A reel to reel question for Bob Lovely

There are 4 BR-20s on ebay now.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15000&item=5707412702&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15000&item=5707413460&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15000&item=5707413309&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15000&item=5707413555&rd=1

And I have a Teac X-2000M deck which I neary put up for auction on eBay a few times..

 

Charlie,

Thanks! I check from time-to-time and last time I checked there were none. I'll check 'em out...

Bob

 

I tried and tried to get the thing to work and no deal. The only way to get it to play was by pushing the two fat rollers toward the spinning things that seem to be constantly going, even when it wasn't on 'PLAY' although the play button didn't do a thing. I was very gentle and didn't mess it up more, I'm sure. I'll bring it back to the guy. Thanks everybody for trying to help.

 

Sean,

Are you absolutely sure you had the tape threaded properly?

Bob

 

Bob, yes- as far as I can tell. The only thing I'm not sure I did right is slip the tape under (closer to the heads) a piece of metal like the pins that turn the rubber capstans. The pin I refer to is in the middle of the head system. Thanks for responding, Bob.

 

Sean,

That would be important. Then be sure to take up any slack in the tape by turning one Reel by hand until the slack is gone and there is no loose [hanging] tape - taunt, in other words...then hit forward. It should then play...

Bob

 

Bob, no dice. It's like the electronics aren't coinciding with the mechanics, man (pretty groovy and poetic, eh?). When I push PLAY, the green light above the button SOMETIMES flashes a few times, the machine makes a 'clunk' noise and then nothing. What I don't get is that the deck looks new and I see no evidence of it having been dropped (No loose change that I can hear, if you know what I mean.) Thanks again!

 

Sean,

Too bad. Remember, early on in this thread I expressed that older Reel machines can look good and still not function...

Bob

 

When you had to push the capstan roller up against the capstan, did it move easily or did it take some effort? My experience when the capstan rollers don't snap into place on command is that the oil/grease in their mechanisms has turned to tar. Repair requires removing the face and some dismantling of the apparatus that moves them into place to clean out the old gunk and re-lubricate. I've encountered this problem on this series of TEAC decks many times.