TEAC A 3440 won't PLAY

B

Ben1975

New member
Saw some other posts about this tape machine on this forum while trying to find answers to my questions on Google, so I thought someone on here might be able to help. Please forgive the ignorance, I'm just trying to understand this thing. I would love to actually USE it if I could figure it out!

I have a TEAC a3440 and know nothing about it and haven't operated a reel to reel machine since I was a little kid in the early 1980's. Issue: I'm trying to get it to PLAY. Rewind and FF work fine, and the reels spin correctly in the PLAY mode WHEN NO TAPE is threaded. When tape is threaded, the play mode activates, but the reals won't spin (they're trying, but they won't advance the tape).

Dumb questions first: 1) What side of the tape should be facing the head? The light brown (shiny) side, or the black (dull) side? I figured it was the shiny side, but I'm not certain. 2) When threading the tape through the machine, is the tape supposed to go BETWEEN the two posts and the tape head, or is the tape supposed to go UNDER (on the outside) of the two posts near the head (the manual says "under and through the head housing")?

Again, thank you for any help you can provide.
 
1) Light brown shiny side goes against the heads.

2) By "two posts" am I correct you are talking about the lifter posts that pop out between the heads? The tape should go on the same side of those posts as the heads...in other words there is no "threading" per se you need to do there. That make sense?

So let's call anything toward the top of the machine "above", and anything toward the bottom of the machine "below"

  1. The first thing the tape comes to is a tension arm by the supply reel. Tape goes BELOW this.
  2. Then comes an impedance roller and the tape goes ABOVE that.
  3. Then comes series of guides, heads and the lifters in the headblock and the tape goes BELOW ALL of that
  4. Then comes the rubber pinch roller and the capstan shaft. The tape goes ABOVE the rubber pinch roller and BELOW the metal capstan shaft (so it goes in between those two things)
  5. Last but not least comes the takeup side tension arm and the tape goes BELOW that.

Without tape loaded, lift up the takeup tension arm and hit PLAY. Is the capstan shaft spinning?
 
Is the capstan spinning? This is the small diameter metal shaft to the right of the heads.
The pinch roller is the rubber roller that moves towards the capstan during play. What condition is it in? firm, hard, gooey?

My first guess is the capstan is not turning.
 
sweetbeats said:
1) Light brown shiny side goes against the heads.

2) By "two posts" am I correct you are talking about the lifter posts that pop out between the heads? The tape should go on the same side of those posts as the heads...in other words there is no "threading" per se you need to do there. That make sense?

So let's call anything toward the top of the machine "above", and anything toward the bottom of the machine "below"

  1. The first thing the tape comes to is a tension arm by the supply reel. Tape goes BELOW this.
  2. Then comes an impedance roller and the tape goes ABOVE that.
  3. Then comes series of guides, heads and the lifters in the headblock and the tape goes BELOW ALL of that
  4. Then comes the rubber pinch roller and the capstan shaft. The tape goes ABOVE the rubber pinch roller and BELOW the metal capstan shaft (so it goes in between those two things)
  5. Last but not least comes the takeup side tension arm and the tape goes BELOW that.

Without tape loaded, lift up the takeup tension arm and hit PLAY. Is the capstan shaft spinning?
Click to expand...

Thank you so much. The instructions in the manual (and the picture provided) say the tape goes ABOVE the first tension arm and BELOW the first guide post (which I think you were calling the "impedence roller"). I really appreciate your instructions, thank you!! I had the tape threaded incorrectly (between the guides and the head rather than below it all).

That being said, I unloaded the tape, lifted the tension arm and pressed PLAY. The reels turn but the capstan is not moving at all.

Thank you again for the help and any future suggestions you might have. I'm assuming maybe it's a belt?

I acquired this thing along with a Tascam M-35 mixing console after a friend's father passed away unexpectedly. My friend was offloading some stuff he didn't use anymore. I've just never really had a chance to try to figure it out.
 
mdainsd said:
Is the capstan spinning? This is the small diameter metal shaft to the right of the heads.
The pinch roller is the rubber roller that moves towards the capstan during play. What condition is it in? firm, hard, gooey?

My first guess is the capstan is not turning.
Click to expand...

You are correct, sir. The pinch roller seems fine (i.e. the rubber isn't gooey, nor is it dried out or cracked), but the capstan is not turning at all.
 
If the capstan isn't turning without tape then you're looking at a dropped belt, dead motor or blown fuse.
Those are probably the main things that it could be.

All of those require you to open it up and have a hoke. Is that something you're confident with?

EDIT: If I recall correctly it's quite a handy machine. The top/rear panel comes off with ease and that should let you visually inspect the belt, at least.
 
Steenamaroo said:
If the capstan isn't turning without tape then you're looking at a dropped belt, dead motor or blown fuse.
Those are probably the main things that it could be.

All of those require you to open it up and have a hoke. Is that something you're confident with?
Click to expand...

Yes I can definitely open it up and I'm sure I could fix a belt or fuse. I play guitar and have repaired my amps, and was in an advanced electronics field in the military. I worked on missile systems, though, not reel-to-reel tape recorders haha. My problem was that I didn't know enough about it to know that the capstan was supposed to be moving :) Thank y'all very much. I'll crack it open sometime next week (I work weekend nights so won't have a chance until then) and let you know what I find!
 
That's encouraging. I did a belt on one not long ago with very little experience or knowledge.
You sound more than qualified. ;)

Good luck and come back if you're stuck.
 
Hey Ben , I had a 3440 with the same symptoms. There are (2) micro switches inside the cabinet that are activated by the right tension arm. These are notorious for failing & are easy to find. Some are obviously bad. Mine had the actuator broken off. If you take a jumper & bypass them one at a time, you may find the offending switch when the capstan motor starts to turn..

Worth a try.

Don
 
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