Tascam 38 / Hub Adaptor Issue?

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radioal

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Hi all,

The feed reel (left side) on my tascam 38 is chafing with the front panel screw heads. Of course it is making noise, but what i noticed after further inspection is that the left hub is a little further recessed in relation to the hub on the take-up . . . is this normal, or is my deck damaged?:confused:

I've had experience with R2Rs, but with 1/4-in decks like the 2340R. The 1/2-in Tascam 38 is, of course, different.

Any 38 users want to chime in on this? Your comments are appreciated.

Thank you!
 
Probably just need a little adjusting of the hub-adaptor spindle.
 
Yeah, I have since figured as much. I will work on it this weekend.

Thanks pal.
 
Problem fixed. Just removed the bonnet cover, had easy access to the set screws with an alum wrench. Loosened it a bit, pulled the platter forward a bit and voila, no more chafing. A textbook repair.

However, my take-up reel is warped and chafing with the tape.:mad:
 
Great job !:)
A small warp in the reel you can fix easy, unscrew the center on the reel, put the warped flange on a flat surface and where the crease is use a flat piece of wood or plastic and tap carefully with a small hammer a couple of times, check the other and if it needs a whack, go ahead with same scenario:p
 
God help me.

Ok, so I fixed my take up reel and finally got around to testing play/record functionality.

Nothing works. I can monitor the sound going in via the vu meters, but on playback, nothing happens!

I took a look at the heads, and they're actually a mess. There's all this grey gunk stuck to the heads. The erase head is especially messy. The sync and repro heads are messed just down the center of the head, whereas on the erase head, the crud is spread out more. The crud is also on the tension arms--like thick chunks of this dry, grey, film (old tape?). Looks almost like someone left the tape on this thing for years or something.

Is it possible this is preventing any output whatsoever? Or could this be some other head/tape contact issue? It's obvious now that the heads need a thorough cleaning, but just wanted to know what else could go wrong so I have a head start if/when I get there.
 
Yes, it is very possible for the heads to get coated to the point at which they no longer function. My TSR-8 came in just as you describe, with the heads and all the rest of the tape transport covered in dark grey ick. You should be able to clear most of it with isopropyl alcohol. I actually scrubbed mine, although I wouldn't recommend that :D
 
Thanks man, that is reassuring. I will clean it tonight and pray for the best. Hope your TSR is still working well :)
 
Done and done.

I spent a few hours cleaning the heads and everything else that touches the tape with q-tips and 91% isopropyl. Had to resist the urge to simply "Git 'er done" and scrape the stuff off with my fingernails when cleaning the actual heads.

Everything looks shiny and new now, and I can actually record and playback finally.

To JP and Vintage Tex: many thanks for your help, and thanks in advance, since who knows what else will pop up!
 
:) Im glad it's working now, be sure to clean the tape-guides and heads before every record session.
 
So true, nothing beats the smell of fresh tape acid in the morning;)
 
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