Teac A-3440 Won't paly or rewind?

[glenn taylor]

Hi there I was told to try posting a thread here for some help restoring a teac A-3440 I just bought. It is in very good physical shape. The capstan spins when arm is moved. It won't engage the pinch roller when pushing play. So rew ff and play do not work. I cleaned the machine last night and sprayed some cleaner on the boards and inside the unit. The ff and rew would work as long as my finger was on the buttons. Today ff and rew don't work again. I am going to go over solder joints today. Can solinoids be fixed? Any thought on where to find problems? GT.

 

[glenn taylor]

Nobody have or remember working one these old babies? It has to be easier than working on my 2" 16 track? GT

 

[Steenamaroo]

Nobody have or remember working one these old babies? It has to be easier than working on my 2" 16 track? GT

Hi again.

I avoided trying to give an answer cos to be honest so many people on here are far better qualified.

Since you've got no replies I'll blindly stab! lol.

Taking the pinch roller solenoid. Does it try? If you hit play then gently lift it does it snap up or is the solenoid just completely dead?
If it's trying then cleaning the mechanisms may help and finely adjusting the solenoid position.
If it's not trying it might need to be replaced then. I think they are sealed units.

I think I asked in the other thread but what happens if you emulate the solenoid? It's tricky to get it right but engage the pinch roller yourself. You might need to spur the take up reel on instantaneously just to get it going.



You say the reels aren't turning right but ff and rw did work at a time when you held the button?

Get the switches out and test them all with a meter. Make sure they're working, give the contacts a clean etc.


Is it a case of FF and RW not working because the pinch roller isn't engaging, or do you think they're two separate problems?

Sorry if these are dumbass suggestions. I'm no veteran of this gear; Just a frequent blind tinkerer.

 

[glenn taylor]

No the replys are fine. The ff rew and pinch are dead. The rew and ff worked for about 1 hour after I sprayed cleaner inside on the circut boards . Might mean a bad solder joint. will cleand and test switches. Again if old owner is right. I give him a 65%. He said it all worked last time he used the deck. Will test solinoid. Any info help! thanks Glenn.

 

[Steenamaroo]

Forgot to say, reseat anything that can be reseated.
Spade connectors, cards, molex plugs. Anything that plugs, clean it, work it and plug it back in

 

[marklang]

I don't have any experience with this machine. You may have mechanical issues or electrical issues. I quickly reviewed the schematics, and this machine has electronic controls and logic for the transport. The fact that rr and ff work only as long as you hold down the buttons suggests something in the control logic is not working, e.g. the functions are not locking. It could be as simple as reseating a card. In my experience, using a pencil eraser on the contacts is better than contact cleaner for edge connectors. For the capstan, I would check to see if you have voltage across the capstan solenoid when in play mode. If not, you will need to check the control electronics to find the problem. If you do, then try adjusting the position because if the plunger is too far outside the coil the solenoid will not be able to move it. It could be as simple as a switch, but if the reels move in play mode that suggests the switch is working. By the way, I found the manual and schematics at a site called hifiengine. I would download and review them to guide your next steps.