Akai GX-255 has slowed to a crawl..

  • Thread starter Thread starter colecrowder
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colecrowder

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Hi.

We've had a perfectly operable Akai GX-255 for transferring reel to reel to digital files the last several months, and the thing has started to slow down to a crawl. It seems everything is clean and greased, but I suspect the main reel motors somehow being the culprit. Is there a known fix for this?

Thanks in advance.
 
First and foremost, what tape are you using and does it happen the same regardless of what kind of tape is loaded?
 
Yes, happens with any reel...

We have used reels of varying age and brand, with the same issue. Is it possible the motor has lost some of its torque or is that not possible? It seems to play just fine, it just goes very slow when fast forwarding or rewinding, and for the first time actually slowed during playback today, but hasn't done that since. I appreciate any tips. Thanks for the response!
 
I would try a roll of fresh tape, but also sometimes those problems are related to tension issues...if there is not enough back tension (if the adjustment has drifted) it'll slow trying to keep too much slack from developing...not familiar with the Akia deck so hopefully somebody else will chime in...let me look at some pics of your deck...

Okay...neat deck...nice looking transport and love those illuminated transport buttons.

  1. Is your pinch roller tacky at all?
  2. what happens in rewind if you push the left tension arm toward the left (simulating higher tension)?
 
I would suspect the tape as well. It's quite possible all your old tape has stick-shed Syndrome (SSS) or Loss-of-Lubricant (LOL). It's called LOL, but it's not really funny. ;)

The fact that it happens during both fast wind speeds and play is a big clue. Another thing that will cause something similar if is the brakes aren't releasing.
 
Beck said:
I would suspect the tape as well. It's quite possible all your old tape has stick-shed Syndrome (SSS) or Loss-of-Lubricant (LOL). It's called LOL, but it's not really funny. ;)

The fact that it happens during both fast wind speeds and play is a big clue. Another thing that will cause something similar if is the brakes aren't releasing.
Click to expand...

Or maybe even a couple of bad capacitors. I can't remember exactly, but it seems like the Akai decks had caps that would fail prematurely (compared to other brands). I could be wrong, but it rings a bell for some reason.:confused:
 
Thanks guys..

I really appreciate the input. You guys are great.

The pinch roller seems clean, unless 'tacky' is a very subtle thing. And the pinch roller doesn't look to be involved when the tape is rewinding. One time today, when it stopped completely while still in rewind mode we manually turned the take-up reel to get it started again. It seemed like it was stuck in its position in the motor, maybe because not enough power?

The tension arms do not change anything when pushed either direction (except to slow even further). Something tells me jjones is right, and it must be something more complicated like the capacitors. Because the brakes are released just fine, everything spins freely and smooth when manually tested, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of wear on anything.

Again, appreciate your help. Thanks everyone!
 
One test to perform is to engage the play function, without tape, but by pulling the guide on the right to avoid automatic stop. When you press play this way, check whether the capstan runs. If it does, then your tapes are bad. If it doesn't, then you have a trouble around the motor.

If you're sure that the tapes aren't sticky so as to stop the machine, that there is no problem with the pinch roller, then it is most likely that the motor capacitor is shorted or leaks (electrically talking). I had that trouble several times on other machines. This capacitor usually has a value between 2µF and 5µF under at least 150V (depending on the voltage supplied to the motor).

Another possibility, although rarer, is that you had some grease having dried over the years, and that the axis of the motor is no longer free.
 
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