reels causing the tape to rub as im experiencing?

The table reels themselves also seemed to be reasonably in line with the brake lines that sit around the table. Which makes me even more confused.

Any ideas on what is actually causing the reels to sit at the angle they are on the deck!?

Thanks
 
I think I’m getting lost in all your descriptors. Is it possible to post a video of the issue? Are the reel tables wobbling as they turn?
 
yeah sorry I thought that might happen. its a hard thing to describe. I'll try get a video recorded! However no the reel tables aren't really wobbling when they turn.

So another way to describe would be to say that the reels do not sit perpendicular or at 90 degrees relative the machine, id say they sit on the machine more around 87 degrees. So the reels are angled just enough to cause rubbing on the bottom of the flanges (as the bottom of the flanges sit further away from the machine due to the slight angle).
 
Are the reel motors mounted correctly? To be honest, I can't really see that happening as other things are attached to the frames.

Another alternative could be that deck faceplate is not is not seated correctly or distorted.
 
yeah im pretty sure they are mounted correctly and the face is seated correctly. I'll take a video today and sign up for a youtube account now that I ahve a little free time :)
 
Another alternative could be that deck faceplate is not is not seated correctly or distorted.
Face plate should have no imact on this.
The reel table is crooked. Just gotta get in there and straighten it out. Usually there are some set screw adjustments. This is where the manual would come in handy.

However what makes no sense is that it seems you're saying that it's always tilted that way. As in, there is a bigger gap on the bottom. Is this the case?
If the reel table is crooked, as the reel turned! the area that is higher would move. You would get some wobble for sure.
 
well i have completely taken this the 38 apart. I have some photos i will upload but im not very good with computers so see how i go. Does anyone know an easy way to host them?

Unfortunately, it seems as though this 38 has been dropped on its head. The plastic case attached to back of the unit was damaged when it arrived which was a worrying sign but now that I've taken everything apart i can clearly see how the metal mounts the reel motors sit in were sagging down at an angle due to the impact. Photos will tell the story better and so ill try so ill try and get onto that.

I have taken the reel motors out and have attempted to bend the metal reel motor mounts back in place so everything sits at the right angle, however im not sure if I've solved the problem or if everything else at the top of the chassis is bent too. Really hope I can revive this one as it has brand new heads etc. Ill put it all back together next chance I get and see where I'm at.
 
You can upload the pics right here in the thread. Click the button that looks like a little picture frame in the tool bar of the reply window, and you’ll get a pop-up window with two tabs, one for entering web addresses for the pics and the other for uploading from your computer. Hope that helps.

Sorry about your misfortune with your 38! :(
 
Back
Top