Teac a6300

[a.wayne]

Teac a6100

Hello gents ,

Have in my possession an A6100 and would like to service it . my main concern is the pinch roller , it has a ton of goop on it, should it be as lean and clean as the other side ( smooth polished finish)

regards,

* Correction listed wrong originally the unit is a 6100.....not a 6300

 

[sweetbeats]

The pinch roller should be matte in appearance (not shiny or glossy) and should be "grippy" and supple to the touch...not soft but, well, rubbery.

If it is gooey, OR hard/cracked/glazed/shiny it is time for a replacement. Contact Teac in Montbello California (323) 727-4840 parts@teac.com or if they don't have stock you can look to have it rebuilt. This is a very viable option and in many cases is cheaper than new, and the rebuilt roller is at least as good as OEM, and possibly better. If you're interested in that path contact Terry Witt of Terry's Rubber Rollers. A veritable wizard with turning new rubber rollers. Does exquisite work, can be trusted with your hardware and has a quick turnaround. There are other places to have this done and I'm sure they're just fine but I can personally vouch for Terry's work on two counts. Just phenomenal.

If the rubber on the pinch roller is shot it is a good time to check your other rubber components...belts, other rollers and/or solenoid cushions and the like.

 

[a.wayne]

Hello Sweetbeats,

Maybe i'm using the wrong term. there are 2 rollers gripping the tape one is a rubber roller the other appears to be straight metal , just that mine seems to have rust/goop/looking build up on it ...

Is it that both rollers should have a rubber surface ?


my poor Cell phone pic

 

[VESSEL2020]

Hello Sweetbeats,

Maybe i'm using the wrong term. there are 2 rollers gripping the tape one is a rubber roller the other appears to be straight metal , just that mine seems to have rust/goop/looking build up on it ...

Is it that both rollers should have a rubber surface ?


my poor Cell phone pic

Hello a. wayne,
I know you are waiting for Sweetbeats to reply,
and I'm sure he will, he just might be busy at the moment.
but for now,..I'll chime in.
That is your capstan,..
Definitely needs a good cleaning.
Your pinch roller too.
There are different products you can use for this cleaning
process.
I have a special tincture of head cleaner made by TEAC,
and also a rubber cleaner made by TEAC, that I use.
I know you can get away with using isopropyl alcohol on your capstan,
but I'm not sure of the percentage.
I believe there are a few posts here on H.R.com about cleaning analog
decks...that have some informative info.
I wouldn't use alcohol on the pinch roller though,...
'cause it could cause it to harden and crack.

 

[Lance Lawson]

The metal roller give it a good cleaning with alcohol. The rust looking stuff is oxide from tape not rust on the roller. Alcohol will not harm the the roller so give it a liberal dosing.

The rubber roller is another matter. I clean the one on my TEAC A 2300SD with dish detergent and a soft toothbrush. Once its clean and dry dont forget to add a couple of drops of light oil on the shaft is rides on. I use good old 3 in one oil and have for years on my TEAC and 30 years on it still purrs. Sinc eyour deck looks as if it was neglected lay it on its back and let it idle for 30 minutes to warm it up then remove the small oil well cover at the base of the capstan shaft and add a few drops of oil to the well. Leave the deck on its back for a few hours so the oil wicks down into the felt below the well. Was that machine used in a professional setting like a radio station? Its hard to believe that a private owner would have let it get that bad. It is the dirtiest capstan I've ever seen. But it'll look great and work fine once cleaned.

 

[VESSEL2020]

It is the dirtiest capstan I've ever seen.

Second that!

 

[a.wayne]

Thanks for the response guys ... I will give the capstan a proper leaning as recommend .


Lance,

I did attempt to clean it with alcohol ( Isopropyl alcohol ) it never really made a difference. so i will try again wetting it some more and lubricate as you suggested. there is other servicing required and will be doing so shortly (belts, solenoids et al ) as i have just received a service manual ...

I'm not sure where this unit spent most if it's time , the person that arranged the sale turned out to be very misleading and the condition is poor, he did lower the price since we had sent someone to pick up the unit , but still we would have passed if he was genuine about the condition ...

The other issue is that the pinch roller does not engage when you press play you have to physically move it up to the capstan and then she goes ...

amazing it all works and still sounds good ...


regards,

 

[a.wayne]

Hello guys ,

Got it cleaned up , but it was really bad so i had to use a fine emery along with the alcohol..

now to deal with the pinch roller not engaging ...

 

[sweetbeats]

I use worn-in ScotchBrite pad and window cleaner on metal bits that need cleaning up like that. Emery cloth and alcohol would work too and it looks like it did a fine job.

The pinch roller issue might be a sticky solenoid cushion. These can get gooey like rubber belts and rollers. The cushion is a rubber washer that keeps the solenoid assembly from going *clack* when it retracts rather than the nice *thunk* you usually hear. You'd have to get the faceplate off and have a look to see if they are gooey. It can also just be that the linkage needs lubricating though in my experience this seems to happen more often with lifter linkages.

 

[a.wayne]

Hello Sweetbeats,

Thanks for the response, yes i will have to tackle the pinch roller retraction issue next, well after reviewing the service manual as i cannot see how to remove the face just looking at the unit and had intended to get the back of first to take a look at the inside condition, belts etc ...


regards,

 

[Lance Lawson]

Hello Sweetbeats,

Thanks for the response, yes i will have to tackle the pinch roller retraction issue next, well after reviewing the service manual as i cannot see how to remove the face just looking at the unit and had intended to get the back of first to take a look at the inside condition, belts etc ...


regards,

A typical issue with old TEACS is the hardening of the grease in the solenoids especially the capstan roller. Frequently if you allow the machine to get truly warmed up it may start working after a fashion. But what you need to do is get in side and re-lube the solenoid. My TEAC had the grease go hard and I've dropped 3&1 oil into the solenoid which seemed to have re activated the grease and my capstan has been engaging properly for 2 years since first did it.